For the last 100 years, a mystery has plagued explorers climbing Mount Everest — but the discovery of a severed human foot may finally provide some answers.
Last month, a team of filmmaking climbers said they discovered an old leather boot peeking out from melting ice on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, below the north face of Mount Everest. Upon closer inspection, the filmmakers discovered a sock still in the boot, with the foot inside, branded with an embroidered stitch reading, “A.C. Irvine.”
Immediately, the National Geographic documentary team said they realized this was no ordinary boot. They believe it belonged to English mountaineer Andrew Comyn “Sandy” Irvine, who attempted to reach Everest’s summit with his climbing partner George Mallory in June 1924.Irvine, 22, and Mallory, 38, may have been the first people to summit Everest, though it has so far been impossible to determine, since the duo never returned.Since then, the mystery has fascinated people both inside and out of the international mountaineering community. Much of the fascination has had to do with a camera carried by Irvine during the trek, which could potentially hold undeveloped film to prove whether he and Mallory reached the summit.
Photographer and director Jimmy Chin told National Geographic that discovery of the foot had his team “all literally running in circles dropping F-bombs.”