DUFF MCKAGAN - "At 12,000 Feet, Both My Eyes Went Blurry"
August 30, 2012, 12 years ago
Bassist Duff McKagan (LOADED, VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) has written a new blog for Seattle Weekly's Reverb. An excerpt can be read below:
"When I wrote recently about the Heroes Project-sponsored climb of Mt. Rainier for Cpl. Kionte Storey, there was really no way I could have forecasted just how awesome this undertaking would be.Mt. Rainier ain't no joke. I was given the opportunity to tag along for the climb.
Now listen: For my part, I had trained my ass off for this climb. I climbed stairs all over Seattle. I ran and lifted weights. I did lunges and strange-looking 'burpies' that exhaust the body. I ate right, and tried to rest my body before this climb. I was ready, damn it.
Some people adjust better than others to altitude.
My right eye suddenly blurred at about 11,000 feet. I kept it quiet. I didn't want to be the guy who held up the group. Pride plays a factor up there, and pride is dangerous in those slippery, steep, and treacherous places.
At 12,000 feet, both my eyes went blurry, and nausea was overcoming me. But I still felt strong, and I hoped that this phase would pass. Just keep going, Duff... it ain't about you. Think of punk rock. Think martial arts.
At about 12,800 feet, a guide from another climb came up to me and announced that he thought I had a cerebral edema 'and could die soon if he doesn't get down very quickly.' Hey climber-dude-alarmist-guy... chill the fuck out. Without me really realizing it, I guess my eyes were rolling around a bit and I was stumbling like a drunken sailor. What the?! I felt strong as a bull! The mission was now to get your erstwhile columnist down the damn mountain."
Read the entire column, titled Coming Down The Mountain, here.
