After 100 years of speculation, remains of one of the first ever Brits to climb Mount Everest have been discovered by a group filming a Nat Geo feature including Oscar-winner Jimmy Chin.
The group was filming the upcoming doc when they found what is believed to be the foot encased in a sock and boot of Andrew Irvine, who disappeared on Everest in 1924 along with his partner George Mallory. They were part of the third British expedition to attempt to climb the world’s tallest mountain and would have been the first to have done it.
According to Nat Geo, Free Solo maker Chin and his team found the foot on the Central Rongbuk Glacier below the North Face of Everest at a lower altitude than Mallory’s remains were located. The partial remains – identified with his name stitched into the sock – are now in the possession of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which is responsible for climbing permits on Everest’s northern side. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999 by climber Conrad Anker, but until now, Irvine’s remains had never been found.
The team has reported the find to the Royal Geographical Society and Irvine’s family has been informed. The Irvine family has volunteered to compare DNA test results with the remains to confirm Irvine’s identity.
Chin was with filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher, filming an upcoming documentary that he is directing with fellow Free Solo director E. Chai Vasarhelyi for their banner Little Monster Films.
“Any expedition to Everest follows in the shadow of Irvine and Mallory,” said Chin. “We certainly did. And 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.”
