What is known

Andrew Irwin, known by his nickname “Sandy”, was just 22 years old when he disappeared with mountaineer George Mallory in June 1924. They were trying to become the first people to climb the world’s highest peak. Whether they achieved their goal before they died is still a mystery. Today, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Everest from the south in 1953, 29 years after Irwin and Mallory, are considered to be the first officially confirmed ascents of the peak.

Mallory’s remains were discovered in 1999. They did not have a photo of the climber’s wife, whom he planned to leave at the summit, which could mean they had reached their goal. But Irwin, who carried a Kodak camera with him to record the historic ascent, was never found.

Geologist Noel E. Odell took this photo in 1924. This is the last photo of Mallory (left) and Irwin (right) before the summit / Photo: Noel E. Odell/Royal Geographical Society

Now, a National Geographic documentary team including Oscar-winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin, climbers and filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fischer have found what they believe to be Irwin’s footprint. The foot, tucked into a boot and wearing a sock with his name embroidered on it, was found in the Rongbuk Central Glacier, just below Mallory’s remains.

I picked up my sock and saw a red tag that said AC IRVINE.
Jimmy Chin says.

Andrew “Sandy” Irwin’s leg and a sock with his name on it / Photo: Jimmy Chin/National Geographic

Irwin and Mallory were last seen on June 8, 1924, when they set out to conquer the summit. Noel Odell, one of the expedition members, said he saw them as two small black dots near the second of the mountain’s three steps before clouds obscured them.

Mallory’s body was found less than 600 meters from the summit by American climber Conrad Anker. It was stated that the remains were tied with a rope around the waist and that there were injuries indicating that both had fallen while being tied together. While Chin and his team were scanning the glacier for clues, they found a shoe melted from the ice.

It was a monumental and emotional moment for us and our entire team on the field. We hope this will finally bring peace to his relatives and the climbing world in general.
Chin said.

Photographer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin led the National Geographic team / Photo: Eric Roepke

The team sent the remains to the Sino-Tibetan Mountaineering Association, which is responsible for issuing permits to climb Everest’s north face. The Royal Geographical Society, which organized the Irvine and Mallory expedition, also reported the find. Word was also sent to Irwin’s next of kin, his biographer Julie Summers. Summers says he has literally been “living the story” since he was 7 years old. The author says that his father told him “Uncle Sandy’s secret on Everest.”

The Irwin family volunteered to undergo DNA testing to positively identify the remains. In the meantime, Chin and his team will continue to search for other remains and personal items. If Irwin’s camera is found and he can prove they conquered the summit, he could rewrite history.