It was long believed that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas. Nearly 30 years prior, however, two Brits had attempted to make the ascent: George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine.
Both disappeared during their climb, with many assuming they’d died before reaching the top, but a recent discovery may prove they were actually the first individuals to make it to the summit.
George Mallory and Andrew Irvine were part of the 1924 British Everest Expedition when they disappeared during their ascent of the mountain. They were last seen alive a few hundred meters from the top, leading many to wonder whether they’d actually been able to reach the summit before going missing.
In 1999, Mallory’s well-preserved body was found approximately 2,000 feet from the summit, at 26,760 feet. It showed signs of a fall, and a key personal effect was missing: a picture of his wife. According to his daughter, Mallory was never without it, and he’d planned to leave it at the top of Everest. This led many to theorize that he and Irvine had reached the summit.
While there were attempts to find Irvine’s remains during the expedition, they were unsuccessful.
Fast forward to September 2024, when a National Geographic film team, led by Jimmy Chin, unexpectedly came across a preserved climber’s boot while descending the Central Rongbuk Glacier, on the mountain’s north face.
What’s more, it had a human foot within it.
The team made the discovery after coming across an oxygen container with the date “1933” stamped on it, when an expedition discovered an item belonging to the missing climber. This led them to conduct a days-long search for more artifacts, leading to the boot’s discovery on the glacier.
Many speculate that the foot and boot belonged to Andrew Irvine, and his family has since provided a DNA sample to test against the remains. The National Geographic team believes them to be from the mountaineer, as a sock found within the boot had “A.C. Irvine” stitched into it.
“It’s the first real evidence of where Sandy ended up,” Chin told National Geographic. “A lot of theories have been put out there. When someone disappears and there’s no evidence of what happened to them, it can be really challenging for families. And just having some definitive information of where Sandy might’ve ended up is certainly [helpful], and also a big clue for the climbing community as to what happened.”
Irvine’s family added in a separate statement, “The Irvine family is deeply moved to hear of the discovery of partial remains of Sandy Irvine. We are grateful to the mountaineering and film team, led by Jimmy Chin, who made the discovery and who have treated it with respect and professionalism.”
Sir Edmund Hillary, of New Zealand, climbed to the summit of Mount Everest with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay during the 1953 British Expedition to Everest, which was led by Col. John Hunt. They reached the top on May 29, 1953, where they took 15 minutes to take photos and leave offerings.
Following their descent, Hillary was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Hunt, a Knight Bachelor. Norgay was presented with the George Medal and the Star of Nepal.
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The boot and partial remains have been turned over to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which is responsible for the north face of Mount Everest.