The remains of British mountaineer Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, who may have climbed Mount Everest nearly 100 years ago, have been discovered after decades of mystery. Irvine disappeared in 1924 while attempting to scale the world’s highest peak with fellow climber George Mallory.
The question of whether they reached the summit before their disappearance has intrigued historians and mountaineering enthusiasts for generations. If proven, their achievement would challenge the long-held belief that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the 29,032-foot summit in 1953.
Recently, Irvine’s partial remains, along with a boot and a sock bearing his name, were found on a glacier below Everest’s north face. This significant discovery was made by an expedition filming a documentary for National Geographic, and DNA tests will be conducted to confirm the identification.
Jimmy Chin, who was part of the discovery team alongside filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher, described the moment as both “monumental and emotional.” He noted, “Sometimes in life, the greatest discoveries occur when you aren’t even looking.”
The search for Irvine’s remains has been ongoing, with Mallory’s body found in 1999 at a higher altitude than where Irvine’s remains were discovered. Mallory’s body was located in a fall line from where an ice axe had been found in 1933.
One compelling aspect of this enduring mystery is that Mallory’s body was discovered without a photograph of his wife, Ruth, which he had promised to take to the summit. This detail has led some to speculate that they may have reached the peak before their tragic end.