Why We Can't Find Sandy Irvine's Body on Everest

[@EverestMystery]

For more fascinating stories about the Mystery of Mallory & Irvine and stories from mountains around the world please subscribe: www.youtube.com/@everestmystery?sub_confirmation=1

[@wyomingadventures]

Thank you for the interview with Jamie. This is a fascinating study about what happened to Sandy Irvine. My brother and I watched Lost on Everest a couple of years ago and loved it. I hope someone gets to visit that museum again. So many unanswered questions. I believe Jamie.

[@EverestMystery]

@@wyomingadventures thank you, Jamie is a good man, I trust his insight and common sense....he is one of the greats of Everest, balanced and reliable, a good friend

[@tmac3525]

Its hidden because they found the camera with the body, showing pics they reached summit before a sherpa

[@OKuusava]

@@tmac3525 ?? Where is the logic in that? ;-) 1) First you find the body, take the camera and develope films and see that he was in sumit? 2) then you go back and get the body hidden -for what? As you already have the camera ,-D 3) what a heck Chinese rare about sherpa or no sherpa summit first? They hate sherpas. Are you sober at all?

[@aeromodeller1]

@@tmac3525 No. The sources who reported finding the camera reported that the film was developed and there was nothing on it.

[@zizifang4679]

As someone who speaks fluent Chinese, my assumption of “thrown off the mountain” at around 12:55 would mean “disposed of/taken off of”(This is if the officer spoke Mandarin - most likely they did) as the term “扔了” or “丢掉” the first meaning “throw”, the second “thrown off” both could mean pretty much “get rid off” in general. They can be used for throwing out trash, throwing a ball, disposing unused items - most commonly clothes,tool, or like displacing anything to be quite frank (quite broad terms as is most Chinese words/phrases). So I’m guessing the officers directly translated the word into English because that is something a lot of chinese do while speaking English.

[@samuelbarber14]

I just found your site by accident, and I am glad I did. I was a climber for 52 years, mostly in the Pacific Northwest, but have always been interested by the Mallory-Irvine story. I'm happy to be able to support your channel.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much for your support, it means so much to me! I'm happy you found this channel, as well....I hope you enjoy what is already up and the videos that I'll be posting regularly in the future. Cheers and thanks again

[@allainbaldo2567]

Hello to Jamie from Canada. Jamie supplied basecamp support for myself and my climbing partner Caroline for Cho Oyu in 2002! I’m so glad to see you have done so well with your guiding career !

[@EverestMystery]

Jamie is a good man and an absolutely world class guide and climber. Thanks for watching!

[@JamieMcGuinness]

Hello Allain! Oh, that memorable cake story! I hope you are doing well. 2019 was my last Everest expedition but I am still trekking in Nepal and Ladakh (India), and loving it.

[@christopherreinsmith1401]

​@@JamieMcGuinnessHello Jamie. I've watched several videos, of your climbs, through sherpa , Namgyal Sherpa! He was such a bright presence! During his expeditions! So full of laughter! And a skilled climber! R.I.P. Namgyal!!

[@JohnDavidHays]

Thom. Interviews are your strong suit on your Everest Mystery channel. This is very well done and Jamie is an appealing and engaging personality.

[@EverestMystery]

Jamie is the man....thanks for watching

[@archivist68]

Jaime, what a nice guy! Thanks for doing the interview, Thom!

[@tracyd1233]

Fascinating. Awaiting to hear more on this - museum and high-ranking official.

[@redlaw8760]

This is the most logical explanation for why Irvine’s body hasn’t been found. Thank you.

[@joshuareinoehl924]

I've always felt they made the summit, they were so close when last seen.,also their determination for the summit was unflappable

[@LazyDaisyDay88]

I completely agree. I think that Mallory in particular would have experienced the same kind of irrational summit fever that grips modern day mountaineers - including the very experienced ones. It was also to be his last attempt - I just don't think he would have given up. He was a driven man. Like so many since, they made the summit and then perished on the way down due to exhaustion/weather changes. Unless someone definitively proves otherwise, I shall continue to believe Mallory and Irvine were the first to summit Everest.

[@kellyfarrar6639]

I absolutely agree. There is something in my gut that says they made it,

[@laurenurban3942]

I think they made the summit also….but fell on the way down. Some would say that it doesn’t count. However, it makes a difference in the history books. They wouldn’t be given the record BUT they would forever be credited with completing the climb to the top. Too bad for his family. I’m sure they would like to know what happened to him. That’s sad.

[@rtqii]

@@laurenurban3942 It's possible they made the summit, but the last report was the weather was degrading and they vanished into the clouds.

[@bretthannan200]

They were no where near the summit,last seen

[@Lorenzo622]

Fascinating… why the big secret though? Why would they hide the fact that he had been found and removed?

[@manuelhung7571]

Bad feelings still over The Opium Wars and hence not wishing to give acclaim to British Climbers?

[@johnthemachine]

@@manuelhung7571 throwing Irvine off the mountain is a lot of effort to go through on Everest when you could just say nothing about it. Irvine more than likely fell farther than George and wouldn’t be findable at all, ever. This whole mystery is designed to give KZbinrs content.

[@samiamgreeneggsandham7587]

Perhaps because on his body was evidence of having made the summit. Summit rocks in his pockets, etc.

[@EverestMystery]

@Lorenzo622 Jamie wondered aloud if perhaps all this time the Chinese were not hiding it, and that they just assumed we always knew. Perhaps our sleuthing was a curiosity to them. Cheers and thanks for watching

[@EverestMystery]

@johnthemachine the Chinese literally closed the mountain in 2008 to remove garbage and bodies, and spend a significant amount of time removing them from the mountain. Highly likely they see Irvine and Mallory just as they do anyone else who dies up there: 'get them off the mountain because they are unseemly'.

