DC/MD/VA/WV Adventures

This Zoom Overseas Q & A is a monthly event.

IMPORTANT: This event is weather relate, if rain is forecast for the event date it will be reschedule for the next Saturday

Play to Play event - $25 x spot
Venmo or Zelle to Darwin Castillo - 202-848-2436
You will be add to the RSVP list when event fee is send.
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If you have ever wondered what outdoor rock climbing is all about this is a great opportunity for you to give it a try...You will be hooked on a new activity and I will be your personal coach, we both will make this happen.
The DC Wild Outdoor Adventurers members will be there to help, we fit you in a harness, get you a pair of climbing shoes, and give you all the intel you need to know to get you started in this trilling sport.
The clinic itself will show novice climbers the basic skills necessary to safely rock climb and scale rock walls with confidence.
Specific items covered in the class: knot craft, harness wear and adjustment, belaying, climbing techniques, and climbing safety.
Participants will spend the remainder of the class practicing the skills and climbing.
Clinic hours: 9:00AM-2:00PM.
Meet at Great Falls
* This location has a entry fee x car or America the Beautiful passes

Be on time, you may wont find us as soon we move from the parking lot, cellphone signal is very week or nonexistent.

The clinic will start promptly at 9:00am and last until about 2:00pm.
Important: If weather is adverse to our purposes (rain) event will be reschedule.
What to bring: We are climbing through lunch time, so make sure you bring plenty of water, snacks, and lunch to keep you going, bug spray maybe necessary
What to wear: Look at the weather conditions the day prior to the event and wear accordingly.
Equipment:: All equipment (Helmets, harness, climbing shoes, ropes, etc.) will be provided.
Where to meet: Rock climbers parking
GPS coordinates: 38.993328, -77.254035
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Climbing is a dangerous sport and serious injury may and can happen
You are solely and completely responsible for choosing outings and activities that are within your physical and medical ability level, for taking proper clothing, provisions, and equipment along on outings to provide for your personal comfort and for making appropriate decisions to ensure your very own safety.

Seneca Creek - Backpacking
(Event will go rain-Shine or snow)

A hiker’s paradise, Spruce Knob has amazing views and is home to one of the 5 best backpacking routes in the mid-Atlantic.

Seneca Creek route is a 10 mile easy loop, almost flat ground whit no elevation hike located in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. On this trail you’ll get to experience a little bit of everything.
There’s beautiful streams and waterfalls, high mountain meadows.
We will move in as soon we arrive (mid day) getting to camp area around 3-4 pm, go for a swim to refresh and come back to eat something.

With so many options, the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Recreation Area can be as challenging or easy as you want, trails that zigzag all through the valley and along the mountaintop, and they have various lengths and degrees of difficulty.

The trails that zigzag through the park below, some of which lead to this summit, venture through meadows, along mountainsides, into dense spruce forests, and along rocky ridges. Here, rhododendron and blueberry flourish, creating a colorful canvas through spring, and in the fall, the forest erupts in fiery hues in every direction.

We will star our day at Seneca Creek lower parking lot and walk our way down to one of the most beautiful waterfall on the area where we will spend the rest of our first day on the wild arriving to this area between 4pm.
Next day early in the morning we will star our way back arriving to our cars around mid day, from there we will drive for 30-45 minutes more or less to The Sinks of Gandy cave where we will walk thought whit the help of our headlamps.

Note: First day we will walk slowly and appreciate what nature is offering us, second day we will double the pace mostly due that we have to visit another area (cave) which is 45 minutes driving distance away, so, do not be surprise if a few of you may have to jog to keep up.
You have been warned.

The Sinks of Gandy - Day Hike cave is truly a diamond in the rough,
Sinks Gandy Creek travels some 3,000 feet through the sinks as it passes under a spur of Yokum Knob, a summit in the Allegheny Mountains. Its upstream entrance is about 30 feet wide and 15 feet high. The tunnel is principally a single long passage from 4 to 35 feet high with a few minor side-passages. The main passage averages 40 to 60 feet wide though in some places opens to nearly 100 feet wide. In many places the creek fills the entire floor of the passage and in others is confined to a narrow trench. Its downstream entrance is offset by about 100 feet to the east of the creek's channel, which exits through boulders.
Water shoes are a must have.

After exiting the cave we will head back home, this will take most of the day so be aware that arriving home late evening is a high provability, plan accordingly.

Meeting area: We all will meet at Vienna Metro Station Friday at 7:30pm and soon be on the move so try to be there on time, or a camping area
Friday camp (or 9am Saturday) Princess Snowbird Campground
Walk in, no reservation require - Private paid area - Bring cash
Camping GPS exactly location: 38.835594, -79.378526
Seneca Creek trailhead GPS: 38.711839, -79.549878
If driving to meet at the trail head, be there by 11am
NOTE: No cellphone signal on the area.

Gear list:
1.) Tent
2.) Sleeping bag
3.) Sleeping pad
4.) 2 pieces rain suit or poncho (Just in case)
5.) 2-3 Extra pair of socks.
6.) Backpacking stove + pot/cup/dish/spoon
7.) Dehydrate food for your self.
8.) Camel bag/bottle or similar for drinking water.
9.) Snacks/sandwich/power bars or equivalent, etc.
10.) Water - Saturday and Sunday we will refuel from a stream
11.) Head lamp + extra batteries
12.) Water shoes + small towel
13.) Bug spry
14.) Full extra set of cloths to change when we come out of the cave, we will be a bit dirty and somehow wet.
15.) 1-2 trash bags to put your muddle clothes on (This specially apply to car riders)