“No temple made with hands can compare with the beauty of the Yosemite Valley. Every rock in its walls seems to glow with life. Some lean back in majestic repose; others, absolutely sheer or nearly so, for hundreds of metres, advance beyond their companions in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to storms and calms alike, seemingly aware, yet heedless, of everything going about them.”   - John Muir

(One of nature’s most eloquent advocates, who spent 10 years living in the Yosemite valley in the late 1870’s and campaigned incessantly for the preservation of the Valley)

The Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada range, some 4 hours drive east of San Francisco. During our recent visit to Las Vegas, while attending a convention, we flew into Merced, where Dan met us with his van. For the past 15 years he has been taking visitors through the park, and obviously knows all the special stopping points.

Although one sees only the central valley region on a day trip, it was still as inspiring and beautiful as the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia in southern Chile. Often called the incomparable Valley, Yosemite may be the world’s best known example of a glacier carved canyon. The dramatic scale of its waterfalls, rounded domes, massive monoliths, and towering cliffs has inspired painters, poets, photographers and millions of visitors.
 

El Capitan monolith is guarding the Yosemite Valley

Along the Valley’s narrow cleft you will find the densest concentration of breathtaking cliffs and waterfalls, with the face of El Capitan, the largest single monolith of granite in the world, rising majestically over the western entrance to the Valley. Half Dome, Yosemite’s most distinctive monument, dominates most valley views and looking imperiously on a couple of kilometres to the east. In between, Yosemite Falls plunges over the lip of the Valley rim in a double cascade said to comprise the highest fall in the USA. The base of the Lower Falls is an easy walk. Impressive views of both the upper and lower falls are seen on the path to the base. Interesting is the fact that this is the fifth highest falls in the world, with the Angel Falls in Venezuela the highest and the Tugela Falls locally second. Opposite El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls wafts down to the glossy rocks below, and during the spring snowmelt just about every other cliff spouts a waterfall for a few weeks.

The vast monolith of the El Capitan, jutting forward from the adjacent cliffs and looming almost 1100 meters above the valley floor and river bed, has long been the challenge of many a famous rock-climber and the Nose is probably the most famous route in the world. A very informative Visitor Centre, consisting of a museum, Indian village and art gallery with the photography of Ansel Adams, provides most of the necessary amenities to the visitor. - Johann Beukes

The Spirit of the puffing wind, where the wind swirls about the cliff and lifting the falling water in a spray of mist and snow