13-03-2025
Two-day photography workshop held at Seneca Rocks
SENECA ROCKS, (WBOY) — Over the past two days, a photography workshop called 'Seneca Moonwalk' has been held at Seneca Rocks as a partnership between Reflection in a Pool photography and Wade Desai, Land Manager of Fourth Moon Camp.
Desai told 12 News that the idea for the workshop began a few years ago after several slackliners, who'd been coming to Seneca Rocks for multiple years, ran into the photographers at Reflection in a Pool.
'They had a vision that's been done in the slackline community before by a famous slackliner named Dean Potter,' he said.
Desai added that the purpose of the workshop is to put a slackline in front of the moon and get a slackliner in silhouette as they're in front of the moon. These photos were taken from a geologic formation at Seneca Rocks that's known by many as 'Gunsight Notch.'
'It's just this really unusual trifecta or possibly even more factors than just three to make it come true,' said Desai. 'So over the years, we planned and we tried. We were successful once before and now we got to a place where we finally feel like we've got the system dialed and we can reproducibly create the image again and again with slight artistic variations, based on whoever the photographer is.'
Desai told 12 News that the people involved in this event have put years into it, and that with the Gunsight Notch rock in particular, it's important for a participant to be familiar with the rock type, the routes, the approach and the exit, as well as all of the other information that's required to participate safely.
According to Desai, it's also important to be in enough physical fitness to be able to carry the equipment, have enough know-how to operate the equipment safely, as well as have the communication and teamwork skills necessary to do the exercise with 'trust and honesty and humility.'
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'At the end of the day, the most important thing is to stay safe,' said Desai. 'We're tethered in the entire time we're going up, setting it up, doing the thing and coming down. So if we're not on top of that, we can't continue to do it in the future.'
At Seneca Rocks, Desai said that the predominant type of climbing that's used is traditional or 'trad climbing.' According to him, this just describes climbing that utilizes a minimal use of gear that is permanently fixed into the rocks.
'We're very fortunate that we can walk to North Peak using the tourist trail that's maintained,' Desai said. 'Then we use climbing gear essentially to safely both scramble—which is a type of not vertical climbing, but more horizontal—as well as rappel down to where we need to be directly in that Gunsight Notch.'
According to Desai, they use a variety of forms of climbing techniques and equipment once they're atop the Gunsight Notch. He added that they primarily use slackline-specific purpose-built equipment for the actual slacklining portion of the activity.
Desai was inspired to put together an event like this by the people that initially got him into slacklining. He told 12 News that the first slackline he got on that was leashed was actually a highline at the end of Smoke Hole North Fork Mountain, adding that he and his friends still explore there to this day.
'There is a very much teamwork element to the activity that no one can do this alone,' said Desai. 'And why would you want to? So the more that you spend time with people in these circumstances—very intense, high risk, high reward and ultimately basic to the human condition, you end up with just ultimately relationships that you're just like 'man, what can we do outside of slacklining?''
Desai works with his team of slackliners at Fourth Moon Camp's property, which can be found behind Seneca Rocks just off of Roy Gap Road. 'We've planted here for life to build together some permanent vestige of what we experienced in the slackline community and our growth in slackline,' he added.
Fourth Moon Camp's property is along an emergency access road, so it doesn't encourage people to drive on the road. However, you can visit their website for more information on how to get in touch with them and to plan a visit.
'We're not just about slacklining, we want people outside and that's what I was inspired to do,' said Desai. He told 12 News that he used to work indoors during his past, but he found a new passion through slacklining, adding that he feels he's bringing health and wellness to people on a regular basis.
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