Half Dome Guided Backpacking Tour - Yosemite National Park

From the moment we met our guide to the time we got in the car to go home, this trip was INCREDIBLE. Yosemite is an amazing, beautiful place on its own, but Discovery Treks made the experience unforgettable. Jason, our guide, was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and truly went above and beyond to give us a once in a life time trip. As a very novice backpacker, this trip admittedly pushed my limits. However, Jason was receptive and patient, and knew exactly how to make me feel comfortable and ready for every turn. Talk about a GUIDE. Besides knowing the ins and outs of our trails and trek, he was also incredibly versed in the wildlife, landscape, gear, and Yosemite history, and kept us entertained with information and anecdotes along the way. The food was delicious and impressive; warm meals and fresh vegetables! Not to mention - one of our guests had a birthday over the trip, and he surprised us with a backpack style birthday cake! YUM! He took our photos (candid shots!), pointed out all the best views, helped me with my tent/pack and answered all of my questions. Thanks to Discovery Treks, I feel incredibly accomplished, challenged, and inspired! Where to next?!

Absolutely amazing trip. Just completed a pre-4th of July Yosemite Half Dome trip with my gf and little brother. Yosemite National Park and our guides both blew us away. Katie and "Uphill" Phil were awesome, and we'll be requesting them for our next trip for sure. They were not only knowledgeable and keeping us full of water, food, and outdoorsmanship education, but they were down-to-earth friends as well with no shaming the likes of myself for growing accustomed to city life lately! Could not think of a better way to spend quality time with nature and family. Katie and Phil - thank you so much. For all future Half Dome hikers - make sure to take advantage of Katie and Phil's cartographer-like knowledge of little hidden gems that you won't find outside #DiscoveryTreks, like the "Legends of Forbidden Yeti Footprint" (what our group colloquially named it) spot only they know the location of - now fossilized into the ground! See for yourself! Looking forward to our next trip (trip #2 with a view). Saw some bears on the last day which was a real treat. Finally, special shout out to Katie for her amazing job in coaching my gf up the Half Dome cables (there was a brief moment of "We're climbing that!?!?" - but Katie is a true pro and made sure my gf wasn't leaving without getting to the peak and coached her up step by step. Then upon reaching the peak - well, I'll just say it is a true bucket list item and leave it at that! One final tip/comment - contact your guide ahead of time and before "over purchasing" for the trip. Some items on the initial standard packing list were "must haves" and others were "nice to haves or optional" - such as a personal journal. Also, certain items can cover the whole group (instead we brought a full supply list per person which left us with 2 sets of certain unused personal hygiene items). They will confirm exactly what is best, what is essential, the ideal quantity/sizes, and other useful tips based on recent conditions and weather forecast. Pack essentials, pack light, and get ready for Half Dome - "it's a vibe" Thanks for the unforgettable trip, and looking forward to next time. Chris Courtney Jack