[@LazyDaisyDay88]

This was fascinating! Someone MUST get to the private museum and report back - it would be SO good to know more.

[@pauldavis4287]

Hi Thom! Wow. This mystery continues to get more and more interesting, just joined the Channel. Jaime McGuinness it totally credible. So many questions and reactions. 1. Irvine was "not far off the main route", in 1999 your team scoured that part of the mountain and found Mallory, how could Irvine have been missed? 2. If we truly believe Irvine was "thrown off" the mountain in 2008 , forget the museum... I wanna see someone search the base of mountain below ( head of Rongbuk Glacier?). 3. If Irvine was disposed of by Chinese officials, it was to protect China's "first ascent" in 1960. China's FA summit claim should be in question until the "summit" rocks they brought back are analyzed by a Western University and confirmed that they are truly from the summit. 4. Totally agree with you that someone should attempt the traverse to the Norton Coloir and zig-zag route, looking for evidence of 1924 climb. Thanks for GREAT video, look forward more.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much for watching for for the really kind and thoughtful comment. I also really appreciate your support!

[@deborahcabot3100]

Fascinating subject of finding Irvine's body, what I understood/heart in Jamie McGuinness telling of his encounter with the LO was that the body was taken off way before 2008, which would fit into the FA from China theory of 1960, if that FA did happen.

[@miketausig4205]

Another incredible video man. The progression from your expedition in 1999 to your return in 2019, then following on to this interview as well as the follow-up interview you did with Mark after 2019 is all pretty incredible. My personal opinion is that the mystery will never be solved, but that Mallory & Irvine did reach the summit. That, however, would mean that the north side first ascent by the Chinese is null and void; this could explain why the serious hush hush from CTMA folks as well as the liaison officers. That said, really THE ONLY thing that could have proven this is the film in the camera. To me, it makes sense, with all the sightings of bodies, that the Chinese did indeed find Irvine’s body along with the camera. The camera would have been taken, and the body “thrown” over the side (ie pushed down into the netherworld to where it would be invisible) both make absolute perfect sense, both logically and summarily. The most interesting fact to me is the museum piece. With the wealth of pieces they had on display (according to Jamie) it is highly possible the camera is indeed there. Items get lost in museum back rooms every day. The difference is, however, that to admit ownership of the camera would mean that new conversations would take place about the film. Whether or not the film produced pictures or not is almost irrelevant, as the Chinese simply don’t want those conversations opened. In reality, my opinion is that what they really don’t want opened is a discussion on the real first ascent from the north side. As it stands, the Chinese went down in history as holding this torch, and they simply don’t want the subject spoken about or questioned. They’re kinda funny like that if you believe the media- stories of coverups when coverups weren’t necessarily needed, etc. So, while in mind I have actually kind of formulated what happened, the reality is that there is still a little more we could learn. And as the video states, that involves finding the right people in China who will answer our questions openly. At the end of your interview with Mark, he comments about how he hopes he can be the person to do that. And while it doesn’t matter to me who gets the info, I see Jamie as a much more likely source to find the true answers. He has the relationships already, and sometimes it just takes persistence to reach the promised land - and maybe a “gift” or two to the right people.😉 At the end of the day, while none of this information will change anything we do in the real world, I DO think the history of the mountain deserves to be told in the most truthful way possible, and that means we are still have questions that must be answered. So yes…somebody book those flights to Lhasa, and maybe another expedition to the north side. This time, they need to skip the summit and use energy to thoroughly scour the north side again. There could still be clues there. Another great vid man. Mike

[@chrisowen2763]

What’s even more unbelievable is that neither Wager, Wyn-Harris, Shipton nor Smythe saw Irvine’s body. Until physical evidence is found I’m going to assume that Irvine is somewhere below Mallory.

[@CrustyOlSalt]

I think Mother Nature keeps many things to herself.

[@danielwhite7380]

Another awesome video, thank you. For peace of mind, I am sure that even if someone does locate Irvines remains, he will no doubt be already deceased. Mallory too probably. Rip to the pioneers. Thanks dude.

[@arevans5986]

I wonder if this most likely means disposal occurred via the Kangshung Face or if he was taken down to Base Camp and disposed of from there. One way of determining this would be to assess how and where the CTMA disposed of other bodies during clean up operations.

[@JamieMcGuinness]

Great line of thinking. In 2008 it was rumoured that some Chinese died on the first attempt at taking the Olympic torch to the summit. After 2008 this was more or less proven as some "new" bodies were found with their outer clothing cut off and then thrown off the climbing route. So, they were not disposed of in a standard place.

[@johnoconnor4941]

Its truly weird that I live fifty feet from Sandy's home, in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula. Ignorant of his efforts and fame till I researched his name from a plaque outside his house. His mother left a light burning to light his way home from Everest. A true adventurer...

[@EverestMystery]

Incredible, that’s truly as close as it gets. I hope to visit there one day. Thanks for watching, it’s great having you here

[@johnoconnor4941]

@@EverestMystery if you do, give me a knock. We'll have a cuppa and a chat. Fill in a bit of that ignorance, I mentioned.

[@amalone539]

I didn’t know he was from Birkenhead I’m in anfield but always go new Brighton with the kids where about is his house would like to call past one day

[@johnoconnor4941]

@@amalone539 Actually, It was his mums house on Park Road South. It became a club for ex military for a long time but has since been converted to flats. Number 32 PRS. I have a pic of a blue sign giving the story of mums light story.

[@davidlean1060]

Don't feel so bad. It wasn't until the 1990s that the Irish began to learn the name Tom Crean, a Kerryman who was with Shackleton's Antartic expedition.

[@peach7210]

Wait... what?? You were part of the expedition that found Mallory? I'll be damned. (Maybe this was common knowledge but I'm new to your channel). Anyway, bravo! A sad but historic find!

