I hate to be writing this from Kathmandu when the rest of my team is at the South Col getting ready for their summit shot but sometimes mountaineering (much as in life) doesn’t give us the fairy tale ending we want. However, it does afford us the chance to make smart decisions when the opportunity presents itself and live to climb another day.
Yesterday morning as I approached the base of the Lhotse Face on my way to camp 3 I was in one of those positions that every good and smart climb should have already visualized a hundred times over. I was coughing hard and deep, I was at a slower pace than I’d been holding the entire trip, and even at that slow pace I could hardly catch my breath. Something was wrong with my lungs and it wasn’t going to get better by continuing up. Despite legs that still felt like they could carry me to the moon, I knew I had to turn around there at 22,300’ before a bad situation got even worse.
Three days prior on my trip to camp 2 I knew something was off. I had to adapt a strange breathing rhythm just to finish the trip across the Cwm. The very deep, productive cough started shortly after I arrived at camp 2. It was so intense that my already injured rib was exasperated and another one popped to join the other. If that weren’t enough my sinus started producing again at an awful rate. Between blowing my nose and coughing things out of my lungs, I had a terribly unrestful three nights at camp 2.
Despite this, my appetite remained and I continued to eat and prep for the move up the mountain like nothing was wrong. In fact, one of the guides seemed surprised when the night before the move to camp 3 I was packing and prepping like everyone else. He asked if I was planning to head up to which I responded “that’s what we came here to do right?” I didn’t mean to sound like a dumb climber but I wasn’t ready to make the call until I heard and felt my body react to movement. Fortunately or unfortunately, that call came quickly the next morning.
I made it back to camp to within the hour and gathered all my remaining gear before starting down to base camp at 7:30 AM. The final trip through the ice fall was warmer and more intense than any previous trip with the added physical weight of all the gear that had already been brought up and the mental weight of watching the summit fade away in the rear view. By the time I made it to the Base Camp ER at 11:00 I was physically spent and getting weaker by the minute with the lung issue. The docs couldn’t tell whether it was HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) or pneumonia but recognized that breathing was getting harder and harder even at that lower altitude. They recommended an immediate helicopter evacuation to the hospital in Kathmandu.
It took a little working by the staff back at IMG Base Camp but the helicopter was ordered for 4 PM. In the mean time, I packed up my tent and closed out a few affairs with my Sherpa. With two duffels and a day pack fully loaded it was time to head to the helipad. By this point I couldn’t walk up 10’ without taking break to catch my breath. It was becoming painfully evident (yes pun intended) that I had made the right call. If I felt like this at base camp (17,300’), at camp 3 (23,700’) I likely would be getting strapped into a sled on oxygen getting lowered to camp 2 in a sled on my way to a heli evac. As it was, I was still getting on a helicopter but under my own power and without counting on those around me to save my life.
The helicopter flight to Lukla was a quick 12 minutes and, as a pilot, an amazing way to end my time in the valley. After a short stop and a quick visit to the doc there we took off again, this time bound for Kathmandu. This flight is a bit longer (55 minutes) and not quite as scenic in comparison to flying around some of the highest mountains in the world.
There was already an ambulance waiting for me by the time we landed and I was taken directly to the hospital. Vitals were improving by this point if for no other reason than the 4,500’ elevation. I’ll spare a few details with the hospital visit but the short of it is that I was admitted and stayed the night under observation. The X-ray didn’t show any clear breaks of the ribs nor evidence of pneumonia. They weren’t quite sure exactly what happened but guess that some sort of bronchial infection started shutting down my lungs. Regardless, they said if I hadn’t come down when I did under my own power I likely would have been in a very bad position that would have endangered my life if I had kept going.
After a fairly lousy night in the hospital I was discharged to the care of one of the local IMG staff. We walked back to the Hotel Tibet where the adventure started over a month and a half ago. I’ve taken the rest of the day easy which included changing my flight to depart tomorrow on what would have been my summit day. The time for reflection will come over the next several days and weeks after which I will likely write one last post to share my thoughts on the climb and not making it to the top.
