Gloves for Half-Dome Cables

[--M.]

A search revealed little, so I posit:

Who has found the best gloves for the job, and what are they?

I used a pair of yard gloves, which mostly worked fine, but the leather in the palm bunched up a little and interfered with my grip. I lighter pair would solve this, but I saw others using thin, leather-palm gloves that seemed bought specifically for this application.

Any veterans out there who would care to comment? I'll be back there fer sure, maybe even next May, and I'd like to be a bit more comfortable on that last stretch.

 

[Danielle]

When we hiked Half Dome a few years back, we didn't know to bring gloves, so we picked pairs from the pile at the bottom of the cables. The pair I chose were flowered gardening gloves, making me look wonderfully goofy but hey, they worked... I was just happy to have something protecting my hands from the cables!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Go to Home Depot and look in the tool department. They have some close-fitting ones that work well. Usually in the same area as carpenter's belts. Not the 3 for $5 variety (those work, but would be floppy) but the good ones run about $25. Whether you're framing or climbing they work well.

Lowes probably has them too, but can't vouch for that.

 

[Michelle]

A " Certain Someone" says, he climbed Half Dome via the cable route back in 1980 and never used gloves. He said it was a "piece of cake".

 

[Snowflea]

I thought it was kinda scary -- IMO makes Zion's Angel's Landing look like child's play. Also my hands are very soft, delicate, and ladylike, so I opted for gloves, merely grabbing a pair of leatheresque work gloves that were laying in a pile at the base of the cables. They were quite grippy on the cables, especially on the descent.

That Certain Someone must be wicked hardcore.



www.runsuerun.blogspot.com

 

[LivesToHike]

No gloves 20 years ago, but...

I climbed up the cables in 1987 without gloves, but was I was alot younger and had thicker skin back then... ...If I did that today, I'd be never be able to play the piano again. Er, ah, but come to think of it, I've never been able to play the piano.

 

[UNFROZENCAVEMAN]

Wells Lamont make gloves they call "Grips" - I have no experience in this particular hike but I do know these are great gloves for a variety of activities - I get mine small so they stretch to fit and they work awesome. They have "pre-curve" built right in. They're also cheap, you can usually find a 3 pack (of pairs - don't know that many people with three arms!) for around 20 bucks.

 

[Frodo]

I also did this hike with no gloves back in 2003 (and I have girly non-calloused hands)

The cables are 1" dia steel woven and are pretty easy to grip with bare hands. Wearing gloves would certainly make it easier (and keep your hands cleaner, and callous free)

The problem I had with this hike was not the cables, it was the bottleneck. I started early and had the whole cable route to myself on the way up. On the way down was a different story...

Half way down I encountered about 20 teenage girls heading up with 1/2 of them afraid of heights. Needless to say, they were not moving, so since I love heights (actually I had my wife waiting for me in 2 hours, but the height thing sounds better) , I jumped over the cables to the outside and headed the rest of the way down holding the outermost cable. It was a little dangerous, but I was willing to risk it over over a pissed off irish girl stuck with 2 kids...

 

[--M.]

Hey thanks to everyone for the responses.

I wouldn't do the hike without gloves, and was glad for the ones I brought. I can't really see maintaining a grip, especially on the way down, without 'em. Some of the steel wire frays a bit, and there's definitely some sliding of hands along the cable. I'll check out the Lamonts and Home Depot.

We deliberately did the hike soon after the cables went up, and made a point to be on the trail by 6am. As it was there were small bottlenecks by the time we got up there (around 11am +/-), but nothing like what I've heard about. One frozen hiker can sure gum up the line, though!

We also descended by going down the outside. By the time we were ready to go, there was quite a line coming up, so going on the outside was like having a car-pool lane: no one out there. It's pretty scary!