5.2 Pitch

This is part of the final pitch on Old Man's and, in my opinion, the only part worth protecting (I was comfortable climbing up and down it unroped, but it is probably smarter to rope up despite the extra time and effort it will take). It is a 40' pitch with a loose block that makes things a little more interesting. There is a rappel anchor up there by the tree, and it is visible if you click on "Orig" and then use the magnifier. Note-- most descriptions of this route put it at three pitches, this one being the final one, after which the climber scrambles up the top of Traffic Jam Chimney and then follows ledges and blocks to the small, exposed south summit of Seneca Rocks, reputed to be the highest Class 5-only summit east of Devil's Tower. However, the popular guidebook Rock Climbing Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland puts the route at five pitches, splitting the first pitch into two, listing the one pictured here as the fourth, and mentioning the finish as the fifth. Seneca Rocks, WV-- October 2010