The Century-Old Secret of Everest: How Platform Shoes Helped Unravel the Fate of a Legendary Climber

While filming a documentary high in the mountains, the National Geographic team made one of the most significant discoveries in the history of mountaineering. On the icy slope of Everest, researchers found objects that had remained in the inaccessible mountain terrain for over a century. Among the findings were special platform boots with preserved fragments of remains and a sock embroidered with the initials “A.C. IRVINE.” This discovery allowed for the identification of the missing British mountaineer Sandy Irvine, whose full name was Andrew Comyn Irvine.

The Legendary 1924 Expedition

The story begins nearly a century ago. In 1924, two experienced climbers—Sandy Irvine and his partner George Mallory—attempted to conquer Everest. This was not just another expedition but an ambitious endeavor aimed at reaching the world’s summit thirty years before the legendary Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay succeeded in 1953. The expedition never returned from the summit—both climbers disappeared without a trace, leaving many questions behind.

The Revelation That Awaited the Family

For decades, the fate of the two heroes remained the greatest mystery in mountaineering. Only in 1999 did researchers discover Mallory’s remains, confirming that the famous climber had indeed reached the summit. However, the revelation about Sandy Irvine had not come until recently. The platform boots found on the high mountain slope became a key piece of evidence. They finally helped establish where and how the young Briton’s journey ended.

A New Perspective on the History of Mountaineering

The discovery by National Geographic is of great significance for understanding who was the first of the two to reach Everest’s summit. The find on the mountain’s platform is not just an artifact; it is a whole story frozen in ice and stone. Thanks to these boots on the platform and other nearby objects, scientists gain new insights into the legendary expedition that could have changed the course of mountaineering history if it had succeeded a century ago.