A well-preserved boot discovered on Mount Everest may belong to Andrew Irvine, a climber who disappeared during a 1924 expedition. The recent find was made by a National Geographic team in late September. This could provide clues to one of Everest’s most enduring mysteries. Full details are available in the original report.
- A National Geographic film crew found a leather boot on a glacier below the north face of Mount Everest, which might belong to Andrew Irvine, a climber who disappeared in 1924. The sock found inside the boot was marked with Irvine’s name, indicating the discovery’s significance in solving the mystery of his disappearance.
- Andrew Irvine disappeared while attempting to be one of the first to summit Mount Everest. While his climbing partner George Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, Irvine’s remains have never been found. This recent discovery could offer new information about the fate of the 1924 climbers.
- The discovery of the boot was made under unique circumstances, with the boot appearing to have thawed recently. The team abided by regulations, marking the location and later retrieving the boot. DNA testing is now being conducted to confirm whether the boot belonged to Irvine.
The recent discovery of a boot on a Mount Everest glacier has reignited interest in one of the world’s most famous climbing mysteries—the disappearance of Andrew Irvine and George Mallory in 1924. A National Geographic film crew found the boot in late September while shooting a documentary. The boot’s condition was remarkable, with the laces still intact and a sock bearing Irvine’s name stitched into it. This discovery has raised hopes that Irvine’s remains might finally be found, potentially answering whether he and Mallory were the first to reach Everest’s summit.
Andrew Irvine, an engineer and novice climber, was part of the ill-fated expedition with veteran climber George Mallory. The pair disappeared on June 8, 1924, just 800 to 1,000 feet from the summit of Mount Everest. While Mallory’s body was recovered in 1999, no trace of Irvine had been found—until now. The National Geographic team was exploring the north face of the mountain when they stumbled upon the boot, a metal oxygen tank, and other clues potentially linked to the 1924 expedition. The find has fueled speculation that Irvine’s body may be nearby, preserved in the ice for nearly a century.
The boot discovery occurred by chance, as the team was slightly off course during their expedition. According to Jimmy Chin, the filmmaker behind the discovery, finding the boot felt like fate. It appeared to have recently thawed, as birds had moved it since its initial spotting. The team followed China Tibet Mountaineering Association guidelines and left the boot at the site, marking its coordinates. After returning to retrieve it, they found the boot displaced but still well-preserved. DNA testing is now underway to confirm its identity, which could bring closure to Irvine’s family and the global climbing community.
Definitions Table
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Andrew Irvine | A British climber who disappeared during the 1924 Everest expedition alongside George Mallory, aiming to be the first to summit Mount Everest. |
| George Mallory | A renowned British mountaineer whose body was found on Everest in 1999, decades after his 1924 disappearance with Andrew Irvine. |
| National Geographic | A scientific and educational organization that conducts research and produces documentaries, including those related to Mount Everest. |
| Mount Everest | The world’s highest mountain, standing at 29,032 feet, located in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Tibet. |
| Rongbuk Glacier | A glacier on the northern slope of Mount Everest, near where the boot and other artifacts linked to the 1924 expedition were found. |
| 1924 Everest Expedition | The British expedition led by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, aiming to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Both men disappeared during the attempt. |
| Jimmy Chin | An American filmmaker and mountaineer, best known for his work on the documentary “Free Solo,” who was part of the team that discovered the boot on Everest. |
| China Tibet Mountaineering Association | An organization that governs mountaineering expeditions in Tibet, including regulations regarding artifacts found on Mount Everest. |
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