[@sirpugsalot6113]

Not bravo. They were pretty disrespectful to the body. Ripped off all the clothing they could and dug him back up the next day. To investigate the body more

[@mjkittredge]

@@sirpugsalot6113 I think with all the questions surrounding what happened and wanting to positively ID the body that it was acceptable. It's not like they're going to carry forensic experts that far up the mountainside to investigate with all the most professional techniques.

[@hollymeakin8825]

@@sirpugsalot6113 I watched a doc on retrieving body's, you know chances are retrieving a body is going to kill a few more. Imagine trying to pull a dead weight down a cliff in extreme weather climbing gear. They were as respectable as they could be whilst hunting knowledge

[@sirpugsalot6113]

@@hollymeakin8825 the problem is they dug his body back up to grab more stuff from his body they only partly reburied him

[@chillarypuff]

I love your interviews, you are a great speaker. Have been binging your videos for a few weeks!

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you so much, I'm really happy that you enjoy the videos on the channel!

[@genemorgan6033]

Another fascinating insight into the fate of Irvines body. I find it incredibly sad that knowledge to solve this mystery might never be known.

[@arevans5986]

Why hasn’t all the drone footage from the 2019 expedition been released? If so much money was spent and nothing was found there would be no commercial reason to withhold it and it could at least be used to add to the public database of information.

[@EverestMystery]

The film is on Disney+ called Lost On Everest. It’s only an hour but pretty comprehensive

[@schwabra]

I loved this movie. I watched it again while reading "The Third Pole" by Mark Synnott. They compliment each other well.@@EverestMystery

[@thedogmother2105]

Couch potato here with a wide variety of interests. My humble take is that Mr. Irvine was indeed removed from the mountain. No announcement was made nor will it ever be made. Who benefits from the expeditions and why won’t anyone talk? Follow the money. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I really enjoy your channel and the community. You all have my utmost respect. There is always room to learn. These days I happen to love my “creature comforts” such as indoor plumbing. I’ve had a mild dose of altitude sickness while playing in the snow on Mauna Kea eons ago. That was enough for me. LOL.

[@fernandosantiago1000]

Thank you very much! Since you guys found Mallory’s body back in 99 I’m very interested in this fascinating mistery.

[@EverestMystery]

Great to have you here, thank you for watching!

[@bhall9874]

Thanks so much for doing these videos. Thanks so much for keeping it up. I regret that you have to put up with the type of unkind remark some of the commenters below have made. I hope the sincere appreciation of the rest of us helps to make up for it, and I also thank the more thoughtful commenters below for their additions. As for myself, I'm just an amateur onlooker, but I find it interesting.

[@EverestMystery]

I truly appreciate your encouragement. It's viewers like you that really do keep me going! Thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment :)

[@amandastuart8294]

Very interesting video. I would like to know more about that museum.🤔

[@riafitzgerald2988]

So many trolls on your comments. I'm sorry people disagree in childish ways. People Speak your opinion but making personal attacks is so childish abd disgusting. Geeze! Thanks for sharing your information. It's a valid opinion. I respect that.❤

[@EverestMystery]

You are correct in your assessment :) check out some of the other Mallory & Irvine videos and you will unearth an abundance of the same.Thanks for watching the video, great having you here!

[@JackKinross]

Fascinating stuff, love your dedication to the subject mate and would be fantastic for someone to get to the museum to find out more. Yes, you're right, I've met Jamie, a straight up Kiwi who tells it as it is. Great interview.

[@danielwhite7380]

Another awesome video, thank you. For peace of mind, I am sure that even if someone does locate Irvines remains, he will no doubt be already deceased. Mallory too probably. Rip to the pioneers. Thanks dude.

[@jMci726]

Wanted to be the 500th comment! Absolutely love your content! Your passion for climbing and compassion for those who have lost their lives to the sport is always on display! ♥️

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much! Wow, 500 comments….. I’m happy you found the channel and that you enjoy the content. There’s lots more to come

[@brendanoneill1466]

Another great thought provoking video. It’s sad to think that Sandy was “thrown” off the mountain, but it does make a strange kind of sense. I would love to see and learn more about that museum and its collections. Thanks as always.

[@EverestMystery]

Jamie was sure to mention that the word 'thrown' might very well have been used because of a language barrier...meaning, he might have been meaning 'removed' but didn't know the word. Thanks as always for watching and thanks for supporting the channel!

[@elizabethmarshall3558]

I agree. A lot of credence should be given to the potential for miscommunication across greatly different languages. Fascinating information.... Thanks Thom!!

[@getoffenit7827]

@@EverestMystery true...if english is not somebodys native language,they will use words they know that approximate an object or action..ive been to 32 countries and i had to learn to slow down my thinking and not latch onto the first thing i 'thought' they said..think for a minute before responding and do not simply assume

[@chriskitparfitt5449]

Whàt about the rapíd deteratation of Sandy’s body at sea level . 22:45 22:45

[@krisushi1]

I had watched a video just last night that mentions this very story. It was claimed that the Chinese Expedition of 1966 wished to be named as the first to summit Everest but came across the body of Sandy Irvine just below the first Hilary Step. His oxygen bottles on the ground around him. It's been stated that certain evidence of the Chinese finding and removing Irvine's body had been leaked and then quickly hushed up. They had also claimed to have had his camera which would be the evidence that showed whether a summit was made. The other strange mention was that Mallory had also kept a photo of his wife close to him within his clothing and planned to place it on the summit. This photo has never been found on or near Mallory's body. Perhaps he had made it to the summit and the photo was taken away by the same Expedition that had removed Irvine's body from the mountain? Two members of the 1924 Expedition working with Mallory and Irvine, Noel Odell and John Noel, have stated that they had no doubt at all that they had summitted the mountain. They were the two whom Mallory had written notes to. Noel Odell was the last person to have seen Mallory and Irvine alive and moving at 12:50pm on the 8th of June on a prominent ridge near to the base of the final pyramid. I'd rather take their word as they had no reason to cover anything up. It's a trusted local whom you need to return to this private museum, not one of you who can be easily detected. Unfortunately, I don't have any confidence in the Chinese revealing any information about this story. It's a disgrace that they have taken Irvine's body and are storing it somewhere in China, wrong on so many levels. They should do the right thing and give him back to his family! Please follow up on this story whilst keeping safe in the meantime. When a secret such as this is want kept quiet, no-one is safe.🇦🇺

