Like there are North and South Poles, Everest is considered the "third pole" of the Earth. By the early 20th century, humans had already set foot on the North and South Poles, leaving Everest as the last unclaimed peak. British mountaineers were the first to be eager to leave their mark on the summit of Everest.

In the Year 1921

British mountaineers made the first attempt to climb Everest. One of the members of this exploratory expedition was George Mallory, born in Moberley, England, in 1886. During this expedition, Mallory and Guy Bullock discovered a new route to the summit via Tibet. However, as this was more of a reconnaissance mission, they didn't ascend very high above the North Col.

George Mallory during the British Everest expedition in 1921

In the Year 1922

With a new route discovered, the obsession with conquering the summit had intensified. As a result, another expedition was launched in the following year, marking the first planned attempt to conquer Everest. British mountaineer Mallory was involved in this expedition as well. Unfortunately, seven Sherpas lost their lives in a blizzard during this expedition. With heavy hearts, Mallory and the rest of the team returned from their near-summit attempt. Mallory wondered if he would ever get another chance to climb Everest.

By this time, he was 35 years old and a father of three. However, his obsession with Everest persisted. Conquering Everest became his sole focus.

In the Year 1924

With an undying desire to conquer Everest, George Mallory planned another expedition. His wife, Ruth, was deeply concerned about his decision and tried to persuade him to prioritize his family. However, Mallory's obsession with Everest was so strong that he couldn't be deterred. He promised his wife that he would leave a photo of her at the summit if he could conquer Everest. This promise would later become a central part of an eternal mystery.

George & With His Wife

Before embarking on the expedition, Mallory attended a press conference in New York. When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, he famously replied, 'Because it's there!'

The same year, Location: Everest Base Camp

Finally, at the age of 37, George Mallory began his journey towards Everest. His companion this time was 22-year-old Irvine. The first two attempts of this 1924 expedition had been unsuccessful. With the monsoon season approaching in June, there was no time to delay. It was probably around this time that George wrote his last letter to his wife, saying, "The monsoon is approaching. I don't know if I'll get another chance to climb. I don't want to be stranded here. We plan to start our ascent the day after tomorrow.

Andrew Irvin

The two then began their third attempt to conquer Everest. On June 4th, they left the advanced base camp and reached the sixth base camp after three days. The next day, June 8th, they left the sixth base camp and by noon had reached very close to the summit. They were last seen at an altitude of 8,600 meters. From there, the summit was only 250 meters away.

Mallory & Irvin at the base camp of The Everest (the last picture of the duo)

Having read this far, you might also wonder, as I do, if they could reach the summit. Their disappearance has given birth to one of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering history, a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

29 years later, on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Nepal, successfully climbed Mount Everest.

In the Year 1999

In 1999, an expedition was launched to find the remains of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. This expedition was prompted by previous discoveries, including Irvine's ice axe in 1930 and an oxygen canister from the 1920 expedition in 1991.

The primary goal of the 1999 expedition was to locate the climbers' bodies and, more importantly, their camera. It was believed that the camera might contain photographic evidence of whether Mallory and Irvine had reached the summit, a question that puzzled mountaineers for decades.

While Mallory's body was eventually found, along with most of his belongings, Irvine's remained missing. The discovery of Mallory's body in a well-preserved state, with his belongings intact, offered new insights into the climbers' fate. However, the absence of a photograph that Mallory had promised to leave on the summit created a new mystery.

One of George Mallory’s boots and a few personal effects were found beside his remains on Everest in 1999

The discovery of Mallory's snow goggles in his pocket further fueled speculation that he and Irvine had reached the summit. It was reasoned that climbers would typically remove their goggles while at the summit and store them in their pockets. This finding, combined with the estimated time it would have taken to reach the summit and return, suggested that Mallory and Irvine may have successfully scaled Everest but perished during their descent.

The Present Year 

In September 2024, a film crew from the National Geographic Channel, led by director Jimmy Chin, made a startling discovery while filming in the vast expanse of the Central Rongbuk Glacier, below the north face of Mount Everest. As they ventured deeper into the ice, they stumbled upon an extraordinary sight: a foot, complete with a shoe and sock! The shoe's leather was worn and the sock bore a red label, sewn with a name - A.C. IRVINE!

 Filmmaker and mountain climber Jimmy Chin With the latest found body Part of Irvin (Photo Courtesy: National Geography)

100 Years!

After a century of searching for any trace of George Mallory, who vanished along with Andrew Irvine, a part of Irvine's body has been found buried in the depths of the Himalayas.

Mallory and Irvine were last seen on June 8, 1924, very close to the summit of Everest. The question of whether they reached the summit has remained an enduring mystery. If Mallory had succeeded, his feat would have predated Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary's ascent of Everest by 29 years.

The Finding History of the duo

The discovery of Mallory's body answered several questions about the duo's final moments, but two crucial ones remained unanswered:

1. Where was Irvine during his final moments?

2. Did the pair ultimately reach the summit?

Mountaineers and historians have long believed that the answer to the first question would provide clues about the second. Now, this 'shod foot' found deep within the Himalayas has ignited hope that the events of 1924 on Everest might finally be explained and that this sudden discovery will offer some solace to Irvine's relatives.

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