For nearly a century, one of mountaineering’s greatest unsolved questions has haunted climbers, historians, and adventurers alike: did George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1924, nearly three decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s historic ascent? Now, a discovery on Everest’s icy slopes may bring us closer than ever to the truth.

In September 2024, a National Geographic expedition led by Oscar-winning filmmaker and elite climber Jimmy Chin uncovered a remarkable artifact on the Central Rongbuk Glacier: a weathered boot containing a sock stitched with the initials “A.C. Irvine”—and, chillingly, a partial foot inside. Believed to belong to Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, Mallory’s climbing partner, the find surfaced at a lower altitude than Mallory’s body, which was discovered in 1999. Together, the two discoveries form critical pieces of the puzzle surrounding their final hours on Everest.

The boot’s location offers tantalizing clues. Its lower altitude suggests Irvine may have fallen or been separated from Mallory during their fateful summit attempt. While Mallory’s remains told a partial story of a fall, Irvine’s newly recovered boot might help trace their route and reveal whether they were descending from the summit—or still on their way up when tragedy struck.

For Irvine’s descendants, the discovery is profoundly personal. National Geographic has offered his family the chance to receive the artifact, granting a measure of emotional closure after a century of uncertainty. DNA testing is now underway to confirm Irvine’s identity, and results are expected to shed light on whether this is indeed the long-lost young climber who vanished into legend at the age of 22.

Perhaps the greatest hope lies in what may still be hidden with Irvine’s remains: the VPK pocket camera he was believed to be carrying. If recovered and preserved, it could hold photographs showing whether Mallory and Irvine stood on the summit of Everest in 1924—rewriting the history of mountaineering and answering a question debated for generations. Did they conquer the world’s highest peak nearly 30 years before Hillary and Norgay, or did they fall just short, forever within sight of glory?

Beyond the mystery, the discovery highlights the harsh realities of Everest’s environment. Artifacts and bodies preserved in ice resurface only as glaciers shift and melt, revealing fragments of stories once thought lost to time. Each find is both a scientific revelation and a poignant reminder of the human cost of exploration.

The emergence of Irvine’s boot reignites fascination with one of exploration’s greatest enigmas. It bridges the worlds of adventure, science, and memory—reminding us that Everest is not just a mountain, but a vast archive of triumph and tragedy. Whether the summit was reached in 1924 may never be known, but with each discovery, we step closer to understanding the courage, ambition, and sacrifice of two climbers who dared to chase the impossible.

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