Until then I thank each of you for following me on this journey and I regret that I can’t fill you in on the last 48 hours of the Everest summit experience. Know that your support means the world to me and I still look forward to sharing this experience with you in person if and when I get the chance. If you’d like to send a message feel free, but know that at this point there is no need to send regrets. I’m happy with the choices I made on the mountain and am grateful for the experience. Until I see you all in person: climb on!
Up with Wes 
We are so proud of you for making the very difficult choice to abandon your summit effort and look forward to all the stories and pictures you live to share! We are continuing to pray for complete healing and that your trip home will be uneventful. We are all relieved that you are safely off the mountain!!! Come to Tyler soon and share your tales! We have a great bed waiting for you and, at 541′ elevation LOTS of oxygen!! 🙂
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Yesterday as I was following the tracker on your blog, but right before I got your phone call, I noticed there were almost 1,000 people following you. That’s quite a compliment.
Everyone of them would agree you made the wise choice and with the exception of a few most of us can only dream of the journey you got to make.
You know your parents😌are very grateful you made this call.
Looking forward to hearing your story!
Safe travels home.
Love You.
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OMG Wes, so proud of you to make the choice to stop and know your limitations. What you did was a major accomplishment and we can’t wait to hear all about it. Safe travels home
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Wes, I’m happy to see you made the wise decision. I think it’s incredible you got to experience beauty that most people dream of. I look forward to future conversation and hearing some of your personal accounts!
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Awesome job, Wes! I’ve always felt that summiting is rather anticlimactic. The journey is the best part! Proud of you for making the right call. How far you’ve come from the BCC, hanging out in Seattle REI for a set of stoppers to where you are now! What a journey it has been!
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Glad you made the right call my man. Being sick and in trouble that high up on that mountain is never good. Youre awesome.
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It sucks, I know! As you discovered on Aconcagua, though, sometimes the mountain wins. Sometimes there’s things entirely out of our control. There’s no shame in that. Disappointment, perhaps, but as Andy mentioned above, you’ve had such an incredible journey to be proud of! Sometimes…it’s not about the mountain or the summit. Sometimes it’s about discovery, in all its forms, and satisfying curiosity, and seeing the art, and honing your craft. And you earned our respect long before your decision Monday. So proud of you, Kiddo!
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Absolutely the right call brother! I was just reading this morning that they lost 4 people on Everest recently, and 10 this season. We’re really glad to hear you made the right call, they’re never easy. Looking forward to buying you a beer and hearing all about it!
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Awesome climb buddy! Glad you made the smart decision. I look forward to catching up with you once you’re stateside.
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You’ve been in our thoughts throughout. It was an amazing effort. We’re glad you’re safe and sound. Dianne and Bob
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And I’ve never been a big fan of “fairy tale endings” anyway! 🙂
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Wes, thanks for taking us on this awesome adventure through your wonderful blogs! I’ve been following your trek along the EBC trail, something that I’ve wanted do.
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Hello Wes,
I want to let you know that you have given the vicarious thrill of a lifetime to me and 34 other friends and family members with whom I have been sharing your Mt. Everest adventures via e-mail. Thanks to your Garmin tracker, I watched you make that u-turn down the Lhotse Face in real time on Monday evening (my time) and knew that something was amiss. So I was very relieved when Ellie told me yesterday afternoon that you were safe and recovering in Katmandu. Here is what I told the 34 members of your “Mt. Everest Fan Club” when I wrote to them last night about your wise decision on the mountain…
“How long [Wes] will be in the Katmandu hospital and what he will do after his release from the hospital I do not know. What I do know is that I always had great confidence that if Wes came to such a decision point in his Everest climb, his training as a US Air Force pilot and his level headed personality would result in him making the right choice regarding his own safety and that of everyone else he was with. He absolutely proved me right in that regard last night and I am as proud of him as I can be.
