Andrew Irvine and George Leigh Mallory embarked on a daring expedition to be the first to summit Mount Everest. The journey was treacherous, and both men disappeared, adding to the growing list of climbers who lost their lives on the world’s tallest peak. For decades, the fate of these two climbers remained one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries. While Mallory’s body was found in 1999, Andrew “Sandy” Irvine had vanished without a trace—until now.
What are thought to be Irvine’s remains have been found during a ground-breaking 2023 trip headed by National Geographic Explorer and experienced climber Jimmy Chin. This discovery has provided important new information on one of the most persistent mysteries in climbing history. The finding has rekindled debates regarding whether Mallory and Irvine, who arrived at the peak of Mount Everest almost thirty years ahead of the official record set by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, were the first people to do so.
Determined to reach the 8,848-meter summit, a group of climbers led the tragic 1924 Everest expedition. Mallory had been on scouting trips up the peak in 1921 and 1922, and he had attempted to climb it several times before. This time, he was joined by Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a 22-year-old engineering student with a reputation for being a mechanical expert—a useful talent on the perilous ascent.
Noel Odell, a fellow climber, noticed Mallory and Irvine on June 8, 1924, while they were ascending the Second Step, one of the infamous challenges on Everest. The two men vanished from sight when a mist engulfed them shortly after. Legends sprung up around their absence, with many thinking they may have made it to the summit before dying on the way down.
Over the years, several expeditions searched for Irvine’s body in the hope of recovering the camera he was believed to be carrying. This camera could hold the key to rewriting mountaineering history, showing whether the pair had indeed reached the summit.
The Discovery of Mallory’s Body and Renewed Search for Irvine
When Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999 at an elevation of 26,760 feet (8,157 meters) on the north face of Mount Everest, it was the first real breakthrough. The team, which was partially funded by the BBC and Nova, had thought they were going to locate Irvine when they were confronted with Mallory’s bones. His identity was verified by the finding of his personal belongings, which included a bill from a London supplier, snow goggles, an altimeter, and a letter. But the much-needed camera was nowhere to be seen.
The mystery persisted even after Mallory’s body was found. Rather, it sparked fresh searches to find Andrew Irvine’s body and the camera that might have captured the climbers’ last moments. Despite several attempts, one of which nearly succeeded in 2001, Irvine’s that came close, Irvine’s body remained elusive for nearly 100 years.
Jimmy Chin's National Geographic Expedition
National Geographic Explorer Jimmy Chin, who undertook an expedition in 2019 based on findings from famous Everest historian Tom Holzel, revived the search for Irvine’s bones. Extreme weather, dangerous terrain, and the uncertainty of where to search after so many years presented a serious challenge to Chin’s crew. Their efforts, despite the fact that the body was not discovered during this expedition, were captured in the compelling 2020 documentary Lost on Everest.
Chin’s crew was unfazed and went back to hunt in 2023, and their perseverance paid off. A 1933 oxygen canister and a boot and sock bearing Irvine’s initials were found on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, at a lower elevation than Mallory’s bones. This discovery was important since it was thought that Irvine had fallen from a higher up the mountain, but the melting glaciers—accelerated by climate change—had exposed parts of the mountain not previously visible.
Emotional Closure and the Legacy of Mallory and Irvine
The discovery of Irvine’s remains represents not only a monumental moment in the history of mountaineering but also emotional closure for his descendants. Julie Summers, Irvine’s great-niece, expressed her relief, telling National Geographic, “It tells the whole story about what probably happened. I’m regarding it as something close to closure.”
For the mountaineering community, this discovery marks the possible end of one of the most enduring mysteries. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit before their deaths? The camera, if found, could provide the answer. However, even without the camera, the discovery of Irvine’s body at a lower altitude than expected sheds new light on their final moments, suggesting that they may have turned back after making a significant attempt on the summit.
Conclusion
The discovery of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine’s remains on Everest is a historic moment, bringing the world closer to solving a nearly century-old mystery. While the ultimate question of whether Mallory and Irvine were the first to summit Everest remains unanswered, the discovery offers closure to the climbers’ families and the mountaineering community. As glaciers continue to melt, revealing more of Everest’s secrets, the quest for answers may not be over, but for now, the legend of Irvine and Mallory is more poignant than ever.
Whether they reached the summit or not, their courage, determination, and tragic fate continue to inspire climbers and adventurers worldwide. The 2023 expedition led by Jimmy Chin is a reminder that the past may still hold secrets waiting to be uncovered.
