A century after British climber Andrew Comyn "Sandy" Irvine went missing on Mount Everest, his family received a call they had long since given up hope of ever getting.
Last month, a team of climbers working on a National Geographic documentary made a remarkable discovery—an old boot, preserved by melting ice on a glacier, believed to belong to Irvine.
Irvine, who disappeared in June 1924 while attempting to summit Everest with fellow climber George Mallory, could hold the key to one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries: whether the two climbers reached the summit 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
Adventurer Jimmy Chin, leading the National Geographic team, called the discovery of the boot, which still contained a foot, a "monumental and emotional moment."
Irvine’s body has been the subject of numerous searches over the years, not only to locate his remains but also because he was believed to be carrying a camera with undeveloped film. Such a camera, if found, could reveal whether the pair had made it to the summit.
The recent discovery has renewed hope that Irvine’s body and the elusive camera may still be located. The sock found inside the boot bore a name tag reading "A.C. Irvine," further strengthening the belief that the remains belong to the young climber. The family has since provided a DNA sample to confirm the identity.
The discovery took place in September as Chin’s team descended the Central Rongbuk Glacier on the north face of Everest. Along their route, they also came across an oxygen bottle dated 1933, left behind by an earlier expedition that had found one of Irvine’s belongings.
The clue energized the team to continue searching the glacier, leading to the discovery of the boot, which had only recently emerged from the melting ice. Concerned that ravens were disturbing the remains, the foot was later removed from the mountain and handed over to Chinese mountaineering authorities, who govern the north face of Everest.
For Irvine's descendants, the find has been deeply emotional, especially as it comes in the centenary year of his disappearance.
Irvine was only 22 when he vanished, the youngest member of the fateful 1924 expedition that has captivated mountaineers for a century.
On June 8, 1924, he and Mallory were last seen alive, making their final push for the summit. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, but Irvine’s whereabouts remained a mystery—until now.
For Chin and his team, the discovery of the boot was not only a monumental find but also a moment of closure. He hopes it will bring peace to Irvine’s relatives and the climbing community, long intrigued by the mystery.
Last month, a team of climbers working on a National Geographic documentary made a remarkable discovery—an old boot, preserved by melting ice on a glacier, believed to belong to Irvine.
Irvine, who disappeared in June 1924 while attempting to summit Everest with fellow climber George Mallory, could hold the key to one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries: whether the two climbers reached the summit 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
Adventurer Jimmy Chin, leading the National Geographic team, called the discovery of the boot, which still contained a foot, a "monumental and emotional moment."
Irvine’s body has been the subject of numerous searches over the years, not only to locate his remains but also because he was believed to be carrying a camera with undeveloped film. Such a camera, if found, could reveal whether the pair had made it to the summit.
The recent discovery has renewed hope that Irvine’s body and the elusive camera may still be located. The sock found inside the boot bore a name tag reading "A.C. Irvine," further strengthening the belief that the remains belong to the young climber. The family has since provided a DNA sample to confirm the identity.
Un siglo después, hallan restos de Irvine en Everest. Un equipo de Nat Geo descubrió una bota con restos humanos en el glaciar Rongbuk. El hallazgo podría resolver el enigma de Irvine y Mallory, desaparecidos en 1924 cerca de la cima.
— cumbresmagazine (@CumbresMagazine) October 11, 2024
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(Ph: Jimmy Chin) pic.twitter.com/hQuNZrc8Ti
The discovery took place in September as Chin’s team descended the Central Rongbuk Glacier on the north face of Everest. Along their route, they also came across an oxygen bottle dated 1933, left behind by an earlier expedition that had found one of Irvine’s belongings.
The clue energized the team to continue searching the glacier, leading to the discovery of the boot, which had only recently emerged from the melting ice. Concerned that ravens were disturbing the remains, the foot was later removed from the mountain and handed over to Chinese mountaineering authorities, who govern the north face of Everest.
For Irvine's descendants, the find has been deeply emotional, especially as it comes in the centenary year of his disappearance.
Irvine was only 22 when he vanished, the youngest member of the fateful 1924 expedition that has captivated mountaineers for a century.
On June 8, 1924, he and Mallory were last seen alive, making their final push for the summit. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, but Irvine’s whereabouts remained a mystery—until now.
For Chin and his team, the discovery of the boot was not only a monumental find but also a moment of closure. He hopes it will bring peace to Irvine’s relatives and the climbing community, long intrigued by the mystery.
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