UNLOCKING the Everest Mystery: Did We Get it Wrong in 1999

Thom Pollard chats frankly about the search of George Mallory after his discovery on Mount Everest in 1999 and discusses the conspiracy theories that believes some of the artifacts were lost.
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[@fergalohearga9594]

As a gent of more or less your generation, it continues to confound me that so many people these days seem to view social, political and even historical discussions and debate as matches between gladiators rather than just opportunities to learn and develop intellectually and as people. It was not always thus. My country has so far been more or less spared much of this in public life, but it seems to endemic to the internet regardless of location. We need to refuse to engage with this sort of thing and instead foster honest and open discussions. You are doing a great job and I appreciate it. Have fun on the paddle!

[@shoottothrillphotoWI]

Well said!

[@bolshoefeodor6536]

It may depend on whether you went through the English public school system debating team ir not 🤪

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you, well said. Pinning this comment to the top!

[@kensilverstone1656]

Getting to 27,000 feet and out on a dangerous slope like the North Face of Everest is a fantastic effort in itself. The work you guys did in recovering and saving the artifacts and treating the body of the great mountaineer with such respect is absolutely commendable.

[@EverestMystery]

Truly appreciate it, thank you Ken!

[@HB-zi3og]

I'm a trained archeaologist, and being expected to set up, and pin out a proper grid on a 45 degree slope at 7500m is clearly ludicrous. You guys did as good as could be expected documenting things up there. Some people are never happy.

[@virginiad.1911]

Yeah, like, we suspend a lot of norms when we enter hostile environments. The options weren't between "a perfect analysis" and "the one that was done," it was between "the one that was done" and "nothing."

[@HB-zi3og]

@@virginiad.1911 amen.

[@tonymeads6632]

I have just found your channel and feel I must say that the videos are fascinating. I have been interested in the George Mallory and Sandy Irvine mystery for years. You talk very well and having seen the film of the 1999 expedition I think that you all did very well and the respect that you showed for George Mallory's remains was very moving. Thanks and please keep up the good work.

[@EverestMystery]

Tony thank you for watching and for your really kind words. I’m glad you’re here and hope that you enjoy the other content on the channel. Cheers and thanks again!

[@brendanoneill1466]

@Thom, Thanks so much. I can hear my wife's words of wisdom..."it says more about them than you..." Have an amazing time canoeing. Can't wait to hear about the canoeing adventures and more stories about being on Everest.

[@EverestMystery]

Brendan thank you, your wife nails it with those words! I appreciate that you took the time to comment!

[@richhughes7450]

Have a great time mate. It's great that your so passionate about Mallory and Irvine. Those two have fascinated me for years and to find his body 70 odd years later was amazing. be great to find out if they got to the summit. I'm still hoping for a miracle and that miracle is for a sign with Mallory and Irvine was here to be found on the summit and to find Irvine body.

[@Planesail]

Roosevelt's comment always helps me, Thom: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat"

[@bolshoefeodor6536]

Yes. That.

[@kevins341]

Hey Thom. Unfortunately there are a lot of miserable people who just want to complain about everything. I do pity them in a way. Thanks for all of your great work. I hope you have a good time on your canoeing trip. Nothing beats the great outdoors. Be safe.

[@EverestMystery]

Kevin thank you! It's much appreciated. Hope to catch up with you soon!

[@kpd3308]

Hey Thom, these armchair critics crack me up. You and the team did a spectacular thing that will always be honored by those of us who appreciate it. Have a great time on your latest adventure, and be at peace. Kurt Peterson, Aiken, SC

[@EverestMystery]

Thank you, my friend!

[@bs431980]

Looked like u guys handled George’s remains with the upmost respect to me. I don’t think people understand how difficult a search or task like that could be on Mt Everest. During a normal pursuit it’s all people can do to stay alive much less do a detailed perfect excavation of remains .

[@bedval1]

Can you go more in depth on how George’s face looked when you found him? The condition of it, the extent of injury and any further speculation of what happened? Much appreciated

[@EverestMystery]

Absolutely, will be doing this soon....2024....thanks for watching, I truly appreciate it

[@RedSox4JC]

Thank you for your video, Thom! It's so unfortunate that people can be so ugly, and I'm sorry about them. But enough about them! You are going on a canoe trip! Have a blast with your friends, stay dry and can't wait to see your next video! God Bless you Thom!

