All twelve of us piled into the van at dawn. It was Saturday. Despite the previous night’s festivities and the early departure time, everyone arrived promptly and excited for the trip to come. Some of us caught an extra hour of sleep on the ride out of Dallas, while others conversed freely. All enjoyed the gradual change in scenery from metroplex to open country—the pavement and strip malls giving way to Texas’s trademark orange-streaked purple skies, sprawling fields and yellowing autumnal forest.

Only an hour and a half west of Dallas, Lake Mineral Wells State Park feels like a different world. We entered the park eager and awake. We stopped to sign-in at the visitor center, where we were greeted by a gentle breeze coming off the lake not yet visible. A short drive from the visitor center brought us to our final destination, Penitentiary

Hollow—a small but proud canyon-in-miniature with sandstone walls thirty to forty feet tall. Although the canyon’s name suggests incarceration, we all felt a sense of freedom as the gear was distributed in the parking lot. While Levi and I set up the top-rope anchors on the rim of the canyon, Sasha and the rest of the company descended into it, where they explored its maze-like twists and turns until we were all ready to climb.

One by one we bravely tied in to the rope, gripped the sharp rock, and pulled ourselves off the ground. Although many of us had climbed in gyms or at the rec center before, few had confronted the austere challenge of ascending real rock. There was, to be sure, a learning curve, but novices and veterans alike all found themselves victoriously standing atop the canyon before lunch time.

Having worked-up an appetite, we took a break for lunch as the mercury on the thermometer rose and a familiar balminess interrupted the mild and pleasant temperatures of the morning. Fortunately, everyone’s stoke was high and much of the canyon remained shaded under its angular walls and the tall oaks whose canopy shielded the canyon floor. Many climbers were able to snag another send after lunch as their peers cheered them on.

The sun began to sink behind the canyon walls, which we knew meant our day was coming to a close. Reluctantly, we packed up our gear and headed

back to Dallas. Content and satisfied after our full day of fun, many slept soundly on the way back. We arrived at Dedman Fitness Center just before 6pm. Our newly-callused hands waved goodbye to one another at the end of this very successful climbing trip.

Joshua Pollard—SMU OA Trip Leader in Training