[@lizzystar5346]

I think why take the body it’s not needed just take all his stuff even clothes. If they wanted to then like Jamie said throw the body off the mountain no point carrying all that weight I don’t put it past them. If anything i would bet they have the camera

[@krisushi1]

@@lizzystar5346 Most definitely they'd have the camera! The clothes would add much weight to the body, but I think the Chinese just wanted to get rid of all trace of Sandy Irvine. The reports of where Irvine and Mallory were last seen alive and moving does suggest that they may really have summitted. The Chinese weren't going to allow this to overshadow their own attempt to reach the summit first and would no doubt interfere with anything that got in their way. It's rather interesting that when Mallory's body was found, the photo he cherished and held close to him of his wife, until he actually summitted and was going to leave it there, was nowhere near his body at all. When I hear all of that is in this story put together, it's hard to rule out that it was a good possibility that George Mallory and Sandy Irvine did manage to summit. When bodies aren't as old as these were, it does make sense to strip off the frozen cloths that add so much extra weight and either hide the body down a crevasse or role it off if possible. Although, it's not very dignified to role a naked body down the side of Everest. I believe that what the Chinese did had nothing to do with cleaning up the mountain and more to do with making it into the record books.

[@lizzystar5346]

@@krisushi1 agreed! I wouldn’t put it past the Chinese to want to protect their title of being the first to scale up the north side of course aside from Mallory and Irvine. If they did find Sandy they would do anything even less then tasteful things putting it politely to keep that they were the first. I believe whole heartedly that Sandy isn’t on the mountain. If we were able to find Mallory, there’s no way by now we wouldn’t have found Sandy. It’s beyond disrespectful to their families and the world of mountaineering. But hey what can we do about it… I just wish anyone else would have found him and his camera. To be able to see the last pics they took would have been amazing!!

[@krisushi1]

@@lizzystar5346 I agree wholeheartedly! If only someone else with good intentions had found that camera, what amazing photos we could have witnessed. I do not believe Sandy's body is still on the mountain either. The Chinese will stop at nothing when they have a goal. You have a good point about finding Mallory's body. If that was found, I doubt that Sandy would have been too far away, although it depends on what may have occurred. Call it a gut feeling, but I honestly feel that Mallory and Irvine did summit Everest. I can only hope that's true!💖

[@Northumbergull]

Hi, from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👋 I wonder if, on the centenary of M&I going missing, 8th June 2024, the Chinese will publish a photo of them on the top. It'd be front page news around the globe! 🙏

[@daveg-Vancouver_Island]

Lol not likely, then the Chinese won’t get credit for being the first to summit from the north side!

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Fat chance.. they will have destroyed the body and camera

[@catesby4788]

Would love to know more. I have always believed since the discovery of Mallory"s body, that they died on the way down.

[@deadite7255]

Very interesting video. I think its very likely this is what happened. Most of the possible Irvine sightings seem to be from before 1999 so im guessing he is gone now but i won't give up hope of him being found in the future. I wonder if he was there when you guys found Mallory and if so how close you were without realising. Even the British 1933 team could have been close without knowing.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks for watching! Yes, correct on your comments (as far as I believe, at least). We searched all over the face, and possibly were close to Sandy (if he was still there). Everything about it is so fascinating... Thank you for supporting the channel!

[@peachiep2734]

I wonder why all the secrecy surrounding by Mallory and Irvine? People can learn from what happened to them and they are the two people who made history by being the earliest people to traverse Everest that far... Thanks again for another interesting show.

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you for watching! No secrecy that I know of involving them....just lots of questions we wish we had answers to.

[@celticlizardqueen]

I was first introduced to you guys a couple years ago when I watched the Nat geo documentary on a whim. I was honestly bored and looking for an interesting documentary to watch and boy did I find it, there’s just something about lost expeditions that really intrigues me. I only discovered you had a KZbin channel a few days ago and I’ve been elbow deep in your content ever since lol!

[@EverestMystery]

It's great having you here. I'm so glad you found the channel, thank you!

[@salloom1949]

According to what I read, Irvine and Mallory were tied together with a rope. So whoever fell first, must have dragged the other with him. Of course at some point the rope severed and each landed in their own spot. My question is, if the Chinese removed Irvine, why was Mallory's body not removed? Mallory would have been more "valuable" to remove him. I have always believed that the Chinese recovered Irvine but, just maybe, they did not have enough resources to recover two. Plus the camera was with Irvine making him more valuable. It is my firm belief the Chinese have the camera and they are not disclosing it. Maybe they are just waiting for the 100 year anniversary to announce something.

[@i_luv_hecklefish]

What!? Of course, i think we all sort of suspected this but how interesting. Thank you for another great video. 🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏

[@lifesahobby]

Great intro brother . Super document ❤ from ireland

[@EverestMystery]

One of my favorite subscribers....thank you!

[@Surge_LaChance]

Good to see this channel doing so well! Thanks for all of the great content. - Long Time Subscriber

[@EverestMystery]

Much appreciated! Thanks for being here - I'm glad you're enjoying the content

[@PotooBurd]

This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you !!