[@EverestMystery]

Mike, truly, I'm encouraged from those comments and am grateful for them. Typically, it's someone who is hurting inside, which brings me no pleasure whatsoever. However, if I respond with kindness and equanimity, who knows, maybe they will have a better day. Thank you for being here, Mike!

[@RedSox4JC]

@@EverestMystery you are a rare, unique, humble and kindhearted person, and I wish there were more people like you. We can only pray for those people and we only have control over our actions and responses. Wish I was on the canoe adventure with you and your friends. Enjoy your time together.

[@robertm9119]

I think you giys did a great job in 1999 with George Mallory, I have a lot of respect for you guys.

[@Humbledoor]

Have you given your thoughts on Irvine and the supposed Chinese connection? Love this channel and love anything Mallory/Irvine!

[@EverestMystery]

For sure, I did a video with Jochen Hemmleb called 'What are they Hiding?' that you might find interesting. Enjoy, and great to have you here!

[@edkiely2712]

Thomas, as someone who has leveled some criticisms your way the past couple of months, I will say that I have appreciated your last couple of videos. You've appeared to be as up front and honest with the information that you have currently and you seem to be inclined to be as transparent with things that are within your control. You mentioned the 'lost glove!' My understanding is that it is more of what we would classify as a 'mitten' and is grey in color. And, unless there is another 'narrative' I'm unaware of, it is in reference to Conrad Anker remembering 2 gloves being initially discovered. The RGS later stated that they had 1 glove in their possession when the speculation of another glove came up. This may be the origin of the 'missing glove' question!

[@EverestMystery]

Ed, thank you! I'm always open for criticism, and I appreciate any that come from a place of equanimity and is not meant to harm, but meant to further the conversation. I will be talking to Jochen today...and will ask about the glove(s). Thank you for being here!

[@EverestMystery]

Kind of an interesting fact is that we'd always gone on the story that Mallory had forgotten his camera. True or not, I don't know. Conrad also forgot his camera on 1 May 1999. Thanks for watching and for bringing this up!

[@brianmerlen6747]

I love ur cat 🐈

[@EverestMystery]

Simba is the man.... :)

[@draakisback]

Seems absolutely absurd to me that anyone would criticize the work you guys did on that expedition. It's almost as though they completely forget how physically and mentally taxing on the body it is to walk up that mountain, much less excavate a body. When people say things like, you guys were chasing personal glory; it's infuriating especially given how accomplished basically every member of that expedition was. For example, I know Conrad wasn't all that known outside of the climbing community prior to 99 even though he was one of the best climbers of our generation. You guys had/have nothing to prove, you did a fantastic job and a few internet trolls shouldn't change that for you. Btw just found your channel a few days ago after reading marks book. Great content.

[@EverestMystery]

There are a few super harsh critics of the specific expedition team...then there is the larger group who find it distasteful to have done anything like what we were doing. There are many, many, such as yourself, who appreciate it for what it is. Many thanks for your thoughts!

[@rogjackson]

I don't think you need to keep defending yourself over and over. If you've done it once and addressed an issue in good faith, that's fine. There will always be naysayers sucking the life out of people that do things. I wouldn't give them too much energy; not worth it. Plus, there's too much substantive new ground to cover in life.

[@EverestMystery]

Cool, thank you! You nailed it with " I wouldn't give them too much energy; not worth it." Cheers my friend!

[@mac1975]

My favourite channel. Thanks Thom. Have you ever met Nims Purja?

[@EverestMystery]

Mac, thank you! I have not met Nims (yet). I endeavor to someday....

[@wayneboone]

Thom, I hope you have a wonderful trip. And as far as Internet Trolls go - kill them with kindness and block them when you have too. And don't lose a minute's sleep over it, they brought the hammer down on themselves

[@EverestMystery]

Wayne apologies on the delayed response....we had a great trip on the St. Croix. I may head back out with my son and my sister/brother-in-law. I can't get enough of it!

[@thievinggoats4806]

Oh no, looks like my commenting days may be numbered! No worries Thom, do what you do and rise above the negativity. Have a great trip, can't wait to see the footage!

