Welcome to the club! We’re glad you want to learn more. 

I’m a beginner, how do I learn all the necessary skills to participate?

We recommend the guide services located at Seneca Rocks, WV, and the classes offered locally by Movement and Sportrock gyms. These organizations provide professional and qualified instruction for new and intermediate climbers.

The club does run occasional educational events on various climbing topics. These events are not comprehensive and are not a substitute for professional instruction which we recommend as a follow up to our clinics. Check the Event page for upcoming climbing clinics. 

How do I know when trips and meetings are planned?

Check our events page for the latest information on upcoming trips. 

The Club sends regular emails to members regarding club events, local news of interest and details of upcoming meetings. Your email will be automatically added to this mailing list.

There are also a WhatsApp group and a google-based email list, which are different from the Club mailing list. These are available to members only so if you have joined the club and want to join these groups contact communications at patcms.org or webmaster at patcms.org

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @PotomacMountainClub.

I want to climb with the club, what do I need to do?

• Know how to belay a climber. If you don’t know how to belay please sign up for a class at a local gym or with a licensed climbing guide. This is the best way to ensure you learn good technique and are comfortable managing the rope and climber before you come outside to climb. 
• Sign up for a trip or join us at Carderock. From March through October club members can be found at Carderock on the first Wednesday of every month. All you need is a harness, shoes, and basic belay skills. If you know how to set up a top rope and have the gear, bring it.

Where are the local crags? 

The closest crags are Great Falls, Carderock, and Sugarloaf Mountain. The club will regularly host top rope trips to these areas, and you can find members who are willing to meet up for a day of climbing at these locations because they are nearby. Read below for more information about local crags or check out our climbing central page for more information about local climbing.

Carderock (Maryland): The ever-popular afterwork spot. This is a National Park with a line of 40ft cliffs. The approach is less than five minutes from the parking lot.. There are top-rope climbs every few feet of the cliff.

Great Falls (Virginia): Another National Park, right across the river from Carderock. The cliffs of Great Falls are much more spread out. Some of them take up to 20 minutes or so to hike to, and you must approach from the top. The variety here is a greater than at Carderock with a number of good crack climbs mixed in. Everything is top roped.

Buzzard’s Rock: In the George Washington National Forest near Elizabeth Furnace, outside of Front Royal, VA. A broken cliff line a few hundred yards long and up to 100 feet high. Mostly slabby friction climbing in the 5.6-5.8 range, with a few harder and easier climbs, some requiring gear to protect mixed in. People mostly lead the routes at Buzzards, but some can be top roped. The approach is a 2.5 mile hike with significant uphill

Seneca Rocks, WV: The best multi-pitch traditional climbing reasonably near to the DC area. Seneca Rocks is in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia and is a three hour drive from DC. Climbs are one to three pitches, and going to the south summit – the highest class 5 summit east of the Mississippi – is very popular. Most routes require mandatory multiple rappels to get down. Seneca Rocks has a well-deserved reputation for hard grades, steepness, and some loose rock, but also great views (especially in the fall) and a fun climbing community.

Old Rag, VA: A complex set of granite cliffs around Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.. This is very unusual for the area, and one of the few places around to practice on granite. The approach is long (usually two hours) and it is helpful to have somebody along who has been before. Some of the best crack climbs in the area are at Old Rag. A mix of one and two pitch traditional routes.

New River Gorge: A National Park with more than 1000 routes on multiple cliffs above the New River. Most people stay around Fayetteville, WV and drive and hike to the cliffs. Exceptional, world-famous climbing. The cliffs are mostly one pitch, and most climbs can be top roped, but it is not really an area for beginners. The quality climbs mostly start at 5.9 and go up from there. Many excellent crack climbs.

Little Stony Man, VA: A five-minute walk off Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Very scenic. The cliff is around 50 feet high. Everything can be top roped, but the Appalachian Trail is right at the top of the cliff and the configuration makes it hard to rig top rope anchors (don’t put ropes over the trail). As a result, the area is perhaps better for trad climbing. The routes are mostly 5.4 to 5.7, but because of the rock and the layout it is a poor place to take leader falls.

Sugarloaf (Maryland): Multiple small cliffs on a hill about an hour’s drive north of DC on I270. A large variety of short climbs. Everything can be top roped. Lots of trad climbing opportunities. This is a privately owned area so access is at their discretion and you should pay the requested donation for access.

Pond Bank (also called White Rocks): In the Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania. A ninety minute drive from DC and a short ten minute approach with a variety of mostly moderate climbs including an unusual number of crack climbs.

How about snow, alpine, ice, etc?

Yeah, we do that, too. Locally the pickings are thin, but they do exist. As far as this goes, you’ll find a couple of things.

• The club sponsors an “Alpine Skills Weekend” at Mount Washington in the winter. This is an instructional trip, but it’s on Mount Washington in deep winter. That means you need to know how to handle the COLD before you try it, because frostbite can happen really fast up there. This trip fills up fast, so if you are interested contact the coordinator as soon as you hear it announced. You’ll need your own set of full winter gear to participate.
• Some club members go out to various Shenandoah drips all winter in search of local ice climbing. Watch the google group for announcements. In general you’ll need your own gear and at least some basic ice climbing knowledge to participate. Some areas are not suitable for beginners.
• To really get ice climbing in you need to go to Colorado (Ouray!), North Conway, or one of the other ice meccas. If this is really your thing you should talk to the members who do these personally. There is usually a club group in Ouray sometime in January.
• A few people use a place called Gibbon’s Roost along the Potomac (south of Great Falls) for dry tooling practice.