Century-Old Everest Mystery Unraveled? National Geographic Team Discovers Andrew “Sandy” Irvine’s Boot and Foot – A Game-Changer for Mountaineering History
Mount Everest, the roof of the world, has guarded its secrets for generations. One of mountaineering’s greatest enigmas is the 1924 disappearance of British climbers George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine during their bold attempt to claim the first ascent of the planet’s highest peak. Did they reach the summit before perishing, beating Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by nearly three decades? Now, exactly 100 years later, a stunning find by a National Geographic documentary team is breathing new life into the legend.
The sock is embroidered with the name “A.C. Irvine”. PHOTO: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
In September 2024, filmmaker and climber Jimmy Chin led a Nat Geo crew descending the Central Rongbuk Glacier on Everest’s north side. While filming, they spotted an old oxygen bottle from the 1933 British expedition – a clue that sparked speculation about nearby remains, given that team had found Irvine’s ice axe higher up. Days later, climber-filmmaker Erich Roepke spotted a leather boot protruding from melting ice. “It literally melted out a week before we found it,” Chin told National Geographic.
Inside: a preserved foot, still in a sock embroidered with “A.C. Irvine” – Andrew Comyn Irvine’s full name. This marks the first physical evidence of Irvine’s fate since he vanished on June 8, 1924, just 800 feet below the summit. Mallory’s body was recovered in 1999 at 26,760 feet, but Irvine – and the camera he carried, potentially holding summit photos – remained missing.
The boot and foot were found much lower on the glacier, likely carried down by moving ice and recently exposed by climate-driven melt. The team removed the remains in a cooler (to protect from birds) and handed them to the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association. DNA samples are being compared with Irvine family members for confirmation.
The boot is the first evidence of Irvine’s death since he disappeared during his 1924 expedition to Mount Everest. PHOTO: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Irvine’s great-niece Julie Summers, author of “Fearless on Everest,” was moved to tears. “I’ve lived with this story since I was seven,” she said. “After Mallory in 1999, I wondered if Sandy would be next. A quarter-century later, this feels extraordinary.” She called it a profound moment of closure.
Chin described the discovery as “monumental and emotional” – the first concrete proof of where “Sandy” ended up. It debunks some theories (like Chinese climbers finding him decades ago) and raises hopes for locating more remains or the elusive camera.
Everest continues to reveal its secrets slowly, a testament to its unforgiving power and the enduring spirit of exploration. This find doesn’t solve everything – but it brings us closer than ever to answering one of adventure’s biggest questions. The mountain has spoken again. What will it reveal next? Stay tuned, explorers.