jimmywrangles
Tele-Holic
In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to climb mount Everest, it was an epic undertaking comprised of genius level planning and superb strength from the entire team that resulted in a first ascent and believe it or not no serious injuries to any of the team.(A miracle in itself).
However, 29 years earlier two British climbers set out from base camp on the North side of the mountain and disappeared into history.
Last spotted high on the mountain and climbing strong George Leigh Mallory and Andrew (Sandy) Irvine are forever remembered among mountaineers as the epitome of climbing spirit, they gave their all and failed at the last hurdle...Or did they?
I've followed the story of Mallory and Irvine since 1996 and as the years have passed more and more circumstantial evidence has emerged suggesting that maybe, just maybe they did summit and then died on descent when a rope snapped sending Mallory sliding down the steep Nth face and leaving the inexperienced Irvine alone with no way down.
In 1999 an expedition set out to solve that question, they would search high on the Mountain with team of some of the worlds best climbers and against all odds a climber named Conrad Anker found a body wearing hobnail boots.
He knew immediately it must be one of the two climbers from 1924 and expected it to be Irvine but much to everyones surprise it was Mallory himself, frozen in place,face down, hands outstretched trying to arrest a fall, dead for 75 years.
Controversy has surrounded their disappearance since 1924 when a fellow team member Noel Odell said he saw them ascend a steep step before the final summit pyramid and proceed strongly towards the onwards before clouds blocked his view, there are 3 steps on the Nth route but when you read Odells account carefully he could only have meant the third step and once you've made it past the third step it's just a very steep walk up snow until you're on the summit, something Mallory would have been more than capable of doing given his very high skill levels.
So... it's a mystery and has been for almost 100 years but a part of me thinks they made it, a part of me wants them to have succeeded but I'll never know for sure.
Rest In Peace George Leigh Mallory and Sandy Irvine, gone but never forgotten.
However, 29 years earlier two British climbers set out from base camp on the North side of the mountain and disappeared into history.
Last spotted high on the mountain and climbing strong George Leigh Mallory and Andrew (Sandy) Irvine are forever remembered among mountaineers as the epitome of climbing spirit, they gave their all and failed at the last hurdle...Or did they?
I've followed the story of Mallory and Irvine since 1996 and as the years have passed more and more circumstantial evidence has emerged suggesting that maybe, just maybe they did summit and then died on descent when a rope snapped sending Mallory sliding down the steep Nth face and leaving the inexperienced Irvine alone with no way down.
In 1999 an expedition set out to solve that question, they would search high on the Mountain with team of some of the worlds best climbers and against all odds a climber named Conrad Anker found a body wearing hobnail boots.
He knew immediately it must be one of the two climbers from 1924 and expected it to be Irvine but much to everyones surprise it was Mallory himself, frozen in place,face down, hands outstretched trying to arrest a fall, dead for 75 years.
Controversy has surrounded their disappearance since 1924 when a fellow team member Noel Odell said he saw them ascend a steep step before the final summit pyramid and proceed strongly towards the onwards before clouds blocked his view, there are 3 steps on the Nth route but when you read Odells account carefully he could only have meant the third step and once you've made it past the third step it's just a very steep walk up snow until you're on the summit, something Mallory would have been more than capable of doing given his very high skill levels.
So... it's a mystery and has been for almost 100 years but a part of me thinks they made it, a part of me wants them to have succeeded but I'll never know for sure.
Rest In Peace George Leigh Mallory and Sandy Irvine, gone but never forgotten.
