New River Mountain Guides

Seneca Rocks soars over 300 feet into the blue West Virginia sky. Once home of the hardest 5.9's on the East Coast, Seneca is still a place to learn the ropes of leading on trad gear, and find out the difference between saying you can climb 5.10 and knowing that you can. Seneca Rocks is famous for moderate multipitch traditional routes as well as being the WWII training ground for the Army's 10th Mountain Division. Seneca has dozens of routes in the 5.3-5.7 range, which make the summit attainable for new climbers.

Seneca Rocks are a staggered set of enormous Tuscarora sandstone fins protruding 300ft above the scree and talus field below. The summit of the South Peak, a mere 10ft wide in places, rise almost 900 feet above the valley floor (see photo above). It's very much an "alpine-like" environment, the weather changes quickly, route finding can be tricky, and you've got to keep a sharp eye on the ever-changing surroundings.

New River Mountain Guides partners with Seneca Rocks Climbing School to offer courses and instruction at Seneca Rocks, WV. The nice folks at SRCS share the same values, maintain a high safety standard and only employ guides trained and certified by the American Mountain Guide Association.

COMPREHENSIVE BASIC COURSE:
This is a 3 day crash course in multi-pitch climbing. If you have single pitch climbing experience (indoor or outdoor) but feel like you want to spice things up a bit, then this is the course for you. By the end of this course you'll have experienced being an active member of a climbing team and will have experienced standing upon your first summit.

•       Tying basic knots
•       Verbal Commands
•       Equipment Use and Care
•       Movement Skills
•       Belaying another climber either on top rope or on lead
•       Removing artificial protection while seconding a leader
•       Connecting yourself to a multi-pitch anchor
•       Breaking down an anchor
•       Moving in a multi-pitch environment
•       Rappelling and descending
  
  

Day 1
The first day focuses on fundamentals.  Students are introduced to basic climbing equipment and their properties, basic knots, simple anchors, voice commands, belay techniques, top rope climbing, movement skills and rappel techniques. After a full day of practicing these new skills, students will participate in a flat land demonstration of multi pitch concepts to prepare you for day two.  When time allows students often end the day by seconding the instructor up a traditionally protected climb and rappelling down. 

Day 2
Students get to try their hand at multi-pitch climbing and seconding skills. This includes cleaning artificial “chocks” and “cams” (removing them from the rock), personal anchoring techniques, additional safety concerns and evaluation.  The amount of multi-pitch climbing depends on the ability and interest of the students but many groups climb to the South Peak of Seneca to experience a true technical summit. 

Day 3
During the third day there’s time to cement skills through further practice. Students have time to experience a different position on the rope team. Often students begin learning the basics of top-rope anchor construction.

INTERMEDIATE CLIMBING COURSE
Before you’re ready for what many climbers consider the ultimate goal of lead climbing, there is still a great deal to learn, even if you’ve achieved competency top-roping or climbing in a gym. In keeping with the time-honored tradition of apprenticeship as a “second” (following a seasoned leader), our Intermediate Course provides a high-mileage and invaluable experience above and beyond that of a Basic Course. If you want to improve your skills and competency in a multi-pitch environment, this is the course for you.

During this 2-3 Day course you will learn:

• Belaying
• Advanced rope management
• More complex anchors
• Refining movement skills
• Placement and removal of artificial protection (chocks and cams)
• Rappelling
• Self-rescue readiness skills

PRICING AND CANCELLATION POLICY
-3 Day Comprehensive Course/Intermediate Pricing for 2 people is $350/person plus 6% sales tax
-3 Day Comprehensive Course/Intermediate Pricing for 3 people is $335/person plus 6% sales tax
-2 Day Multi-Pitch Private Guiding also available at $250/day plus 6% sales tax

All technical rock climbing equipment is included in the prices above (harness, helmet, rock climbing shoes, ropes, hardware), meals and lodging are not. You will need to bring a small backpack to carry your personal items such as lunch, water and personal items like camera, sunscreen, extra clothing layers etc. A full list of what to bring will be provided at time of booking.

We require a 50% non-refundable deposit to make the reservation. Should you need to reschedule, 14 days advance notice is required, and rescheduling must happen within the same calendar year. Deposit can be made over the phone with your Visa, Mastercard or Discover or through Paypal.