A Step Back in Time: Everest's Mystery of 1924

A new discovery on Mount Everest may unravel the fate of Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, who vanished in 1924 while attempting to reach the summit. A boot, believed to belong to Irvine, was spotted by climbers in September, providing a potential clue to the century-old mystery.

A recent discovery on Mount Everest has reignited the mystery around the disappearance of two pioneering climbers nearly a century ago. In late September, a National Geographic film crew came across a brown leather boot on a glacier below Everest’s north face. Detailed inspection revealed a sock with the initials "A.C. Irvine" stitched in red letters, likely belonging to Andrew Comyn Irvine, known as Sandy—a talented engineer but an inexperienced climber from Birkenhead, England. Irvine embarked on a historic expedition with the experienced British mountaineer George Mallory in 1924, aiming to be the first to conquer Everest's summit. Tragically, both men vanished, leaving behind one of the most enduring mysteries in mountaineering history. The discovery of the boot suggests a glimmer of hope in unraveling their fate, as Jimmy Chin, a climber and filmmaker, expressed the incredible excitement at the find. The circumstances of the expedition, including the period's nascent climbing technology and knowledge, add layers to the intrigue surrounding their disappearance. As researchers examine this newfound evidence, history enthusiasts and explorers remain hopeful for answers to a tale frozen in the annals of exploration.