HALF DOME ISN'T ANY EVEREST, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NO CAKEWALK.

Byline: Terry Wood Special to the Daily News

Extreme climbers have Mount Everest. Average Joe has Half Dome.

It has come to this in the energy bar-munching, pain-threshold-pushing 1990s: If you want to look your friends in the eyes after a summertime visit to Yosemite National Park, you had better say you made it to the top of Half Dome. . . and mean it.

Thanks largely to the just-do-it/no-fear mind-set, summiting 8,842-foot Half Dome has become the grail pursued by Yosemite Valley visitors who feel worthy of their lug-sole boots.

``Without question, it is the most popular trail in the park,'' said Kendell Thompson, a spokesman for Yosemite National Park. ``A lot of people may stop at the bridge below Vernal Falls, but a lot of people still make the trip up to Half Dome. We don't have exact numbers, but we know it's a lot.''

The day I made my first ascent, in 1980, I shared the waist-high hand cables that line the route to provide better balance with six people. Today, Half Dome seems to draw as many visitors as does the Yosemite Village grocery store.

The arduous day trip is 16 miles out and back, with a 4,800-foot elevation gain. It includes a miserable set of precipitous, sun-exposed switchbacks. At its most distant point is a final gut-check: a 400-foot climb via the sometimes shaky cables up a nearly 45-degree slope.

To reach the top ostensibly validates a certain adventurous spirit, authenticating outdoor worthiness in an Eco-Challenge, X Games era. Otherwise, current logic dictates, you might as well be wearing Bermuda shorts and black socks, scarfing designer ice cream in Curry Village.

Such perceptions, while generally legitimate, have a down side:

They have turned the Half Dome route into one of the most overpopulated day-use paths in the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. They have pulverized it to fine sand in places. They have led to huge snarls along the narrow traffic artery that ascends Half Dome's steep north shoulder; from a distance, the string of humans takes on the appearance of ants streaming along a sidewalk crack.

Fear of being called a wimp or coward has created a peer-pressure environment where unfit visitors and those uncomfortable with heights have been talked into trying for the summit, only to gas out well short of the goal or freeze part way up the cables.

As a result, this corridor has become so scuffed that sections of granite are slick, adding an extra challenge to an already difficult climb. (The last Half Dome death, ruled a suicide, occurred in 1997.)

What is a Yosemite visitor to do?

Quiz yourself.

Are you free of acrophobia? Can you accept inevitable encounters with weekend warriors? Have you got the legs and the lungs for 16 serious miles?

If so, do not pass up this trip, for it's a classic. Just do it with wisdom. This is a no-nonsense hike best enjoyed after some basic preparation. A few suggestions:

Start early: Catch one of the first shuttle buses to Happy Isles - the starting point at Yosemite Valley's eastern end - to do more climbing in the cooler morning hours and not have to rush back down to catch the last bus out to the car, tent or cabin.

Carry ample water: A small spring exists along the Half Dome Spur Trail, less than 2 miles from the summit, but unless a water filter is used it is advised to avoid it. Also bring quick-energy food.

Gauge your stamina: If you're already pooped upon reaching the footbridge at the top of Nevada Falls, about 3 miles in, turn back.

Study the cables: They can be intimidating at first glance, even if you feel no apprehension about heights. Gain assurance by watching others. Bring work gloves; the cables are tough on tender hands. Pause on the occasional two-by-four to rest. Invite faster climbers to pass you; notify slow-pokes before you pass them.

Select the best routes: Take the Mist Trail up; descend via the longer John Muir Trail. This two-way option provides a pair of splendid and entirely different views of striking Nevada Fall.

A final option: While descending the John Muir Trail, watch for a junction directing visitors to Clark Point and the Mist Trail. If you have the energy to handle the extra three-quarters of a mile this route will require, by all means, take it. The late-afternoon view of Vernal Falls from lofty Clark Point is magnificent and usually not crowded.

IF YOU`RE GOING

Plan on entering Yosemite Valley very early if you plan on tackling Half Dome in the same day.

Admission to Yosemite National Park is $20 per vehicle and is good for seven consecutive days.

The two primary day-use parking areas lie in the east valley, at Curry Village and near the Yosemite Village Store. There is no time limit on day-use parking, so long as the vehicle doesn't remain overnight.

Walk or take one of the park's buses to shuttle stop No. 16 to start the hike at Happy Isles Nature Center. Apply sunscreen liberally and drink at least two quarts of water en route to the 8,842-foot summit. If you feel faint or too weary to continue, turn back; Half Dome will always be there for another attempt.

For more information on Yosemite Valley and Half Dome, call the park's recorded-message line at [phone], write to Yosemite Association, Box 230, El Portal, CA 95318 or visit Yosemite's Web site at www.nps.gov/yose.

- Brett Pauly

CAPTION(S):

Map, Box

MAP: (Color) HIKING TO HALF DOME FROM YOSEMITE VALLEY

Dionisio Munoz/Daily News

BOX: IF YOU`RE GOING (see text)