[@genemorgan6033]

I have a few observations/ questions following listening to this interview relating to items in the museum. Mallory's body was found with one boot missing and a boot from possibly the 1920s is in the museum. I often wondered what other items, back packs etc were not found at the site where Mallory was found. I appreciate that Irvine may have been removed from the mountain but it would be fascinating to discover if any artifacts in Tibet could be linked to either Mallory or Irvine.

[@jayberwanger]

Jamie is an Honest Abe. You can tell he is very passionate about Mt. Everest and mountaineering.

[@MrSychnant]

Could it not just be that due to weather conditions or human intervention the body has just been covered up and is now no longer visible?

[@EverestMystery]

Absolutely, that is entirely possible.

[@toniwertman4818]

But a drone not seeing evidence or a trace seems unlikely.

[@rondog540]

Depends on snow conditions. Lots of snow = nothing to show.

[@hstjames5609]

omg, I've seen this Renan Ozturk doco!! How amazing you were there!

[@Destado1]

Just came across you channel, and find it interesting. Only recommendation is get a 4K camera, as they are affordable enough now days (even a 1080p camera would be a HUGE improvement). Otherwise, keep up the good work and I'll keep an eye out for future posts

[@EverestMystery]

Ahh, thank you! Yes, that video was recorded in a Zoom conversation...and it is woeful at best. I film on my Sony A7riii or Fujifilm XT4.... If I could learn how to make Zoom recordings look better, I'd be all ears. Thanks for visiting the channel, great having you here!

[@Rurik8118]

Very intriguing share Thom !! 🙏🏼

[@thomasloper1205]

Do we know that Irvine was carrying the camera and not Mallory? The camera was loaned to Mallory and if he carried it up to the summit, but it was not with his body, that suggests they made the summit and he gave the camera to Irvine to photograph Mallory on the summit. If Irvine carried the camera the whole time then we can't make that assumption.

[@dukecraig2402]

There's information indicating that they might have had up to 3 cameras with them, 2 pocket cameras and I believe a small motion picture camera.

[@aeromodeller1]

Or the camera was dropped and is somewhere on the mountain. What we know is based on multiple rumors from China that the camera was found with Irvine, the film was developed and "there was nothing on it". This was immediately challenged and distorted by conspiracy theory. My take is that the story is entirely plausible; they had a camera and conditions were such that no exposures were made. It would be worthwhile to see the film, but the likely reception from the west is such that the Chinese are not likely to release it.

[@aeromodeller1]

@@dukecraig2402 Irvine indicated that he would not carry the video camera, too heavy. According to the family, his personal plate camera was returned to he family. It was not the type of camera one would take on a first Summit of Everest. Somervell's son says his father told him he gave a Vest Pocket Kodak to Mallory. We don't know whether Mallory took it with him on the summit attempt.

[@aeromodeller1]

I overstated the case. What he said was "Have brought Noel's pocket cinema up, but not used it yet." June 4th, page 111, "The Irvine Diaries", Herbert Carr, editor..

[@rejtheedge]

Great work Thom it is fun to look at your video of Everest. In the last 100 years lots of climber went to Everest North side and may have found the camera without telling anybody. Thom did you know if the member of the 1933 British expedition search for Mallory and Irvine after having found the ice axe?

[@Kazwell111]

Thanks for another insightful and interesting presentation. ♾♾♾♾

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you for watching, I really appreciate it!

[@money_motors_more]

So you were told in 2010 that Irvine was thrown off the mountain but then return in 2019 to do a big search mission and now you won‘t release the drone footage, where nothing could be possibly found in it…yeah that makes sense…

[@EverestMystery]

This determination of Irvine's having been removed from the mountain is the accumulation of information over a long period of time. In 2019 it became much more clear. Jamie is not quick to judge others, nor is he quick to indict another individual that he doesn't know the first thing about (hint hint).

[@johng4093]

He mentioned in another comment that 2019 drone footage is included in video on Disney+ titled Lost on Everest.

[@Sheltowee1775]

Really like the good, encouraging words to sign off.

[@pattsaurus-rex1610]

10/10 video and interview, and an incredible message in your outro. Earned a Sub from me 👍

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it and am glad you found the video!

[@johngraves2185]

Am I the only one that thinks this is complete BS? With this much interest in this particular story, keeping it on the down low sounds extremely fishy to me. I also have serious doubts about the Chinese version of anything concerning Mt Everest.

[@EverestMystery]

It's the CTMA, not the Chinese....which has a high percentage of Tibetans. Also, Jamie discusses this in the interview, that he thinks possibly they never had any reason to hide it and always assumed we knew what happened, and that they think the joke is on us for launching these expensive expeditions to go find him

[@fishead1967]

I think leaving them alone at rest....It's not the ghost you need to fear it's the living!!!!They where in different times ...They had their chance...Leave him as a mystery cause if discovered he will be forgotten.......

[@markrskinner]

Yes.

[@mchandrashekhar4043]

Valid Point 👍 ​@@fishead1967

[@sam.83]

irvine fell into a crevasse

[@JeaneGenie]

Fascinating interview.

[@AbleHammer]

Very intriguing. We need to get to that museum!

[@parkinlox9049]

INCREDLY FASCINATING

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you for watching!

[@jaredkelly930]

Noooooo! Although I think deep down we've known this for a while. The artifacts in that one Chinese museum was the nail in the coffin I think.

[@cindystar7783]

I can’t remember which Everst book talked about it. But I remember one talked about a log the Chinese have of thing they’ve found and disposed of in Everest, and one was a westerner with a camera. That person thought they didn’t want to make it public because if the photos showed Mallory & Irvine on the summit then the Chinese weren’t the first to summit on the north.

