Skiers defy death in descent of Yosemite’s Half Dome

Zach Milligan is shown on his descent down Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California (Jason Torlano via AP)

Two skiers navigated a thin layer of snow with no margin for error down the precipitous shoulder of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park and alternately skied and abseiled back to the valley floor in an unusually daring feat.

Jason Torlano, 45, and Zach Milligan, 40, completed the descent in five hours by carefully carving their way in crusty snow and using ropes to abseil several sections of bare rock known as the “death slabs” beneath the face of Half Dome, the Fresno Bee reported.