| Seneca Rocks Mountain/Rock |
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Geography
| Seneca Rocks   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: West Virginia, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 38.83500°N / 79.366°W County: Pendleton Activities: Hiking, Trad Climbing, Scrambling Elevation: 2400 ft / 732 m | Page By: desainme Created/Edited: Jul 4, 2003 / Jan 18, 2008 Object ID: 151675 Hits: 7416 Loading... Page Score: 91.05% - 35 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
Seneca Rocks is a fin of vertically layered Tuscarora quartzite that rises above the headwaters of the Potomac in Pendleton County, West Virginia. It is a popular eastern trad climbing area handy to Washington D.C. and Pittsburg. The rock is the same type as is found in the Shawangunks, but unlike the horizontally layered Gunks, the climbs often follow steep cracks.
One approaches Seneca via U.S. route 33 from Elkins or Petersburg.
The easiest route up the North Peak is walking out from the hillside from the northeast side. The South Peak is most easily gained from the West Side via the Old-Mans or the Old Ladies which are 5.1-5.2. Exit from the south peak is via three 75 foot rappels. The rock with its pines has the air of a classical chinese landscape. This is particularly true if there is mist. Senecal was a training ground for U.S. Mountain Forces during WWII as the face of a thousand pitons attests to. By 1948, Herb and Jan Conn had done east face and west face routes that bear their names. They went on to do Concourse on Cannon in Franconia Notch where Jan lead the 5.8 crux levitating in her tennis shoes.
Reading Assignment:
H.ShullPhotos
Getting ThereFrom Pittsburgh go south to Elkins W.V and follow U.S. 33 to the hamlet of Seneca Rocks a distance of 177 miles from Triangle Park in Pittsburg with time estimated at 3hr 15min in my atlas. The Gendarme climbing shop has directions from there. The places of business include Yokums and Buck Harper's Store from whose veranda you can view sunset on the rocks by looking due east. From Washington D.C. (Capitol Hill) follow U.S. 66 west to Strassburg and then turn south to Harrisonburg via U.S. 8. Thence west to Seneca via U.S. 33 a distance of 196 miles. My atlas estimated 3hr 30 min for this trip.
By now you have made it to Buck Harper's Store and you can see the fin rising before you to the east. Roy Gap road-unimproved for hikers and Roy's pickup truck only. The last time I saw this pick up it had a boulder straped over the differential to help it ford the Potamac.
Red TapeThe Fee Program became law December 6, 2004!
Despite vehement opposition, the bill was passed anyway. So get out your pocketbooks if you still plan on climbing anywhere in the National Forest system. If you are not rich and cannot afford to climb on YOUR public lands, time to pursue another activity!
This fee program was sponsored by Ralph Regula, from Ohio. The bill was pushed through as an omnibus (a rider, piggybacking other bills). This is also referred to as "pork." The House, Senate and public had no say on the matter.
The fee would be at least $85.00, and is supported by Republican congressmen from eastern states with very little Federal land, so there's little impact on their constituents. The proposal will require citizens to buy an "America the Beautiful Pass" in order to use ANY public lands, including National Forests, BLM lands, National Parks or US Fish & Wildlife lands. Western politicians that initially supported the fee program were not convinced the money was being used as it was intended.
The latest news on the fees, as reported by a site opposed to the fee program, can be found at Free Our Forests.
"The Gendarme climbing shop shares its name with a former geological feature at Seneca Rocks - one which is no longer standing. The Gendarme tipped over at 3:27 pm on 22 October 1987. Luckily, no one was near it or climbing it when it fell. The Gendarme was a leaning, 8 meter tall, 20 ton slab of ancient Tuscarora sandstone poised in the center of Gunsight Notch being the gunsight "
When To ClimbYou can climb any time but there can be a fair amount of snow in the winter. The ratings of the climbs used to lean toward the sandbag- but the routes have recieved fairer ratings of late. For example "Welcome to Seneca" is a John Stannard 5.11 of about the same vintages as Foops in the Gunks. It used to be called a 5.10 but no longer.
CampingYes. There is Yokum's at the foot of the rocks and an USFS site west up U.S. 33. There are plenty of commercial and forest service camp sites in the area.
campground 1 mi west
Mountain Conditionshttp://www.seneca-rocks.com/gendarme.html is a good site to visit.
P.O. Box 53, Seneca Rocks, WV 26884-0053
Phone: 304-567-2600 or 800-548-0108
Via Ferrata at nearby Nelson Rocks
Via Ferrata at nearby Nelson Rocks
Miscellaneous Infoweather:
SenecaWeather
External Links Images
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