Nusu Dome

Polly aliamua kupanda Nusu Dome. Hakupanda kwenye miamba. Alipanda angani.

Polly decided to climb Half Dome. She did not climb on the rocks. She climbed in the air.

Nusu Dome ni mita 1,500 ya granite laini. Barafu ilifanya iwe laini miaka 15,000 iliyopita.

Half Dome is 1,500 metres of smooth granite. A glacier made it smooth 15,000 years ago.

Alianza mapema asubuhi. Aliruka juu kwa mizunguko ya polepole.

She started at first light. She flew up in slow circles.

Akiwa mita mia tatu juu, alijiunga na kundi la ndege wadogo na wepesi wanaoitwa swifts. Walikuwa wakisonga haraka. Walikuwa wakipiga kelele kwa kila mmoja. Polly alikuwa ndege wa polepole zaidi pale.

At three hundred metres up, she joined a group of small fast birds called swifts. They moved fast. They screamed at each other. Polly was the slowest bird there.

Upepo uliongezeka nguvu. Mwamba wenye joto uliwasha hewa. Hewa ya joto ilipanda juu. Ilimbeba Polly juu.

The wind got stronger. The warm rock heated the air. The warm air went up. It carried Polly up.

Nusu ya njia, alipumzika kwenye ukingo mdogo. Aliweza kuona njia ya kamba. Watu hupanda kwa kamba nyuma ya dome. Ilikuwa imefungwa kwa ajili ya majira ya kuchipua.

Halfway up, she rested on a small ledge. She could see the cable route. People climb on cables up the back of the dome. It was closed for spring.

Juu kabisa, granite ilikuwa tambarare. Kulikuwa na marundo madogo ya mawe. Watu walikuwa wameyaacha.

At the top, the granite was flat. There were small piles of stones. People had left them.

Alitembea hadi ukingo. Aliangalia chini. Bonde lilikuwa mbali chini. Miti ilionekana kama manyoya ya kijani.

She walked to the edge. She looked down. The valley was far below. The trees looked like green fuzz.

Alijisukuma kutoka ukingoni kwa kuruka kidogo. Kisha akafungua mabawa yake na kuelea chini.

She pushed off the edge in a small dive. Then she opened her wings and glided down.