Actually Im looking for a specific part of the place.
In the portion I am looking for
I know there is aswinging bridge that crosses a stream which leads to a hiking path of sorts that leads to the top.
I know its there cause I've walked down it.
Note I said "Down" it and not up
Some 24 years ago what I was a younger man and thought I was immortal.
Myself. my sister, And my mother went to West Va to visit my Uncle and Aunt in WV Whereby we took a trip to Senneca Rocks.
We left the visitor center and eventually crossed that bridge.
Now the hiking path to the top swung around to the right of the base.
Thats the path everyone else took. But not me. Noooooo
I had to climb up a couple of ledges armed with no gear other then a stick with a hooked end I found on the path to get a better view.
Unfortunately I wasnt satisfied with the view and climbed up a few more ledges.
Then I started really getting into it and went higher and higher and the ledges got narrower and narrower to the point where they were only a few inches wide.Not to mention farther apart vertically
Now any sane person at this point would have figured "Ok, This is high enough. I have no ropes, No safety gear at all. Just my hands, my feet and this funny looking stick of which I have no idea how strong it is to be able to hold my weight.
Like I said. "Any Sane Person" Which I think we can agree doesnt discribe me very well.
So. do I do the sane thing andf climb back down and folow the hiking path like everyone else?
No. Because thats what a sane person would do.
Not me.
"I" use the stick as a rope of sorts. Hooking it on to the ledges or cracks I cant reach and pulling myself up till I could get a foot and toe hold.
Pretty soon I notice I am nearing the top and look up to see my uncle. about 20 feet above me looking down at me and he says "Careful Tom. Your playing with death"
It wasnt untill then when I loooked down and saw some itsy bitsy little people at the base where I started I realise just how high I was.
Yup he was right. If I slipped there was no way I was goign to be living to tel the tale
I also realised at this point. Heading all the way back down again wasnt going to be an option
But I was faced with a problem.
the ledge I was on was only about 3' wide and the next ledge was out of reach even with my now trusted stick.
I looked to the left then up and nothing there
I looked to the right and nothing there.
then I looked down and saw a ledge that ascended like a "V" to a point where I could reach several ledges and cracks I could grab onto that would enable me to reach the top.
this meant I had to go down 1 level to go back up.
Sooo. Hooking my stick in a nearby crack I lowered myself onto the next ledge down. Made it over to that "V" and back up again. Eventually reaching the top.
My unclke just looked at me and said.
"You have got to be out of your mind. Your lucky your mother didnt see you or you would have given her a heart attack"
Absolutely magnificent view! And a real sense of accomplishment.
Looking back at it now And loooking at pictures of the area online now.
I have to agree with my uncle. I had to be out of my (#*#ing mind!
But I also look back at it with a great source of pride.
I climbed one of the faces of this thing with NO gear. No Ropes. no safety harness.
Nothing but my own determination, hands feet and a funny looking stick at my disposal.
What I am looking for is if anyone knows the exact name of that particular face I climbed.
Like I said. You walk over a swinging bridge. then the hiking path goes around the tright. to the left of the path is a series of rock ledges which start off at about 6 feet wide at the base and get progressively narrower the higher you go with some portions being a sheer vertical with cracks in it.
As you near the top. the "Ledges" are only a couple inches wide at best and are about 8-10 feet apart vertically.
Anyone familiour with the area?
