A chilling, first-person account about a near-fatal fall on the Half Dome cables was recently posted on the Friends of YOSAR (Yosemite Search and Rescue) Web site.

On June 6, 2009, a young woman named Gina (no last name given) slipped and fell about 150 feet on the cables section -- only to be saved from a sure fatal plunge by coming to rest on a tiny ledge. She was later evacuated by helicopter.

You can find the entire story here. It's a must-read for anyone thinking about hiking the the popular trail, which seems to have become more crowded (and hazardous) in recent years.