On Saturday March 3, eleven of us traveled out to Mineral Wells State Park for a day filled with rock climbing. No one on this trip had ever climbed there before, so they were a bit confused when we stopped at a flat bit of land that overlooked a lake. They didn’t know that a few hundred feet over were canyons in the ground to climb in. Our setters went off to get our first few routes ready, while the climbers gathered their gear up in the warm sun, preparing themselves for the descent into the shaded cliffs.

The rest of the day was spent climbing. We totaled eight different climbs up the rock face. This gave all the climbers a choice in difficulty. After some of the more difficult climbs were solved, the more experienced climbers gave suggestions to the newer climbers to help them up the wall.

We returned to SMU just as the sun was setting. Everyone was tired and satisfied with their day of doing something slightly nerve wracking, but mostly fun. 

Stphen Hayden, SMU Outdoor Adventures Trip Leader.