The Everest Mystery

There is no mystery more compelling than the disappearance of British mountaineer George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, last seen 'going strong for the top' of Mount Everest on 8 June 1924. Mallory was a renowned climber; Irvine was a daring young sportsman embarking on the greatest adventure of his life . . . The question of exactly what happened to them on that fateful day has fascinated people for more than a century. Now, Irvine's great-niece Julie Summers and mountaineering historian Jochen Hemmleb have written a gripping account of the 1924 expedition from Sandy's perspective, challenging misconceptions regarding his role and the skills and knowledge of the two men. The narrative brings to life all the remarkable characters involved in the attempt and describes the extraordinary feats of endurance and planning needed to survive the extreme conditions on Everest. The authors also examine whether the two men reached the summit - becoming the first to do so - or died on the ascent. Were their bodies seen by Chinese expeditions in 1960 and 1975? What can we learn from the discoveries of Mallory's remains in 1999 and Sandy's boot and foot in September 2024? An intriguing detective story, The Everest Mystery is also a moving account of men pushing themselves to their limits in an attempt to make history.

Julie Summers is a biographer, historian and author of fifteen works of non-fiction including Fearless on Everest: the Quest for Sandy Irvine. She is Irvine's great-niece and the family spokesperson and curated the Sandy Irvine Trust from 1999 to 2005. She has been closely involved with the mountaineering community, chairing Britain's Mountain Heritage Trust and regularly lecturing about Sandy Irvine. She took part in the IMAX film, The Wildest Dream, and has contributed to documentaries, blogs and radio programmes on the subject of Everest 1924. Most recently she co-narrated the Alpine Club documentary Everest - By Those Who Were There 1921, 1922, 1924. She lives in Oxford.