[@user-vf9nx9wz7m]

Brilliant video. Jamie comes across as very credible and likeable. I hope it is possible to drill down further. It would be great to known where the body was found and what happened to the chap from Birkenhead. I was always fascinated that both Mallery and Irvine were born within spitting distance of Lancashire.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment, it's much appreciated!

[@nymsmacgregor7232]

Just freaking WOW....!! I don't think Sandy was literally thrown off, but slid or was carried down. I hate the idea or rumour the the Chinese found the camera and promptly muffed up the film processing.

[@dannydangelo762]

There is a post here in the comments that mentions the museum vid on KZbin. It's about an hour long and informative. It states it's a public museum with lots of artifacts and looks well done especially the 3D models of the route(s). I'd like to point out it addresse the artifacts with the "shoe" boots and let's not forget the British had 2 previous expeditions before 1924 and thus maybe that's how these "shoe" was obtained. Besides the comment made about the 'shoe' it shouldn't deter the narrative about how Irvine's body was taken off the mountain. There are many great videos with great commentary that warrants this suspicion. To wich you can draw your own conclusions. Sandy Irvine was young big and strong and very intelligent 'fixing' things and would have made a great partner. The camera WAS given to Mallory but not found on his body. My opinion based on accounts they were so close to summit , and did summit thus Mallory giving Irvine the camera to take his picture. And 'if' Mallory did suffer an injury before his fall it would make sense for Irvine to continue on with that camera as proof. All speculation on my part of course. Big thanks to Everest Mystery for great video. If your an Everest enthusiast ya gotta check out his other vids, they're awesome. For someone like me I'm so fortunate to check all this out from the comfort and safety of my living room and be easy to pass judgment on these great mountaineers. All the best. 👍😎🍺

[@johnboesch1576]

Since the Chinese have that route of the mountain locked up they are obviously upset that they were not the first to summit. In my mind Irvine and mallory's equipment were confiscated early on in other Chinese attempts to summit and may have been in the museum archives all along. Irvine's ice pick was found but apparently nothing else. Equipment could have been moved but it is almost impossible to move bodies at that elevation. But the Chinese knew where Mallory was if not Irvine. ("English dead" referenced by a Chinese climber motioning in the direction of what became the discovery of Mallory). Since the Chinese were beaten to the summit by Hillary and Tenzing, the Chinese started a cover campaign and then figured out how to move the bodies but by then Mallory was discovered so Irvine had to be moved

[@cameltrophy3]

After listening to all the parties who have been to Everest and searched for his body, I earnestly believe that he is located in a place no one expects him to be. I believe erosion has had a hand in it, but I believe he is lower on the mountain then anyone expects him to be. That is my personal opinion.

[@Hizzo2000]

I know that it is being said that the rope around Mallory had been cut off assumingly from the fall. Is there a possibility that when he fell Irvine cut his rope aswell to not fall with him and went further alone and maybe died higher/lower then Mallory? Maybe he went to finish alone or he went back down on his own and died somewhere lower then people think he might be? Or maybe when Mallory fell Irvine fell with him but landed on a rock which made Mallory get swung mid air hitting his head on the axe and cut the rope and sent Irvine flying off way below?

[@Chrissy85308]

Great video! I wish we could know for sure ans it wasn't a big secret.

[@EverestMystery]

Me too! Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it

[@davidsanderson3006]

Was just about to head out until I saw this had been posted dinner can wait!

[@michaelmello42]

"...His exact wording was 'thrown off the mountain a lot earlier than that;' so the throwing was said in a way that he couldn't quite find the right words in English perhaps, so I'm not sure he exactly meant throwing but maybe removed maybe you cleaned up and disposed of much earlier than 2008..." It physically hurt me to hear this. I suppose we will never know what was meant by "throwing" but when one considers the physical conditions at that altitidue it is extremely difficult to imagine they had the will or means to carefully retrieve the body from its frozen state and properly remove it from the mountain. When I hear this account by Jamie McGuinness, every fiber of my being screams out that the Chinese climbers who found Irvine discarded his body in a way that can only be described as careless and disrespectful to his family and historical legacy.

[@MichealSchmidt-nu8sq]

Maybe the Chinese dont want people to know that Mallory and Irvine made it to the summit because if they did it would change history and that would take away the 1953 expedition and that would put them in second place and put the 1924 expedition in first place but they should someday come clean to Irvines family and tell them what happened to him.

[@bellamyhibler]

i think if IF they found him. they are ashamed they tossed him without saying anything all those years ago

[@EverestMystery]

Jamie kind of nails it when he wonders aloud if they just assumed we always knew and then they wondered what in the heck we're doing spending all this time up on the mountain....

[@Mrwhomeyou]

I think it's worth it to go to Lassa, and fine the museum.

[@someotherdude]

You have to consider that first sherpa who claimed to have seen Irvine's body, that might have just been an idle boast but that under further scrutiny, he knew he'd get found out to be lying, so he had to hang up to avoid considerable embarrassment. It's a possibility. Another possibility is that the sherpas would not want questioning from Chinese authorities which is a scary prospect. Also the Chinese officials might force a cover story onto the guides.

[@andygossard4293]

My hat is off to you Sir. I've just followed a blog on just trekking to base camp being a very challenging endeavor with the sickness and what not. Anyways, you are Inspirational.

[@EverestMystery]

thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment....really good having you here!

[@andygossard4293]

@@EverestMystery Thank u.

[@kwd3109]

I for one am glad that Amelia Earhart's plane, wherever it may be, is no where near China.

[@philc.5100]

Great video, I really enjoyed that

[@john.carlson23]

Seems to me, that if one of the Chinese teams came across his body, they would grab the camera and any other important other items and "remove" the body by pushing it off into who knows where - toconceal any evidence the camera was taken. Lowering a dead body from that altitude would be enormously difficult.

