August 10, 2026
The cold and wind on the summit of Mount Everest were bitter and biting. Rich Draves, at 29,031 feet, got only a few photographs before beginning his long descent.
His emotion in that moment was more practical than triumphant.
"Relief is what it felt like," Draves said, knowing he wouldn't have to train anymore for Everest.
But standing on top of the world on May 25 was unquestionably a triumph for a guy who still isn't fully recovered from an injury he suffered two years earlier that left him unable to walk for months.
Accident, surgery at Denver Health
The seven-week journey into the clouds in the spring of 2026 was Draves' second attempt at Everest. He had been so close before.
In 2023, the longtime climber made it to Camp 4, the final stop before the summit. But he developed a severe respiratory illness and had to turn back. His tent mate, who had the same illness, died before making it down.
In February 2024, while in Vail to train for another ascent, a skiing accident left Draves with injuries to both legs, including a broken hip socket, a fractured patella, a dislocated femur, a torn ACL and PCL and a damaged meniscus.
An ambulance brought him from Vail to Denver Health's Level I trauma center and into the care of the Orthopedic trauma team and Cyril Mauffrey, MD. Denver Health is home to Denver's only certified Orthopedic Center of Excellence and is internationally recognized as a leader in the field. Dr. Mauffrey, an orthopedic trauma surgeon and chair of Orthopedics at Denver Health, meticulously aligned the bones and hardware in Draves' hip.
"Working with him, I felt like he really understood that my goals were more than just walking; my goals were to really get back to this high level," Draves said. "He's a perfectionist who made sure to get it right. I was reassured by his confidence and professionalism. I really think I got the best result possible.
"I felt extremely fortunate that I ended up at Denver Health and I ended up in Dr. Mauffrey's care. I realized later, after talking to my doctor friends, that there's really only a handful of surgeons in the United States who are really qualified to do this kind of traumatic injury. He is in that group."
Recovery after Denver Health Surgery
After surgery, Draves had a five-night hospital stay followed by a grueling reality check. He spent three months unable to bear any weight on his right leg, living out of a rented hospital bed in his living room in Seattle. His muscles, he said, wasted away.
Relearning to walk started slowly with physical therapy and pool exercises, moving gradually to a recumbent bike and then walking with trekking poles. The whole time, he had his eye on the mountains, and he wouldn't stay at sea level for long.
By summer 2025, Draves had improved enough to start thinking seriously about Everest again. He tested himself later that year, in December, by climbing Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America.
It gave him the confidence to commit to Everest once more. And so in April, he started the climb, which he documented on Instagram. After spending his 62nd birthday at Everest Base Camp, he reached the summit nearly a month later. He thanked his sherpa, guides, teammates and coach, ending his post by thanking Dr. Mauffrey and his amazing wife, Martha.
"It's so rewarding to see patients return to what they love to do, especially after such a significant injury," Mauffrey said. "As a trauma orthopedic surgeon, it's fun to share in the progress that is posted in photos. It is the most rewarding way of knowing we've helped in some small way on their journey. He got to the top of Everest; we can only imagine what's next."
For Draves, it will be completing his recovery and preparing for his new goals. They include a two-week hiking trip in the Alps with Martha, foil surfing in Peru and climbing Alpamayo in the Peruvian Andes.
And with his accident at Vail in the rear-view, he wants to ski again, this time at Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.
