A documentary crew has discovered the alleged remains of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a British climber who disappeared during an expedition to the world’s highest peak a century ago, on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, pravilamag.ru reports, citing National Geographic.
The find includeincludees a boot with a leg fragment and a sock with the initials A.C. IRVINE, which may confirm the identity of the deceased. Irvine and his partner George Mallory disappeared in June 1924 while attempting the first ever ascent of Everest. Mallory’s remains were found in 1999, but Irvine’s fate has remained unknown until now.
The discovery could shed light on one of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering history: did Irvine and Mallory reach the summit of Everest 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the officially recognized first successful ascent in 1953?
Researchers hope that further study of the remains will help solve the mystery of the final days of Irvine and Mallory’s expedition and, perhaps, rewrite the history of conquering the world’s highest mountain.