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A five-day guided backpacking loop through Yosemite that combines a dawn summit on Clouds Rest with a cable-assisted climb of Half Dome. Expect alpine ridgelines, river meadows and guided backcountry camping with permits and meals included.
A five-day guided backpacking loop through Yosemite that combines a dawn summit on Clouds Rest with a cable-assisted climb of Half Dome. Expect alpine ridgelines, river meadows and guided backcountry camping with permits and meals included.
The morning light in Yosemite Valley has a way of rearranging priorities. Teams gather at Curry Village, packs humming with anticipation and coffee, while the granite faces above seem to breathe with the wind. Guides sort permits and check gear; a map smoothed at the creases marks the next five days: Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, a summit push up Half Dome and a return down the Mist Trail.
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Operated by Gallant Wind Guiding · Yosemite Valley, California
The morning light in Yosemite Valley has a way of rearranging priorities. Teams gather at Curry Village, packs humming with anticipation and coffee, while the granite faces above seem to breathe with the wind. Guides sort permits and check gear; a map smoothed at the creases marks the next five days: Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, a summit push up Half Dome and a return down the Mist Trail.
This is a route written in stone and water. Yosemite’s geology is visible on every step — glacial-polished domes, exfoliation sheets and river-cut canyons formed across millennia. Clouds Rest rises like a knife-edge ridge to 9,926 feet, offering an expansive panorama that looks back over the Sierras. Half Dome, lower but more iconic at 8,844 feet, requires a final, exposed scramble up cables — a metal spine you trust with gloved hands as the valley drops away.
Culturally, Yosemite has been a crossroads for the Ahwahnechee people for generations; their stories and place names are threaded into the park. The valley’s climbing and conservation history — early ascents, the creation of the National Park Service and pioneering route protections — have shaped how these routes are managed today: permits, bear canisters, and strict campsite practices are part of the modern contract between visitor and landscape.
A practical frame: expect roughly 30–40 miles of hiking total across the five days with cumulative elevation gain of 6,000–9,000 feet depending on exact camps and approaches. Trails move from valley floor talus and river benches to high alpine meadows and exposed granite ridgelines. Terrain ranges from well-trod switchbacks to narrow backcountry paths; the Half Dome summit requires using cable sections where balance and a light daypack matter.
Guides on this trip include permits, meals, tents and bear canisters, plus pre-trip planning — a useful buffer against Yosemite’s strict permit system. Hydration and sun protection are non-negotiable: water sources exist but require purification. Footwear with firm ankle support and a 30–50L pack will cover both the summit day and multi-night camping. Timing your summit bid for early morning reduces afternoon thunderstorm risk and avoids crowded cable ascents.
Leave-no-trace camping, proper food storage, and leaving natural features intact are enforced; your guide will brief you on minimizing impact. For photographers, dawn and dusk over Clouds Rest and the Mist Trail offer the most dramatic light. For anyone with a steady stride and a willingness to carry modest loads, this five-day circuit pairs ambitious summits with classic Yosemite backcountry nights — a compact, strenuous handshake with some of the park’s best granite and high-country views.
challenging.
5 days.
You should be in good cardio shape with experience carrying a loaded pack for consecutive days; ability to handle sustained uphill sections and exposed terrain is required.
Yes — the trip includes required day-entry and backcountry permits arranged by the outfitter.
The cables require steady footing and comfort with exposure; guides assist, and a light daypack is recommended for the ascent and descent.
Participants should have moderate backcountry experience or equivalent conditioning; guides accommodate varying experience but basic camping skills help.
Black bears are present; the trip provides bear canisters and enforces food-storage protocols to prevent encounters.
Guides monitor forecasts and can alter or postpone summit attempts for safety; cancellation/refund policy applies as stated at booking.
Yes — tents, cooking gear, trekking poles and some communal equipment are included; personal items like boots and sleeping pads are usually your responsibility unless rental is arranged.
Yosemite has long been inhabited by the Ahwahnechee; in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the valley became central to America’s conservation movement and the National Park Service model.
Guides enforce leave-no-trace camping, bear canister use and permit limits to reduce human impact on fragile alpine meadows and wildlife corridors.
Gallant Wind Guiding operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
The morning light in Yosemite Valley has a way of rearranging priorities. Teams gather at Curry Village, packs humming with anticipation and coffee, while the granite faces above seem to breathe with the wind. Guides sort permits and check gear; a map smoothed at the creases marks the next five days: Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, a summit push up Half Dome and a return down the Mist Trail.
The morning light in Yosemite Valley has a way of rearranging priorities. Teams gather at Curry Village, packs humming with anticipation and coffee, while the granite faces above seem to breathe with the wind. Guides sort permits and check gear; a map smoothed at the creases marks the next five days: Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, a summit push up Half Dome and a return down the Mist Trail.
This is a route written in stone and water. Yosemite’s geology is visible on every step — glacial-polished domes, exfoliation sheets and river-cut canyons formed across millennia. Clouds Rest rises like a knife-edge ridge to 9,926 feet, offering an expansive panorama that looks back over the Sierras. Half Dome, lower but more iconic at 8,844 feet, requires a final, exposed scramble up cables — a metal spine you trust with gloved hands as the valley drops away.
Culturally, Yosemite has been a crossroads for the Ahwahnechee people for generations; their stories and place names are threaded into the park. The valley’s climbing and conservation history — early ascents, the creation of the National Park Service and pioneering route protections — have shaped how these routes are managed today: permits, bear canisters, and strict campsite practices are part of the modern contract between visitor and landscape.
A practical frame: expect roughly 30–40 miles of hiking total across the five days with cumulative elevation gain of 6,000–9,000 feet depending on exact camps and approaches. Trails move from valley floor talus and river benches to high alpine meadows and exposed granite ridgelines. Terrain ranges from well-trod switchbacks to narrow backcountry paths; the Half Dome summit requires using cable sections where balance and a light daypack matter.
Guides on this trip include permits, meals, tents and bear canisters, plus pre-trip planning — a useful buffer against Yosemite’s strict permit system. Hydration and sun protection are non-negotiable: water sources exist but require purification. Footwear with firm ankle support and a 30–50L pack will cover both the summit day and multi-night camping. Timing your summit bid for early morning reduces afternoon thunderstorm risk and avoids crowded cable ascents.
Leave-no-trace camping, proper food storage, and leaving natural features intact are enforced; your guide will brief you on minimizing impact. For photographers, dawn and dusk over Clouds Rest and the Mist Trail offer the most dramatic light. For anyone with a steady stride and a willingness to carry modest loads, this five-day circuit pairs ambitious summits with classic Yosemite backcountry nights — a compact, strenuous handshake with some of the park’s best granite and high-country views.