[@sjb3460]

thanks for the video.

[@adventurfly879]

I believe you guys made a deal with the Chinese and this is the story you want people.to believe. Edit: wheres the drone footage? Where did mark synott go on his descent? There's one story for the public and another that's being hidden it seems

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you for watching. Sounds enticing that someone made a deal with the CTMA...yet, Jamie wouldn't be saying that there's no way in hell he'd ever go back during this regime if any kind of deal was made. I don't have even a half of a half percent ownership of the drone footage. Everything about that journey off-rope is described Mark's book. I appreciate you taking the time to watch!

[@johng4093]

There must be something addictive about the idea of conspiracies because certain folks see them lurking around every corner. 😂

[@adventurfly879]

@johng4093 always. People's word can't be trusted when fame, money, and notoriety are on the line. In a recent video Thom Pollard called the 2019 search where Mark synnot unclipped went looking when they told the sherpas they wouldn't "historic". It was a little slip at the end of thr video. Why would a search that found absolutely nothing be deemed "historic"? I think they found him on the drone footage they won't release and mark went and found him. The rest is all what they want you to think til they can get permission from the ccp to go back. Which they haven't gotten yet and they don't want anyone else even looking. Because irvine is up there.

[@miguelfoncerradamontano6615]

February 10 th,2024:I think the reason for the Chinese removing Irvine’s body from Everest and having the camera with them is that Mallory and Irvine probably reached the summit with photos proving it and the Chinese wouldn’t be able to say they were there before,I think it’s sort of dumm from the Chinese not accepting the fact that they have the proof that Mallory and Irvine reached the summit many years before other’s did

[@EverestMystery]

Then again Jamie wondered aloud if they always assumed that we knew they removed him and were surprised we kept going back to look. Kind of like, 'why are these guys going up there?'

[@georgebaader9817]

@@EverestMystery Not to go against the "Surprise" angle but if they were just surprised that any Westerners didn't know that the body of Irvine was removed, then why all the secrecy as soon as any more probing questions are asked of the Tibetan Liason officers et al? It seems that anyone who might know something is afraid to talk.

[@aeromodeller1]

@@EverestMystery The "Search for Irvine" industry is highly profitable for China and Tibet. Why spoil their fun? They have told us and we claimed they were lying. Why talk to people who always claim you are lying?

[@czarcastic1458]

I want someone to climb the never climbed before mysterious Zig Zag route that we are told could be the route M and may have took.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks for watching! Jake Norton has scoped that entire area out and has doubts that anything other than the Norton Couloir itself is even feasible. I saved some of my conversation with Jamie (future release) about route possibilities for M&I and he says in '06 he watched two Swedish guys try to downclimb the couloir, and one tragically fell to his death.

[@czarcastic1458]

It seems to me if M and I took the Norton route they would be on the NW side of the peak and nowhere near the last step but one that Odell claimed he saw them at. @@EverestMystery

[@ihcman9130]

I agree, I wish more people would search that area of the zig zag route and the couloir route. They should find some oxygen bottles or maybe pack frame. I really think they went that way and didn't follow the NE ridge to the second step. I believe they went under it the way Norton and Somerville did and the way the rest of the British tried to go.

[@sergejmaher144]

Exciting!!!

[@harryblack5041]

Fascinating viewing. A query for anyone out there. Apologies if its been asked elsewhere. Regards the camera- would the temperature on the mountain not render the film stock irretrievable? If the film stock was preserved/ 'frozen in time' would the silver halides present in the film not deteriorate throughout the subsequent years and result in any imagery held on the film unprintable as the years went on? Best Hari

[@sir_cornholio5]

Second point I have about this whole conversation is if they know they have Sandy Irvine, and found Sandy Irvine. Why wouldn’t they tell the world to be proud of their discovery? It’s not like they have to give the body back or anything. It’s their property. it would be amazing for China to say this to show that they were the ones that found Irving. This whole thing doesn’t make sense automatically assuming the Chinese government is withholding something so trivial.

[@darksoul479]

Finding Sandy Irvine's body is not that important. What's important is finding the camera. Were Mallory and Irvine the first to Summit Everest?

[@James-if7iu]

It makes absolutely no sense that his body has not been published. And it makes total sense that someone (the Chinese) got rid of the body to conceal everests virgin summit. I need this to be made public already

[@LD-qj2te]

Everest is much like the ocean , what it takes it keeps !!

[@Rommheim1]

Fascinating!

[@valentinbrunet109]

Very interesting video, this question of where Sandy Irvine's body is, is something I've wondered about for years. But what I don't understand is why they would remove his body ? The chinese don't really have an interest in disposing of the body. It's not like they were the the official first people to climb Everest and this would have changed it. And if it was to clean the mountain because it's too close to the usual route, it's not like there are no corpses up there aside from his ? This situation is quite confusing and frustrating. But again, great videos with very interesting insights on the matter

[@NefariousEnough]

Fascinating!! Thank you.

[@j.whiteoak6408]

Very, very, very interesting stuffz !!

[@patriciafeller6826]

Thanks!

[@EverestMystery]

Amazing, thank you! I appreciate your generous kindness :)

[@ThePb150]

Thanks for the fascinating interview and thoughtful replies to the comments below. Do you have any insights or knowledge of how bodies have been intentionally disposed of in the past for the purposes of cleaning up the mountain. Is it a case of pushing a body off into a steep section if feasible and if not then undertaking the difficult and dangerous work of dragging it down until its ''off the mountain'' (is there a definition of what that means to you or in climbing circles/CTMA circles) and lastly does your current best theory imply that most if not all the bodies are still on the mountain but just not necessarily where they were originally? Thanks again for your continued work in keeping this very greatest of mysteries alive.

