PRINT: Rock Climb Dufty's Popoff, Seneca Rocks

Dufty's Popoff

5.7 PG13, Trad, 130 ft (39 m),

Avg: 3.5 from 104 votes
FA: Art Gran, Bob Dufty, 1959
W Virginia > Seneca Rocks > S Peak - E Face > Southeast Corner

Description

From the end of P1 of Skyline Traverse, move up and right onto the east face and locate some old pins. Climb past an old pin and gain the small, blocky ledges. Move up and right to the prominent left-facing inside corner. Climb the corner to a point where you can step left onto the face, just below the overhang. Move up, place pro, pull the overhang on the right side, and move up to a small ledge (get pro here). Climb the face to the top (5.4 climbing on the face...pro is possible but you have to hunt for it!).

You'll top out on Lower Broadway Ledge. Bee Sting Corner rap rings will be about 25 feet to your right. From here with a 60m rope you can rap down to the Kauffman-Cardon ledge and another set of rap rings. From the K-C rings, rap down to a third set of rings about 20' down and to climbers left or to a set of rings close to the tree below Dufty's Popoff. Either of these last two sets will get you to the base.

Caution! From the shuts on Kauffman-Cardon ledge rapping with 60m rope will be really close to reaching the ground. Be sure to tie knots in the ends and rap on climber's left of the left-facing corner below the K-C anchors.

Two 60m ropes tied together will hit the base from Bee Sting Corner.

Alternatively, you can scramble up and over the rocks that will be directly in front of you (west) when topping out Dufty's Popoff or Bee Sting Corner (to the left when you top out on Skyline Traverse). On the other side of these you can walk around to Luncheon Ledge and then either walk all the way down the Stairmaster or to the top of Ecstasy Junior and rap down from there.

Location

Start on top of the block to the right of the Skyline Traverse ledge (top of P1 of Skyline Traverse). There's a large block here you can sling as an anchor or if it's not a busy day, just use the shuts at the top of Skyline's P1.

A good alternative is to climb Ladybug (5.9) or The Tomato That Ate Cleveland (5.9) and finish either of those at a set of rap-rings just below the Dufty's Popoff corner.

Protection

Standard Seneca rack. Nice spot for a #3 Cam once you've pulled the roof. A few other pockets up there will take a pink or red tri-cam or equivalent sized cams.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

K.H. peering up after exiting the roof.

Pulling the roof.

Dufty's.

Climbers on Dufty's Popoff

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Andy Weinmann
Campton, NH/Warmington, UK

5.7

The most recent guidebook puts it at 5.7. I used to think maybe it was worth a "+" but it's really just a very consistent 5.7. The pro above the roof is better than most people think...stay a bit right after pulling it and you'll be fine. Awesome route and is fantastic when linked with any of Ye Gods and Little Fishes (5.8), The Tomato That Ate Cleveland (5.9) or Ladybug (5.9). Aug 29, 2011

Zac Warren
Springdale, UT

5.7+ PG13

"Is this for real?" Was the first thought in my head while leading up to the roof. It is outstandingly amazing and not enough people choose to get on it. We didn't bother using the block as an anchor and just used the anchors for skyline and worked fine. Bring plenty of slings to extend under the roof. I managed to get marginal gear before the runout section at the top which is still really fun climbing that is more sequential than a lot of other easy sections in seneca. You can also get a yellow tcu at the top to protect the top out. Sep 5, 2011

K Baumgartner

5.7+ PG13

Sustained 5.7 Seneca climbing past the roof. From the Traverse shuts, move right into the left facing corner and stay in it all the way to the roof. Make sure to extend below the roof or you'll face severe drag. Roof is a bit sequency but once you find it, let it all ride out. Oct 1, 2012

climbinbob

I just led this for the 2nd time this past Saturday. The climbing above the roof is about 5.4-5.5. You can find a few placements if you look hard enough, but I doubt that any gear would hold a fall, anyway. Your belayer will not see you over the roof, so just let them give you rope and climb it. It's not hard-just keep a cool head. There are new rap bolts installed, so that you can descend from Broadway Ledge (where Duftys tops out) with a 60m rope and three raps. I give it a 5.7, because it's Seneca, and it's supposed to be hard. It was first done in 1959, so get your head on right, and climb like the strong men of days gone by! Sep 9, 2013

Frogmen83

5.7

Awesome route, go do it!
I thought the route was "G" rated and found some great small cam placements above the roof that I felt confident they could hold a fall, although the climbing there was easy. Oct 20, 2014

Torren
Newark, DE

The rock quality in the initial corner is pretty poor. The whole arete on the right is slowly crumbling away. Make sure to be careful when placing pro and stemming. Feb 21, 2017

Chad Silva
Napanoch, NY

5.7 PG13

I found a tricam placement under the roof that felt great, and then got in a piece right after pulling the roof that was pretty good. I think I found one more placement before finishing, but I never was without at least one great hold - though I had to search. Really awesome route. Nov 5, 2018

Brennan VanDyke
Rogers, AR

Overlooked classic of Seneca with some awesome sequences. Definitely a bit runout after the roof, you can sling a chicken head to the left for a decent piece of pro Dec 24, 2019

Ven Popov
Pittsburgh, PA

5.7

Definitely not PG13 above the roof. You can find enough pockets and other placements for small to medium (.5) cams if you stay right. Mar 11, 2020

Emily S
Tahoe City, CA

Who doesn’t love a good Seneca sandbagged climb... Sep 16, 2020

Brandon Walker
Richmond, VA

5.7+

Extend your placements as much as possible to avoid terrible rope drag.

I love this route. As many other comments state if you stay right after the roof there is protection available. I stay center above the roof and the climbing is significantly easier than everything before the roof and I didn't feel concerned with the lengthy run out. I gave it 5.7+ not because of difficulty per say, but because it is 100 feet before the roof and managing rope drag and gear for that length can be difficult for new trad leaders. Mar 17, 2021

Eunny Jang
Washington D.C.

5.7 PG13

Anxious leader beta: I avoided this climb for a year because of the reputation of the run-out headwall. I REGRET EVERYTHING! Absolutely outstanding route, probably my favorite single 5.7 pitch at Seneca (narrowly beating out Soler P2 and West Pole). The roof pull is committing and fantastic, the position and exposure can’t be beat. You won’t believe there is a 5.7-8 way to do it—but there is, just protect well and fire. An excellent linkup with Ladybug to get to Lower Broadway!

Good gear in the roof (extend extend extend), then a decent small cam (blue Totem I think?) just after. I didn’t really look for more gear, just moved left toward chill (5.4-5ish) face climbing and tried to keep my head on straight. The rock was a little wet but there was always a positive hold and good feet, even for shorties (you have to look, though). Flowy, fun climbing on nice rock that feels pretty solid. Really good illustration of when it’s actually safer/has a better chance of success to just move through a section of easy terrain than stop and fuss around with iffy gear. Falling is probably not a great idea though so make sure you are feeling good. Rope drag would be miserable on the headwall so try to be smart about managing gear spacing and extension for the 100’(!) below the roof.

Topping this one out felt like more of a win than many harder climbs I’ve led. Easy tree anchor on Broadway; do an alpine extension over the ledge. If you have been letting the reputation scare you off but you are a solid 5.7 leader ready to push your headgame in a relatively low-key way, GET ON THIS CLIMB! Aug 7, 2021