[@EverestMystery]

Keep bringing it, my friend! :) Cheers and thank you for being a part of this community.

[@arsenal10141014]

Good video. Ignore the idiots. Best approach. On the items, do you know where they are held today? Are they in a museum?

[@EverestMystery]

Joel, I'll endeavor to find out the answer to your questions. Some I believe are with the Royal Geographical Society. Cheers, more on this asap. -Thom

[@ktevans881]

You're awesome. 💕

[@jimallen19]

well said......so many people hide behind a keyboard.

[@EverestMystery]

Truth.....

[@melindap1011]

I hope you enjoy Northern Maine. I have vacationed there since 1999, my husband since 1985, until Covid. We stay in Lubec, the most NE city in the USA. So peaceful, relaxing. What area of Northern ME will you be in? Be safe!

[@EverestMystery]

Fantastic! We were on the St. Croix River, which essentially is the border between the US and Canada, traveling south from Vanceboro toward Loon Bay.

[@garrettdupuis7092]

I grew up in Calais, drove hundreds of times to Canada. Eastport is the most easterly town in USA.

[@garrettdupuis7092]

I take that back, looks like west quoddy head is. Funny I was always told Eastport was.

[@redtomcat1725]

I always tell people who criticize me, please judge me on what I have done, not on what you think I should/could have done !!

[@EverestMystery]

Yes, this is perfect....thank you

[@smelly_elvis]

Hey Thom, Is there truth to the rumor that a picture was taken of the watch before the hour hand fell off? Have a great time on your trip!

[@EverestMystery]

Yes, that photo exists....I posted it here the other day....you can see the watch in Andy Politz's hand. Thanks my friend!

[@smelly_elvis]

@@EverestMystery Thanks, appreciate the reply! As long as we know what the hand indicated that's the important thing... does it suck it got lost, yeah. Shit happens. I don't think some people realize how difficult and dangerous it is to do anything up on Everest. You are on the clock and have to complete your search quickly, effectively and safely as possible. I believe George would want someone to do everything necessary to uncover his truth. Even if you have to search his person.

[@smelly_elvis]

​@@tristaneldershaw6337 Elvis throws some warm pocket popcorn ​ @Tristan Eldershaw 😁

[@bentyrrell8083]

A couple of questions if I may ☝🏼 Why would he of had rocks in his pocket? Would this have just been as memento’s? What happened to his belongings after they were brought down? Are they now on display somewhere, or returned to family members? Many thanks 🙏🏻

[@wakeizland]

Geologists wanted to study rock samples taken near the summit. This would have been for science, more than just mementos. I don't know about his belongings.

[@EverestMystery]

Ben, thank you....I'm on it, will have a video reply to this with an interview....Soon!

[@bentyrrell8083]

@@EverestMystery can’t wait 👍🏼

[@ericclaptonsrobotpilot7276]

Livestreams do better numbers in the evenings just fyi. Also, some of us don’t use our real names to protect our identities. I would go so far as to say that the majority of users use a fake user name. We are still real people and very few of us have bad faith intentions. Don’t feed the trolls or they will influence your content, which never ends well.

[@EverestMystery]

Your user name is pretty epic! Love it. Thanks for the good words, my friend!

[@czarcastic1458]

Box guitars make great backup paddles in case you lose yours.😎

[@EverestMystery]

Haha, that is awesome! We ended up bringing a Ukulele, which was cool and all....I'm going to make sure that between now and the next one I'll get either a 6 string Uke or a 3/4 sized guitar. Rock on!

[@elizabethmarshall3558]

And truly a third possibility could be- with all the human activity on Everest - that another person or group totally unaware of the significance of the Mallory site might have come across it; desecrated and stolen items and it would've disappeared.

[@EverestMystery]

Elizabeth, you are totally right. Even Eric Simonson at one point posited that he may have encountered two 1924 O2 bottles back in 1991. It wasn't on his radar back then....if only to go back in time (to 1924!). Thank you for watching!

[@lamebritishman1]

How would you have found rocks in his pockets when your team tore open his pockets desperately searching for a camera he never had? You had to do a second search just to find the watch. If the search was truly as precise and professional as you claim, then release the uncut footage of the 1999 searches of his body.

