A foot believed to belong to British climber Andrew Comyn “Sandy” Irvine, who went missing on Mount Everest a century ago, has been discovered, potentially solving one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries. Irvine attempted to summit Everest in June 1924 alongside his climbing partner, George Mallory. While Mallory’s remains were recovered in 1999, Irvine’s body has remained elusive.
Last month, a team of climbers filming a National Geographic documentary stumbled upon the foot, which was revealed by melting ice on a glacier. Jimmy Chin, the well-known adventurer who led the team, described the discovery as a “monumental and emotional moment.”
The mystery surrounding Irvine has long intrigued mountaineers and historians alike. Many have speculated whether he and Mallory reached the summit before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their historic ascent 29 years later. It is believed that Irvine was carrying a camera with undeveloped film, which could provide evidence of their success.
British authorities are currently working to verify the identity of the foot using DNA samples, as reported by National Geographic. The BBC has reached out to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comments. However, the filmmaking team is optimistic about the foot’s identity, noting that the sock inside the boot is embroidered with the initials “A.C. Irvine.” Chin remarked, “I mean, dude… there’s a label on it.”
The discovery occurred while the team was descending the Central Rongbuk Glacier on Everest’s north face in September. During their expedition, they also found an oxygen bottle marked with the year 1933, linked to a previous expedition that had uncovered an item belonging to Irvine. Energized by this lead, the team searched the glacier for several days, ultimately spotting the boot emerging from the melting ice, which they estimated had only recently become exposed.
Concerns about ravens disturbing the find led to the foot being removed and handed over to the Chinese mountaineering authorities who oversee the north face of Everest. Julie Summers, a descendant of Irvine, expressed her deep emotional reaction to the news, stating she was “moved to tears” upon hearing about the discovery. “It was and will remain an extraordinary and poignant moment,” she said.
Chin, renowned for his Oscar-winning climbing documentary Free Solo, reflected on the significance of the find: “Sometimes in life the greatest discoveries occur when you aren’t even looking. This was a monumental and emotional moment for us and our entire team on the ground, and we just hope this can finally bring peace of mind to his relatives and the climbing world at large.”
Irvine was just 22 years old at the time of his disappearance and was the youngest member of the expedition that has captivated the climbing community for a century. The pair was last seen alive on June 8, 1924, as they made their final push for the summit. While Mallory’s remains were found in 1999, the search for Irvine’s body has been fraught with speculation and controversy over the years, particularly regarding the movement of bodies.