Photo credit: www.cbsnews.com
A documentary crew has uncovered human remains on Mount Everest, believed to belong to a climber who vanished nearly a century ago during an ascent attempt. National Geographic reported that the remains are likely those of Andrew Irvine, who went missing in 1924 alongside fellow mountaineer George Mallory while striving to achieve the significant milestone of being the first to summit Everest, which stands at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet).
The ongoing effects of climate change have facilitated the melting of snow and ice across the Himalayan region, revealing the bodies of those who perished in pursuit of mountaineering dreams. This phenomenon highlights an emergent aspect of contemporary expeditions as more historical artifacts and remains come to light with shifting environmental conditions.
The duo’s disappearance remains one of mountaineering’s great unsolved mysteries. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, but the fate of Irvine had long eluded researchers until this recent find – a boot still affixed to a foot, located on the Central Rongbuk Glacier. Upon further examination, the team discovered a sock with the name “A.C. IRVINE” stitched into it, providing a significant breakthrough in identifying the remains.
This discovery could not only yield insights into the whereabouts of their belongings but may also shed light on whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit before their untimely disappearance. If confirmed, this would position them as the first climbers to have achieved this daunting feat well ahead of the officially recognized ascent by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Julie Summers, Irvine’s great-niece, expressed her sentiments to National Geographic, suggesting that the discovery brings us closer to understanding the events that transpired during their final ascent. The documented first successful climb occurred nearly three decades later, and Jim Whittaker became the first American to achieve the summit in 1963.
History of Tragedy on Everest
Members of the Irvine family have reportedly expressed a willingness to provide DNA samples to help confirm the identity of the remains. At just 22 years old at the time of his disappearance, Irvine and Mallory were last seen on June 8, 1924, as they began their last push towards the peak.
A recent digitization of Mallory’s final letter to his wife, released by Cambridge University, details his assessment of their chances to reach the summit, estimating them to be “50 to 1 against us.”
It is believed that Irvine was equipped with a vest camera at the time of his disappearance, which could potentially alter the understanding of early mountaineering history if found. Photographer and director Jimmy Chin, part of the National Geographic team, suggested that the discovery of Irvine’s remains significantly narrows down the search area for this elusive piece of equipment.
Since the initiation of climbing expeditions on Everest in the 1920s, over 300 climbers have tragically lost their lives on the mountain. While many bodies remain concealed beneath snow or buried in deep crevasses, others have become grim markers along the ascent path. These remains, often clad in bright climbing gear, have garnered macabre nicknames such as “Green Boots” and “Sleeping Beauty.”
As efforts continue to retrieve and identify remains, recent clean-up initiatives have successfully recovered five frozen bodies from Everest, including one that was reduced to skeletal remains, further underscoring the ongoing human cost associated with this challenging and perilous pursuit.
Source
www.cbsnews.com