Everett Kalin, a 93-year-old Oakland man, climbed the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite National Park last week, becoming the oldest known person to complete the challenging hike. Accompanied by his son, Jon, and 19-year-old granddaughter Sidney, the determined senior scaled the famous peak with scraped knees and a big smile on his face, demonstrating that age is truly just a number.

Everett's granddaughter, Sidney, celebrated the incredible achievement on TikTok on July 18th, stating, "Words cannot describe how proud I am. Opa, it was an honor to take on this trip with you. I hope this stands as a lesson to everyone that you are never too young or old to achieve your dreams."

 

@sidneykalin

July 18th, Everett Kalin became the oldest known person to climb Yosemite’s Half Dome at 93 years old. Words cannot describe how proud I am. Opa, it was an honor to take on this trip with you. I hope this stands as a lesson to everyone that you are never too young or old to achieve your dreams.

♬ M83 Outro Versaille Intro - yaten82

 

The journey to the top of Half Dome was not easy, involving several hundred feet of rock stairs and a final pitch up the steep but somewhat rounded face of the peak. To assist climbers, post-mounted steel cables are available in the last stretch, which the family utilized, along with a harness and carabiner for added safety. Despite the challenging nature of the hike, the elder Kalin persevered.

Everett prepared for the Half Dome hike by climbing the stairs in his 17-story senior living facility and walking around Lake Merritt five days a week as noted in KTVU's article. The thrill-seeker has always been adventurous, even going skydiving at the age of 91. His determination and spirit were inspired by his mother, who remained active into her late 90s.

The entire hike, from camp to summit and back, took the Kalin family 13 and a half hours to complete. Along the way, they received support and cheers from other hikers, making their journey all the more memorable.