In darkness we prepared our breakfast and our packs for the day. We had just over an 8 mile hike to the base camp of Half Dome.

We marched through the most surreal landscape in darkness and after a few hours the sun slowly crept over the mountains. Yosemite is a prehistoric realm.

As the forest lit up we all trekked in silence and amazement. I'll never forget this day !!

Half our crew - JoseJackFranco and Phillip.

Zorched by lightening

JoseJackFranco is a high quality manny . We had no sherpas or mules on this trek.

Hours into the mission. The sun beats down on the crew and the air gets thinner as we climb higher into the peaks

This is old land were walking on . You can feel it.

An injured Mexican Bear Grylls put on a brave face as he trudged up the mountain. The day before he injured his leg snap chatting on the edge of a cliff . I'd never seen this guy so beat up and tired before. He trooped onward without a complaint as we dangled beef jerky in front of him to keep his momentum up.

JoseJackFranco got MVP of the whole trip. Oustanding valor in the face of danger .

We are on the ceiling of the world and not even at the top yet..............

Part 3 - "Your shitting me right?"