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The 20-mile trek included navigating slippery granite, steep cables and mental challenges
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Vero Durham and her friends hiked Yosemite’s Half Dome after months of preparation and securing difficult-to-get permits
The 20-mile trek included navigating slippery granite, steep cables and mental challenges, especially for Durham, who fears heights
Durham documented the experience on TikTok, where her videos went viral and received both praise and criticism
When Vero Durham agreed to join her friends on a hike up Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, she had no idea what she was signing up for. Still, the 17-year-old from Santa Barbara, Calif., has always been drawn to adventure.
The incoming New York University freshman got the idea from her friend Tarkan, an avid hiker and Eagle Scout who spends time in Yosemite with his family every year. Having already climbed Mount Whitney, he had dreamed of hiking Half Dome for years but had never been able to secure the highly coveted permits.
“With our whole group applying, our chances were greater,” Durham tells PEOPLE exclusively.
To prepare, the group completed a nine-mile hike the day before to get a feel for the terrain. They also packed their backpacks with three liters of water each, snacks, gloves, headlamps, portable chargers, walkie-talkies and other essentials before heading to bed at 5 p.m. so they could wake up at 10:30 p.m. and begin the hike at midnight.
Durham set off alongside her three friends — Tarkan, Hadley and Kai — just after midnight. The round-trip trek totaled nearly 20 miles and took roughly five to six hours each way. The group ascended via the John Muir Trail, stopping only briefly for water and snacks.
“We didn’t encounter any animals or people on the trail, and were listening to music and cracking inside jokes through our walkie-talkies, which kept us going,” she says.
As they approached the sub-dome, however, the hike became significantly more difficult.
Tarkan and Hadley pulled about 15 minutes ahead while Durham and Kai carefully navigated the slippery granite in the dark.
“When we reached the top of sub-dome, looking at the cables looked like a horror movie, and the valley at sunrise down below looked like a painting,” she recalls.
Once they reached the cables, Durham and Kai met a 24-year-old hiker named Gaeten, who fearlessly ran up behind Tarkan and Hadley. Watching him climb gave them the confidence to follow. Aside from Gaeten and two older men who arrived around the same time, they had the cables almost entirely to themselves.
After reaching the summit, the group spent about two hours taking photos and videos, talking and soaking in the sweeping views before beginning their descent around 7:30 a.m., just as the trail became increasingly crowded.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking, as I’m afraid of heights, but I kind of dissociated and told myself it was a painting,” Durham says. “But I also remained cautious, as we didn’t have harnesses, only hiking boots and gloves.”
The return trip presented its own challenges. At one point, Kai’s shoes began falling apart, making it difficult for him to grip the granite while descending the cables. Fortunately, a stranger offered tape to temporarily repair them, allowing the group to continue safely.
Durham says climbing back down the exposed sub-dome proved even more intimidating than going up. Although she wasn’t a fan of the crowded Mist Trail they took back, she says the experience was more than worth it.
“It was extremely accomplishing, and I would do it again,” she says.
Looking back, Durham says the hardest part wasn’t the physical challenge — it was the mental one. She had nightmares in the days leading up to the hike and felt nauseous during the drive to Yosemite.
“Physically, going up and down sub-dome was grueling and scary,” she says. “One wrong move and you’re down.”
Throughout the trek, Durham fueled herself with Clif Bars, a sleeve of Ritz crackers and plenty of water mixed with Liquid I.V. electrolytes.
“When we got to the top, we rewarded ourselves with some chocolate,” she says. “My friend Hadley had a water backpack with a straw connected to her backpack.”
Her family, however, wasn’t fully aware of what she had signed up for.
“My family didn’t really know the extent of it,” Durham says. “I was afraid they’d talk me out of it. My dad cheered me on. My mom and brother were clueless to what the hike actually was.”
Some of her friends were more skeptical.
“A few told me it was a stupid idea and to be safe,” she says. “The friends that did the hike with me definitely motivated me. Tarkan told me if I fell it would be a skill issue, so I guess that was some tough love.”
Before the trip, Durham turned to TikTok to learn what hiking Half Dome was really like.
She posted a video asking for people’s experiences and advice, which quickly amassed more than 40,000 likes and over 1,000 comments from people offering encouragement, sharing tips and, in some cases, warning her not to attempt the hike.
After completing the climb, Durham posted a follow-up video documenting the experience, which also quickly went viral.
“I was really happy seeing it go viral since I spent a lot of time recording and editing,” she says. “I think it’s a very interesting topic, so it made me really happy. You get in what you put out of something.”
One response, in particular, made her laugh.
“I got a few comments saying the video was the perfect length to eat their Taco Bell meal to,” she says with a laugh. “I also really liked people agreeing on my music choice. ‘Take It Easy’ by the Eagles was the song stuck in my head the entire time. The amount of people congratulating me was really sweet.”
Of course, not every comment was supportive. “Some people just called me a dumb teenager,” she says.
Despite the criticism, Durham has no plans to stop exploring. Next up is a trip to Lake Tahoe for several smaller, less dangerous hikes, and one day she hopes to tackle Angels Landing in Utah and visit Glacier National Park in Montana — ideally with the same group of friends.
For anyone considering Half Dome, Durham has some pieces of advice.
“Do your research, go with friends and be prepared,” she says. “Know the risks and only take them if you feel confident in your physical and mental abilities.”
“Harnesses are controversial. I won’t sway someone either way, but I had no difficulty without one because I was very focused,” she adds. “Also, you don’t need an insane amount of arm strength.”
Read the original article on People