Wes Morgan may never reach the summit of Mt. Everest, but he has had the adventure of a lifetime, and I personally believe he has the makings of a great book. Wes’ saga tells us that sometimes a long planned and sought after goal will prove unattainable, and that’s OK. The important thing is how we pursue the goal and how we respond to our inability to achieve it. I think that’s a good lesson for all of us to take to heart.”
Wes, through your incredible efforts on Mt. Everest you have been a great role model and teacher for all of us. I am happy you are safe and that you will soon be home, and I look forward to hearing more about your amazing journey when we get to meet again!
Best wishes,
Chuck
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Wes,
So many thoughts… so little time!
Why am I happy that you are back??
First, let me say that we are
exceedingly pleased with your “impeccable” decision making skills! Not surprisingly, it is much more comforting sharing our thoughts with you via social media or in person rather than in a eulogy!! However, your decision making processes never failed our expectations, Wes!…. although it was still nerve wracking watching those moving dots and hoping that all is going well?!
Secondly, I am truly looking forward to further details of your incredible expedition, preferably in person, but undeniably–in NOVEL format!!! (later, after you’ve rested…)
Thirdly, I have another possible career venture, in addition to novelist, and that is “motivational speaker”!! Yes, there are many life lessons to be shared in pursuit of one’s lofty dreams and aspirations and one cannot be faint of heart in this endeavor! There are undoubtedly many metaphors between mtn. climbing and pursuing life’s dreams, but there is also an endless list of other possible lecture topics that I am happy to share (but again…. after you “rest up”😋)!
Lastly for now, is the fact that one man’s dream was shared with 1,000 + other souls who shared a common thread of curiosity, awe, inspiration, support, love, common pursuit of dreams, perseverance, exploration, & excellence! And over the last two months, that bond has made our world seem smaller and even better for having vicariously shared this journey through you via your stories and pictures! It is YOU who has inspired the rest of us, Wes, … and we are exceedingly grateful for that gift and for you! 👏😋
Welcome home, Wes!! 👏👏
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Wes, I’m so glad you’re safe and recovering. Great job my friend. Knowing when to make the call is so incredibly difficult, especially when the pursuit is so epic. We all want to conquer those epic adventures. You showed great personal courage and integrity in not further endangering your life and the lives of those who would have been drawn to help you. Very wise and courageous decision. We’re all so very proud of you and can’t wait to see you.
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Wes, this has been an amazing journey and I thank you for sharing the wonderful experience with us. I look forward to hearing more about this journey and seeing more of the pics. Very happy that you are safely coming home and wish you a speedy recovery.
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Wes, we are so unbelievably proud of you! What a blessing it has been to experience this journey through your heart and eyes! Your passion is so evident! We love you and are praising God you are safe. Congrats again on this experience!!
Love, Mark, Sharon, Emma & Gracie
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Hi Wes,
I have followed your adventure through the good communications from Ellie’s Dad, Chuck. I join your support group in congratulating you on this incredible excursion for all you did accomplish!! I know you are disappointed that you had to turn back under the circumstances, but it is a huge victory for you and for everyone that you had the clear thinking amidst your struggle at that altitude to understand it was time to turn back while you could extract yourself under your own power. I am just happy to know you were treated successfully and that you will be heading home soon in a healthy condition. Congratulations for achieving something only a small number of humans would ever attempt, and I include me in that group. I could not imagine doing what you and the other climbers did and do!!! Its beyond my comprehension!!! Amazing stuff!!!!
Jack Norman
Bethlehem
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It was a simple day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were so close to our destination when clouds starting rolling in. I wanted to roll the dice, go ahead and finish the hike. You, on the other hand, convinced us to call it a day and turn around. Right call that time. Right call this time. Wisdom is doing the right thing even when not preferable. You got it.
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