SENECA ROCKS, W.Va. (AP) Seneca Rocks in West Virginia draws climbers from around the mid-Atlantic to a craggy ridge with fiercely vertical routes rising from low forested mountains.
Its peak is 900 feet above a fork of the Potomac River. Despite its daunting appearance, guides say this is a good place to introduce novices to a challenging but manageable ascent.
From the Monongahela National Forest Discovery Center terrace, through a binocular scope, you can watch climbers nearly a half-mile away ascend the west face.
It’s also a mountaintop that can be reached without technical climbing, which involves using ropes and gear.