Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. After many years of waiting, and much work, the Mountaineering Section completed its publication of its Climbers Guide to Seneca Rocks. Because of the increasing popularity of climbing and the subsequent need for more climbing areas, we have been investigating other cliff formations in West Virginia. Development was started on an area similar to the Trapps at the Shawangunks, and over 50 routes had been climbed and documented in a preliminary guide book. Shortly thereafter the owners of the property decided to prohibit rock climbing. Needless to say, we were all very disappointed, but it seems to be a sign of the times, as landowners are going to regulate their land more closely. In order to help save such climbing areas, we, along with other clubs in the East, were happy to donate to the Mohonk Trust to help reserve the Millbrook cliffs at the Shawangunks. Other areas nearby look promising to us as we discover that there are literally miles of unclimbed rock within three hours of Washington, D.C.

Club activities centered primarily on rock climbing, with numerous week-end trips to Seneca, the Shawangunks, and other lead climbing areas nearby. Twelve of our climbers ventured west to Yosemite Valley for climbing. Closer to home we are lucky to have more than 12 practice cliffs within an hour’s drive from Washington, the closest being just 15 minutesfrom the Capitol. In February many local climbers climbed on Mount Washington in the White Mountains. Later months saw ascents in the Tetons, the Cascades, the Colorado Rockies, Wyoming, and Montana, as well as the French and Swiss Alps. A party of six climbed Cotopaxi, Pichincha, and Illiniza in Ecuador.

The new climbing guide to Seneca Rocks may be obtained from the club, 1718 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Tom A. McCrumm, Chairman, Mountaineering Section