Yosemite
Adventure

Pickup at 55 Fairchild Dr, Mountain View, CA 94043 (Computer History Museum / PerconaLIVE). VIP transfer with Peter Zaytsev — prior request required.

Travelling from a different location? Join us for dinner in Merced at 7:30 PM — the address is below.

Casual Mexican dinner together — the first chance to meet the crew. Ceviche, carne asada, shrimp tacos. Dinner is included in the adventure cost.

Arrive, check in, get settled. Early night — Day 1 departs at 6:30 AM sharp.

Rooms: Cedar Lodge is one of the few hotels near Yosemite with enough rooms to accommodate a group this size — which is genuinely rare in this area. Most rooms come with 2 queen beds rather than a king, so just a heads up on that.

Pool: Cedar Lodge has both an indoor and outdoor pool (open 9 AM–10 PM) plus 3 hot tubs on site. If you'd like to use them after the hike days, pack a swimsuit.

Meet at Cedar Lodge reception by 6:20 AM. We leave at 6:30 sharp — doors close, cars go. Packed breakfast provided — eat on the go.

Pack before you leave the room:
🧥 Waterproof jacket (you'll need it at the waterfalls)
🧣 Warm midlayer (essential for Sentinel Dome — 8–14°C with wind at 8,127 ft)
💧 2L water filled and ready (no refills after the footbridge on the Mist Trail)
📱 Phone in Ziploc bag · sunscreen · snacks

Route into the park: CA-140 East → Arch Rock Entrance (pay $35/car by card, no cash accepted) → follow signs to Yosemite Valley.

Pull into the parking lot on the right as you exit the Wawona Tunnel. Your first look at El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall all at once. The WOW moment. 10 minutes, then back in the cars — drive straight to Curry Village.

Park all cars here and don't move them again. Toilets and water refill at the parking area.
Use this time to: fill water bottles, apply sunscreen, sort packs, use the bathroom.

Shuttle to Stop 16 (Happy Isles). Start of the Mist Trail.

The route: Happy Isles → Vernal Fall footbridge (1 mi, ~40 min) → top of Vernal Fall (1.7 mi, ~1.5 hrs) → Nevada Fall summit (2.7 mi, ~2.5–3 hrs). Return via John Muir Trail. Total: 5.4 miles, 2,000 ft gain, 4–5 hrs.

⚠ Water: There is one refill point at the Vernal Fall footbridge — after that, nothing. Prepare at least 2L per person before you start. GGP will provide healthy snacks for the trail.

⚠ Granite steps above the footbridge: Extremely slick from waterfall spray. Trekking poles strongly recommended. Waterproof jacket and Ziploc for your phone are non-negotiable.

Can't make the full loop? No problem — turn around at Vernal Fall and come back down the same trail. We'll meet up at Degnan's Kitchen for lunch.

Regroup for the whole group. Sandwiches made to order, soups, cold drinks. Walk-in, no booking needed. Shuttle Stop 1 (Yosemite Village). Included in the adventure cost.

Route from Valley: Southside Drive → Wawona Road → Glacier Point Road. About 45 minutes from the Valley. Check the road status the morning of — Glacier Point Road can be closed until late May.

⚠ If Glacier Point Road is closed: Plan B — Columbia Rock via Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. Shuttle Stop 7 from Curry Village. 2 miles RT, ~1,000 ft, ~1.5 hrs. Dramatic exposed ledge over the entire Valley.

Parking: Sentinel Dome / Taft Point Trailhead lot on Glacier Point Road, about 2 miles before Glacier Point. It's smaller than the Glacier Point lot — on busy weekends it fills. If full: drive to Glacier Point (3 min), park there, and walk back to the trailhead or drive back once a space opens.

The hike: Wide sandy trail through forest, then open granite slabs. The final push is steep bare rock — hands occasionally useful, nothing technical. Most fit hikers do it in 45–50 min up, 30–35 min down.

The view: True 360° panorama from the bare dome — Half Dome, Nevada Fall, Yosemite Valley, the Cathedral Range behind you, the Sierra on the horizon. No railings, no crowd, no platform. Better than Glacier Point because you see everything including what's behind Glacier Point. This is the day's real reward.

Temperature: 8–14°C at the summit with wind even on warm Valley days. Midlayer is not optional — put it on before the final climb.

3 minutes further down the road from the Sentinel Dome trailhead. Drive there after the hike, park in the large lot, walk 2 minutes to the railing.

Half Dome at eye level. Nevada Fall directly below. The full Valley spread out 3,200 ft beneath you. One of the most photographed views in America — now you've earned it.

25–30 minutes here, then back to the cars by 6:00 PM.

Route back: Glacier Point Road → Wawona Road → CA-41 S → CA-140 W → Cedar Lodge. About 1 hour from Glacier Point — you'll make 7 PM if you leave by 6:00 PM.

Early night — Day 2 also starts at 6:30 AM.

CA-140 East → Arch Rock Entrance → Yosemite Valley. Stop for coffee and a light hang at Yosemite Valley Lodge before the guides arrive.

AMGA-certified guides meet the group at Yosemite Valley Lodge. They provide all gear and go through instructions before we walk to Swan Slab.

Top-rope granite climbing on Yosemite walls — 10-min walk from the Lodge. Routes from 5.4 (absolute beginner) to 5.8 (challenging). Every level of the group gets stretched.

Typical arc: harness fitting + safety briefing → first routes → progression → group photos on the wall.

El Capitan Meadow — on the west end of the Valley along Northside Drive. The shuttle doesn't reach this far west — take a car (5 min from Curry Village, easy roadside parking on Northside Drive) or e-bike from Curry Village — a flat, beautiful ride straight down the valley floor.


Lower Yosemite Falls — Shuttle Stop 6 from Curry Village. Easy 1-mile paved loop to the base of a 2,425 ft waterfall. In late May it's deafening and you'll get wet at the footbridge. Zero effort, completely spectacular.

🚲 E-bikes & Bike Share

Paid rentals — available at Curry Village bike stand. Best for longer rides to El Capitan Meadow and back.

Free Bike Share — courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy, available June–October. Up to 2 hours per ride, free of charge.

Watch the last light hit Yosemite Falls, then dinner. Floor-to-ceiling windows looking straight at the falls. A proper send-off for the crew.

What's included: GGP selects the sides and shared plates. You choose one main dish. All included in the adventure cost.

Cedar Lodge restaurant opens at 7:00 AM — proper buffet breakfast available. Prefer a packed breakfast? Let us know 24 hours in advance and we'll have it ready to go.

Depart before traffic builds on CA-140 West. Approximately 4.5 hours to San Francisco Airport.