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.

The Rocks are a staggered set of enormous Tuscarora sandstone fins protruding 300ft above the scree. The summit of the South Peak, a mere 10ft wide, rise almost 900 feet above the valley floor.

NRMG is proud to partner with Seneca Rocks Climbing School, who have been offering climbing instruction for over 30 years and is the one of the oldest climbing schools on the east coast. In that time they have taught beginning and experienced climbers alike how to conduct themselves in the safest manner possible while enjoying one of life’s most exhilarating activities.

Since all our classes (except the Anhor Building Seminar) are either two or three days long, we simply start them on Saturdays and Tuesdays all season (April 1 to Oct. 31). We try to fill courses already begun by one or two students with other individual applicants. Simply call 1 800 73 CLIMB with your preferred course dates; if you have any flexibility we may ask you to join an outing we're already trying to fill. Finally, if you have enough people to fill a course, we can run it anytime.

Seneca Rocks Climbing Courses

Comprehensive Basic

Our Comprehensive Basic set the standard for introductory courses. It is intended for those with no climbing experience at all, or just enough to know proper instruction is needed. This course is conducted entirely outdoors over three full days.

Our Basic Course includes:
An introduction to top-rope climbing where students are introduced to basic climbing equipment and their properties, basic knots, simple anchors, movement skills, belaying, rappelling and proper voice commands.

On the second day, students are introduced to multi-pitch climbing and seconding skills. This includes familiarity with artificial protection such as “chocks” and “cams” and how to “clean” them (remove them from the rock), personal anchoring techniques, additional safety concerns and evaluation

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, or to begin learning the basics of top-rope anchor construction.

This course is also offered in an abbreviated two day version. Please note; the enormous amount of information to be learned is best suited to a three day course.

Intermediate Climbing Skills

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