KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — “The summit of Everest. We’re the only ones here,” John Quillen recalled from his 2018 climb.

In 2018, the Knoxville climber stood alone nearly 29,000 feet above sea level, taking in a view few ever see.

“Not only did I have the best summit day ever. I was there by myself on the summit for 45 minutes. I could climb that mountain 50 more times and never have that experience,” he said.

But the peace of that moment came after a harrowing incident.

At about 23,000 feet, a falling rock struck some of the Sherpa guides assisting Quillen. One suffered a serious head injury, requiring an airlift from the mountain.

“We had to clear out an area for a helicopter to land. We had to beg a helicopter because they didn’t have rescue insurance… they finally evacuated him,” Quillen

See Full Page