Climbing mountains and facing cancer are similar in ways.
PUBLISHED May 22, 2018
Khevin Barnes is a Male Breast Cancer survivor, magician and speaker. He is currently writing, composing and producing a comedy stage musical about Male Breast Cancer Awareness. He travels wherever he is invited to speak to (and do a little magic for) men and women about breast cancer. www.BreastCancerSpeaker.com www.MaleBreastCancerSurvivor.com
I discovered the sport of mountain climbing by accident. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I was surrounded by glorious peaks of all kinds and my first memorable trek took me into the "Three Sisters Wilderness "in Eastern Oregon to do a little backpacking with friends.
"The Three Sisters" is a trio of ancient volcanoes, each one a little higher and a little more difficult to ascend. The year was 1974 and I was cancer-free and 24 years old. Halfway up the first peak, I stopped with my fellow climbing mates to smoke a cigarette. I recall being deeply uncomfortable with that, realizing that I was standing in one of the most beautiful outdoor scenes I had ever experienced, and doing some real damage to my body – the very body that brought me to this place. By the time my bacpacking trip was over, I was hooked on climbing, and not long after that, I gave up smoking forever.
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