Mallory & Irvine

Mallory and Irvine's 1924 climb and subsequent searches

"Mallory told me himself, when he talked to me of his possible routes up the final pyramid and told me where to watch for him, that he expected to go up the northeast of the final pyramid, but if he found the Gully particularly difficult, or if the west wind were particularly bad, he would take the eastern ridge, missing the Gully by passing across the head of it and gaining better protection from the west wind."
- John Noel, expedition photographer

"Norton has suggested the possibility of breaking through the lower of these two bands east of the great couloir, and traversing along the slabs between it and the upper band until it is possible to break through the latter." -- Everest 1933

Overview

This site evaluates Mallory and Irvine’s 1924 summit attempt of Mount Everest. It presents a viable theory that George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine summited on June 8, 1924.  They climbed a moderately difficult route just above the Couloir (pictured above) which had been identified by E.F. Norton two days earlier.  They did not climb the Second Step, but instead took a lower route, just the way Mallory described in the 1921 reconnaissance report. Although Mallory climbing the ridge route is a popular theory, Mallory stated the ridge route was impossible.

Mallory and Irvine’s planned route to the summit

Mallory described his potential routes to John Noel, the 1924 expedition photographer, in the days prior to his climb.  Mallory stated his first choice was to go up the Couloir to access the north-east section of the final pyramid.  His backup route was to cross above the top of the Couloir and access the ridge of the East Face at a point above the Couloir.  This second route matches with the sighting of Odell at 12:50.

As part of a deliberate deception, E.F Norton created the myth that Odell saw Mallory and Irvine on either they First or Second Step. Odell sent a mountain dispatch down to Norton at Advanced Base Camp stating they were seen at the Final Step (Third) at 12:50. Norton destroys this dispatch and then falsifies the altitude and time in a report to The Times.

Summit rocks in Mallory’s pocket? We will never know.

When Mallory was found in 1999, the multiple searches of his body and having to bury him, dig him up, and then search again ruined the ability to determine whether they made the summit. Had Mallory made it to the summit, he would have collected summit rocks and put them in his pockets. In the haste to locate a camera, they ruined the chance to show whether they made it to the top.

UPDATE:  I have some comments on the 2019 search which is described in National Geographic and has a very different take on Mallory and Irvine’s 1924 climb. I had nothing to do with that search.

Watch the route fly through video.  Watch the video on Odell’s sighting of Mallory.  Read the theory.

Comments on 2019 search

June 16, 2020

A recent National Geographic article describes a small search effort for Andrew “Sandy” Irvine conducted in 2019. The 2019 “search” consisted of climbing to the summit and then descending. Along the decent, a slightly different route was taken in the region near the exit cracks. This same area was searched in 2004 by Jake Norton … More Comments on 2019 search

The Crux: Mallory’s Planned Route to Bypass the Second Step

May 21, 2017

Mallory’s published statements show that he never intended to climb the entire crest of the North-East Arete.  Instead, he planned on following a route below the ridge in order to bypass the obstacles on the crest.  Mallory did not consider climbing the Second Step.  Indeed, in all his expedition journals, letters home, and documented conversations, the … More The Crux: Mallory’s Planned Route to Bypass the Second Step

Irvine's Climb and Possible Final Resting Place

A breif re-cap of Mallory and Irvine's climb and possible Irvine location.