Marking the 100-year anniversary of Mallory and Irvine’s disappearance on the 1924 Everest expedition at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS)
Image credit: Haus of Hiatus
With a few days in London, I decided to make a trip the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) to catch a special exhibition showcasing photographs from the ill-fated Everest expedition of 1924 where George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine sadly disappeared.
Whilst having a huge interest in mountaineering and Everest, I didn’t know much about the early Everest expeditions not least the 1924 one.
The exhibition was hugely educational and opened my eyes to what set up the first successful summit of Everest in 1953, by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay.
The 1924 expedition was the third attempt to reach the summit by the British. The expedition is particularly notable for the disappearance of climbers George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, who were last seen on June 8, 1924, making a final push toward the summit.
The expedition was led by General Charles Bruce and included several experienced climbers such as Edward Norton, Howard Somervell, and Noel Odell. They faced severe challenges, including harsh weather conditions, limited oxygen supplies, and the physical toll of high-altitude climbing.
From what I understand, Mallory and Irvine's attempt to reach the summit still remains shrouded in mystery.
They were spotted by Noel Odell through a break in the clouds, ascending a prominent rock step on the northeast ridge, now known as the Second Step. Odell’s sighting was the last confirmed sighting of the duo. Despite extensive searches, their bodies were not found during the expedition, and whether they reached the summit before they perished remains unknown.
The mystery of Mallory and Irvine's fate captured the imagination of the public and mountaineers alike. In 1999, a research team found Mallory's body at 26,760 feet (8,155 meters), but Irvine's body and the camera they carried, which might hold photographic evidence of their climb, have never been discovered. The 1924 expedition stands as a poignant chapter in the saga of Mount Everest, symbolising both the allure and peril of high-altitude exploration.
Definitely worth visiting if you’re in South Kensington in the coming months!
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