Partial remains of British climber believed found 100 years after Everest ascent

The remains of 22-year-old Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine are believed to have been found on Everest, 100 years after the mountaineer vanished along with George Mallory. (Source: National Geographic)

LONDON — The partial remains of a British mountaineer who might -- or might not -- have been one of the first two people to climb Mount Everest are believed to have been found a century after their ascent of the world's highest peak, according to an expedition led by National Geographic.

Ahead of the release of a documentary film, the television channel said Friday that the expedition found a foot encased in a sock embroidered with "AC Irvine" and a boot that could be that of Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, who disappeared at the age of 22 along with his co-climber, the legendary George Mallory, near Everest's peak on June 8, 1924.

The pair, who were seeking to become the first people to conquer Everest, were last seen around 800 feet (245 meters) from the summit before they disappeared. Their fate has been debated by climbers and historians alike, with some postulating that they had stood atop of the world before heading down and disappearing.

Mallory's body was found in 1999 but there was no evidence that could point to the two having reached Everest's summit at 29,032 feet (8,849 meters).

There is still no such evidence, though the apparent discovery of Irvine's remains could narrow the search for a Kodak Vest Pocket camera lent to the climbers by expedition member Howard Somervell. For mountaineers, it's the equivalent of the Holy Grail -- whether there is photographic proof on that camera to show that the two did reach the summit before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

The sock and boot were found at a lower altitude than Mallory's remains, on the Central Rongbuk Glacier below the North Face of Mount Everest.

"This was a monumental and emotional moment for us and our entire team on the ground, and we just hope this can finally bring peace of mind to his relatives and the climbing world at large," said climb team member and National Geographic explorer Jimmy Chin.

Chin did not say exactly where the remains were found because he wants to discourage trophy hunters. But he's confident that other items -- and maybe even the camera -- are nearby.

"It certainly reduces the search area," he told National Geographic.

The Irvine family has volunteered to compare DNA test results with the remains to confirm his identity.

His great-niece and biographer, Julie Summers, said she reacted emotionally when she found out about the discovery.

"I have lived with this story since I was a 7-year-old when my father told us about the mystery of Uncle Sandy on Everest," she said. "When Jimmy told me that he saw the name AC Irvine on the label on the sock inside the boot, I found myself moved to tears. It was and will remain an extraordinary and poignant moment."

The find, made by Chin along with climbers and filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher, was reported to the London-based Royal Geographical Society, which jointly organized Mallory's and Irvine's expedition along with the Alpine Club.

"As joint organizer of the 1924 Everest expedition, the society deeply appreciates the respect Jimmy Chin's team has shown Sandy Irvine's remains and their sensitivity toward Sandy's family members and others connected to that expedition," said Joe Smith, director of the society.

The partial remains are now in the possession of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which is responsible for climbing permits on Everest's northern side.