Human Foot Found on Everest May Hold Key to One of Mountaineering’s Greatest Mysteries
A National Geographic documentary team has discovered a human foot encased in a boot and sock on Mount Everest, which is believed to belong to Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a British climber who went missing in 1924 alongside George Mallory. The discovery was made on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, a lower elevation than where Mallory’s remains were found in 1999.
The foot, boot, and sock were found with a red label that has “A.C. IRVINE” stitched into it, providing significant evidence about Irvine’s fate. This discovery could potentially unravel one of mountaineering’s most enduring mysteries: whether Irvine and Mallory ever managed to reach the summit of Mount Everest before their disappearance.
The team, led by Jimmy Chin, has sent the remains to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association for further examination. The Irvine family has offered to conduct DNA comparisons to verify the identity of the remains. This find has brought emotional closure for the family and the climbing community, as it provides definitive information about where Sandy Irvine might have ended up.
