Seneca Rocks is a large rock exposure (outcrop) of lower Silurian age Tuscarora Formation quartz sandstone and a local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. It is easily visible and accessible along West Virginia Route 28 in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. One of the best-known scenic attractions in West Virginia, the sheer rock face of Seneca Rocks is a popular challenge for rock climbers.
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Geography and geology
Seneca Rocks is at the northern end of the River Knobs, which contain other similar "razorback" ridges or "fins". They are a prominent and visually striking formation rising nearly 900 feet above the confluence of Seneca Creek with the North Fork South Branch Potomac River. They also overlook the community of Seneca Rocks, traditionally known as "Mouth of Seneca". Seneca Rocks and nearby Champe Rocks are the most imposing examples in eastern West Virginia of several formations of the white/gray Tuscarora quartzite. The quartzite is approximately 250 feet thick here and is located primarily on exposed ridges as caprock or exposed crags. The rock is composed of fine grains of sand that were laid down approximately 440 million years ago in the Silurian Period, in an extensive sand shoal at the edge of the ancient Iapetus Ocean. Eons of geologic activity followed, as the ocean slowly closed and the underlying rock uplifted and folded. Millions of years of erosion stripped away the overlying rock and left remnants of the arching folds in outcrops such as Seneca Rocks.
History
Some evidence suggests that the Native Americans of the Archaic Period may have camped at the mouth of nearby Seneca Creek. The famous Seneca Trail followed the Potomac River, allowing the Algonquin, Tuscarora, and Seneca nations to trade and make war. The first European settlers in the region appeared about 1746. At that time, West Virginia (or western Virginia as it was then) was the edge of the great wilderness. Slowly the area was settled, disturbed by the events of the American Revolution and the Civil War, which pitted brother against brother in these border counties. It is unknown who the first person was to climb Seneca Rocks. Undoubtedly Native Americans scaled the rocks prior to European settlers reaching the area, but there is no record of their ascents. The historic ascent of Paul Brandt, Don Hubbard, and Sam Moore in 1939 found an inscription of "D.B. September 16, 1908." This has been attributed to a surveyor named Bittenger who was known to be working in the area. The documented climbing history of the rocks began in 1935 with a roped ascent of the North Peak by Paul Brandt and Florence Perry. In the 1930s and 40's only a few climbers, mostly from the Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh areas, attempted to climb Seneca Rocks. In 1943 and '44, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area, the U.S. Army used the rocks to train mountain troops in assault climbing in preparation for action in the Apennines of Italy. Evidence of this training can still be found on the rocks. Seneca Rocks was purchased by the federal government in 1969. On October 22, 1987, the Gendarme, an isolated pinnacle rock at the peak of Seneca Rocks, fell to the ground.
Rock climbing details
Due to the hardness of the Tuscarora Formation, and the degree of climbing difficulty, Seneca Rocks offers rock climbers an opportunity unique in the east. There are over 375 major mapped climbing routes, varying in degree from the easiest (5.0) to the most difficult (5.12). There are two climbing schools located in the communities of Seneca Rocks and nearby Riverton who train prospective climbers in beginning and advanced rock climbing. The school in Riverton also offers a climbers rescue course.
Seneca Rocks is also a popular rock climbing destination. The North and South Peak offer single and multi-pitch routes up to 300ft in length. Because of the way the rock was uplifted, there are many vertical cracks that offer excellent jamming and good protection. Routes range from 5.2-5.13 nearly all of which require the leader placing protection (traditional climbing). Some routes and their rating in the Yosemite Decimal System are represented in the picture on the left. The South Peak is rumored to be the tallest peak east of Devils Tower, WY that is only accessible by 5th class climbing.
References
- Tony Barnes (2006). Seneca Rocks: The Climber's Guilde, 2nd edition.
External links
- Monongahela National Forest (USDA Forest Service site website)