[@alpineazalea8029]

I mean, recovering bodies on Everest is a pretty risky business, even at lower altitudes and it's not a 1 person job. I feel like if that body was removed, it would be hard to do covertly. Even shutting down the mountain for a few days you'd still have people waiting to climb it. I just don't see how anyone could have removed it without someone else noticing

[@EverestMystery]

The Tibetan side of the mountain is very different than the Nepal side....it would be pretty easy for them to stay under cover, especially if they have the mountain entirely to themselves. Thanks so much for watching and thanks for supporting the channel!

[@kw19193]

I love your videos mate, the thought and effort you invest in them is always much appreciated. I have never understood the rationale behind the Chinese snatching Irvine's body away hypothesis. Taking the camera I understand, but the body, hmmm. Irvine, like Mallory would have been frozen into the rock and the Chinese would have had to rip, chop, and pull his body out of it. Why? The effort necessary to do this doesn't seem to make much sense with no certain chance of success to be had. And for what reason, to keep him on ice in some institute's locker or storage unit . . ? While I can make no pretense as to the thoroughness of the searches for Irvine's body there are I believe two possibilities - If Mallory was the first to fall would Irvine, remember, a novice, have decided to just sit down to await his fate, or would he have attempted to struggle on? If the latter, has every single possible fall line been investigated (recognizing of course the central conundrum: where did he fall from)? If memory serves did not Mallory's body come to rest some few hundred feet or so before he would have tumbled another couple thousand feet further down where he might never have been discovered? Has the search for Irvine been as intense lower down the mountain as it has higher up? With apologies for my crassness in suggesting it, after all, you've got nothing better to do, right, I hope that you will put together a lengthy video that attempts to answer all the questions that, to my ears anyway, continue to echo. Again, very well done. Cheers!

[@davidmullen6011]

Mallory was found in a sort of collection basin, and if Sandy had fallen with him you do have to think he would be somewhere down there too, in that collection point. I do keep thinking about the way Mallory was found, with that snapped rope wrapped around him and the damage to his ribs and waist from his own weight and what I have to think was Sandy trying to take the strain... we cannot say how fit the two were by this point, whether the two were descending at dusk or as daylight had finally disappeared, but for the rope to have snapped, or been cut on the rocks as he fell downwards, you have to think that Sandy would have sustained some injuries of his own from the strain here. If he is alive, and has watched Mallory disappear down the face, the chances are he isn't in much shape to be able to push on all the way back to the camp. But in a life or death situation I agree with you - DID he push on, trying to make his way back to camp? That's just one scenario. I have always wanted to know what the feeling is over Mallory's hands being discoloured, the brown colour isn't typical of frostbite damage as far as I know, and it was noted his feet showed no signs of frostbite, if he was found with one (fingerless) glove in his pocket it seems clear he wasn't wearing either gloves or his goggles as he fell. So presumably the two were not descending late in the day, as dusk fell...?

[@seanyancy1809]

Love the blue watch cap and your channel.

[@EverestMystery]

Thanks so much....it's chilly in New England, that watch cap is key. Thanks for being a part of the channel! It means very much

[@jakeweeks9135]

Truly fantastic documentary. I feel this is a very logical explanation for the disappearance of Sandy's equipment and body. China is not the place to be right now as an American, unfortunately. Hopefully, that changes but not likely.

[@ajaydandekar1069]

Hi Thom Fascinating. Perhaps likely too. What route Jaime thinks they took ? Ajay

[@EverestMystery]

Ajay, we spoke about that at length....he is torn. He feels that both are equally viable, and described watching a two man team attempt to downclimb the Norton Couloir, one fell to his death. Getting up that is one thing....getting down completely spent quite another. I hope we can get a team there someday. PS. I still have Philip's notes for a video...I might need a refresher course in order to complete the video

[@ajaydandekar1069]

Dear Thom perhaps down climbing the Second Step makes sense.. the location of the Ice Axe is i think a confirmation of that. If they were coming off the Couloir then there was no need for them to come up to the Ice Axe site. It is such a riddle... looking forward to more.. ajay @@EverestMystery

[@aeromodeller1]

@@EverestMystery They were on skis. Different entirely. Others have done it.

[@fionahaggart6512]

Can you explain what would be gained by the bodies taken off the mountain. Are they then disposed of, and if so how? Throwing them down makes little sense, unless it’s down a ravine, so they’d never be seen again

[@EverestMystery]

The authorities on the Tibet-China side are focused on keeping the mountain very clean, they have spent considerable efforts at removing bodies, as well as garbage on the mountain. The north face is essentially 10,000 feet high, or 3000 meters...so a body will go a very long way in some places without stopping

[@jamieroach5755]

This really would not surprise me

[@aeromodeller1]

Common language problem here, "thrown" is probably not an accurate description of what was done. In Tibet, sky burial is traditional. If, and that is an IF, Irvine was given a traditional Tibetan disposal, his body would have been cut up into pieces and fed to the birds and animals. Large bones would have been crushed so the animals could eat the marrow. Bone fragments are chewed by rodents to sharpen their teeth. From dust to dust. His remains would be scattered all over the countryside.

[@keithfletcher5024]

Great video,if the Chinese have actually got Irvines body wouldn't the decent procedure be to return it to his family in England?

[@siggifreud812]

seems almost like a sick joke, IF, after all of these years, the Chinese are still not willing to admit anything.....I normally slice every "theory" cleanly with Occam's razor; but I have to admit that it seems to me that it is likely that the Chinese are hiding information.

[@nordicbastard2328]

With your Western perspective yes. But for the Chinese, "saving face" is the priority, and decency in no way enters the picture.

[@trixi1608]

I think if they truly threw Irvines body off the mountain or took it down otherwise without notifying anybody they'd be too embarassed to admit that openly now.