Woman Dies After Falling 500 Feet Hiking Dangerous Dome at Yosemite

A 29-year-old woman died Thursday after falling 500 feet from a dangerous dome at Yosemite National Park, park officials said.

The climber was hiking the treacherous Half Dome, which is described by the National Park Service as a "great challenge."

 "For most, it is an exciting, arduous hike; for a few, it becomes more of an adventure than they wanted," the agency's website says.

She fell from the dome's cables just before noon and plunged 500 feet down rocky terrain. She was dead when officials arrived.

The Half Dome is more than 8,800 feet above sea level. Permits are required by the park for climbers wishing to summit the dome, and the park urges people not to assume the task unprepared. It stresses that it should not be attempted without the provided cables, which are only available May through October.

Still, "there is nothing you can do to guarantee your safety," the park says on its website.

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