Mount Everest discovery of human remains may solve 1924 mystery

The discovery of human remains on the north flank of Mount Everest may provide answers to a century-old mountaineering mystery. A National Geographic film team recently located a weathered leather boot containing a human foot and a woolen sock labeled ‘A. C. IRVINE’.

This find is believed to be the first suspected remains of Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine since he and George Mallory disappeared on June 8, 1924. The two climbers were last seen by teammate Noel Odell moving toward the summit ridge before vanishing in the mist. While George Mallory’s body was located in 1999, Irvine has remained missing.

Researchers believe a small, folding Kodak camera lost during the 1924 expedition could hold the key to determining if the pair reached the summit. If the camera and its film are recovered and intact, they could confirm whether Mallory and Irvine achieved the first ascent of Everest three decades before the successful 1953 expedition.