CORONADO, Calif. —
Being the mayor of a city is tough work and Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey decided to test himself further by trying to summit Mount Everest.
At 29,032 feet, Everest is the ultimate achievement for any mountaineer
"So, I've been in Nepal making an attempt to summit the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest," Bailey said.
Having just finished the Boston Marathon, he flew to Katmandu and then to Lukla.
"So, you're going from about 7 to 8,000 feet in Lukla to base camp which is at about 17,500 feet. Which is really high? You definitely feel it," Bailey said.
It's here where you acclimate.
"Because at base camp you're working with about half the oxygen that you have here at sea level," Bailey said.
Time is not wasted; you're working on skills.
"How to use crampons, how to traverse a ladder over a large ice crevasse, how to climb an ice wall," Bailey said.
All this while doing city business.
"I was actually on the side of the mountain on a satellite phone calling in casting votes," Bailey said.
It was during this time Bailey got sick.
"So, after a few days I flew back to Katmandu, and after five days flew back to base camp," Bailey said.
Feeling recovered, Bailey started the push for Everest.
"Almost immediately I could tell I had not overcome my illness. Every step you take forward is a step away from safety, do I have what it takes to get back. Ultimately, I had to make the decision to turn around, that ended the summit push for me," Bailey said.
Many of those on Bailey's team made it to the top.
'It was a tough pill to swallow, to walk away from but I was happy for them. It just fires me up to do it again in a year or two. So, do you think you'll try again? There's no doubt about it, yeah!," he said.
We'll see if he does and get back to you on that.
WATCH RELATED: Hundreds of San Diegans show up in Coronado to honor Tom Rice, national treasure and World War II vet (Dec. 2022).