A very California adventure for a Bay Area DJ known as Habitaat, who dragged his musical gear all the way up to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, and performed a live set to an audience of no one in particular.

Yosemite National Park’s famed rock formation Half Dome stands 8,800 feet above sea level, and it can be a fairly treacherous hike. But don’t tell that to a Sonoma County-based DJ who calls himself Habitaat, whom KTVU reports hauled his DJ equipment up that nearly 9,000-foot hike and performed a DJ set on top of Half Dome this past weekend.

The full 38-minute mountaintop set can be seen above. It's a calming but slightly uptempo sound reminiscent of Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz. Habitaat got a lottery ticket for a Yosemite campsite, and he and his twin brother hauled up a fairly minimal amount of DJ gear. They brought no amplification equipment whatsoever, making sure not to ruin the natural vibe for other hikers.

"A couple people came by, just curious," Habitaat told KTVU. "There were a couple squirrels that came by and just kind of standing up and watching."


But all of this brings up the obvious question... Why?

DJ Habitaat says to KTVU that he got the idea while flying over Yosemite in an airplane. "And I could see like really close, like, that's Half Dome right there. That's where the idea clicked, 'what if I did a DJ set on top?'"


You could say that he really just did this for publicity and in hopes of notching a viral video, and you might be correct to some degree. But looking through his social media posts, the man does have a powerful message.  

“Remember — our national parks and wild places aren’t guaranteed to be here forever,” he said in a Wednesday Instagram post. “Right now, powerful interests are pushing to sell off or weaken protections for the very lands that belong to all of us. These parks are more than scenery — they’re sacred spaces, homes for wildlife, and places where we can reconnect with ourselves and the earth. If you love places like Yosemite and want them to stay wild and accessible for future generations, please pay attention, speak up, and support the organizations working to defend them.”

Related: Video: Watch Rock Climbers Install Light-Based Art Installation On Yosemite's Half Dome [SFist]

Image: HABITAAT via Youtube