[@EverestMystery]

Don't believe everything you watch on KZbin my friend. The Fox News meets National Enquirer report I’ve been told about is much ado about nothing, featuring claims by an individual who didn’t bother to go to the source for facts, an individual who is a paying member of my channel, no less. Someone has claimed to understand that they know what took place that day, when clearly they do not. Of course, we wouldn't want the facts to get in the way of a good story, now would we?

[@EverestMystery]

Please watch this video, it's as close to an apt reply as I could imagine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZakm36MbpZneKs

[@lamebritishman1]

@@EverestMystery I’ll take a gander today and reply back.

[@EverestMystery]

@@lamebritishman1 thank you, have a good day !

[@lamebritishman1]

@@EverestMystery I watched the video. The power of thoughts are important, but I'm not sure how it's relevant to my original comment. I think it'd be very easy to silence the dissenters if whoever has the uncut search footage releases it in full into the public domain so we can prove that a thorough search was taken of Mallory's corpse.

[@Lora_Lynn]

My name is Lora Lynn Mustoe. I'm real and I'm not a bot. But I do not expect a response from you. I'm just a little kid who climbed 14ers, as we call them. Seems like the top of the world. Not apparently. It's less than half of the elevation of Mt Everest, and a chain of other noteworthy peaks.

[@EverestMystery]

Super that you've climbed the 14-ers. It's something I'd love to do someday....

[@geraldmartsy2165]

What are the chances all of those comments are just Michael Tracy sock puppets? In general, I think the Pareto principle applies to vitriol on the internet: a large amount of poor behavior is performed by a small amount of actors.

[@EverestMystery]

Pareto Principle....very cool, thank you!

[@imacarrot6570]

I am guessing you don't play video games. The easy answer is the maxim: "Don't feed the trolls". Now, I personally am not a troll. I am a human being. Some of us don't like to use our names, we just like something fun. But you have to understand we also live in a world where if someone says something quantifiably true like "there was no pandemic other than one of medical malpractice as covid can be treated in early outpatient with zinc, vit d, quercetin & ivermectin" or that "mRNA is actually not a vaccine but a biological weapon" then you can get fired from your job. I believe that is changing, but we are on a platform right now that would very much like that to happen.

[@EverestMystery]

Ah, I used to love watching my sons play Fortnight....and I was blown away that they would be having conversations with people from all over the world while playing. They were telling me about how not everybody is so friendly on these games. And, bye the bye, it is totally cool that people choose not to use their names...however, when they hide behind them to make ugly or accusatory comments, that is crossing over a line. Thank you for your awesome support of this channel!

[@imacarrot6570]

@@EverestMystery You are a cool guy with a good heart. My Dad was a professional spelunker. I didn't get that gene. I'm so terrified of heights. I remember being five & up in New Hampshire and my Mom was like "wave at Daddy". He was halfway up this giant pillar and I was so scared he was going to fall. I have immense respect for those people who can face that and move on through it. I just wish climbing wasn't so much to do with a sort of "I will make the peak, hell or high water". I think the sherpas seem to know best and I wish people would turn around. But .. I don't know what I would do if I were 300 meters away either.

[@richardstephens9647]

Potato Wine? lol ENJOY!

[@cejka30]

Thom, Don't bother replying to these people. They thrive on negativity.

[@EverestMystery]

Many thanks...I appreciate it. I was a bit more fixated on this when I put this video out....have gone on the mindset that following negativity with kindness is the path to follow...that said, it's a vast bottomless pit that perhaps I could forgo and save my energy for more prescient things. Much appreciated!

[@sheikantoniovonpeanutbutte9667]

People that criticize your teams work on 1999 expedition need to realize you guys are basically one notch below an astronaut- doing proper archeology in those conditions doesn’t seem feasible

[@EverestMystery]

I'd take myself personally a couple notches below astronaut, lol....thank you for your thoughts, my friend!

[@berryreading4809]

Don't let the mosquitoes carry off your friends that are new to the Maine woodlands Tom! 🦟 😳 also would one of the crow sized mosquitoes be considered vegetarian, some people exclude insects even if they are the size of a bird and full of my blood! 😄

[@EverestMystery]

Sorry for the delay - we were spared the assault of mosquitoes and had a stellar time! We're all signed up for Season #2 next summer!