UKBouldering.com

Remains of Sandy Irvine found on Everest (Read 3335 times)

andy popp

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 5732
  • Karma: +362/-5
Remains of Sandy Irvine found on Everest
October 11, 2024, 10:05:41 am
As the title says - remains of Sandy Irvine (a foot in a boot) have been found on Everest, 100 years after he and Mallory were last seen high on the mountain. As I understand it, this is the first time any trace of Irvine has been found. Whether or not it will get us any closer to knowing if they reached the summit seems unclear.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sandy-irvine-body-found-everest

Oldmanmatt

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • At this rate, I probably won’t last the week.
  • Posts: 7348
  • Karma: +385/-17
  • Largely broken. Obsolete spares and scrap only.
    • The Boulder Bunker climbing centre
As the title says - remains of Sandy Irvine (a foot in a boot) have been found on Everest, 100 years after he and Mallory were last seen high on the mountain. As I understand it, this is the first time any trace of Irvine has been found. Whether or not it will get us any closer to knowing if they reached the summit seems unclear.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sandy-irvine-body-found-everest
I should imagine that it is possible to backtrack the flow from where he appeared now, how long he took to get there etc and make an informed estimate of where he entered the ice? Maybe there’s too many variables 🤷🏻‍♂️. I have seen similar estimates made for prehistoric artefacts popping out of Icelandic glaciers, so maybe.

Will Hunt

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Superworm is super-long
  • Posts: 8189
  • Karma: +661/-121
    • Unknown Stones
Before I clicked the link I'd wondered how they'd ID it as Irvine and not anybody else.

Didn't expect to see his name stitched neatly into his sock!

seankenny

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1158
  • Karma: +124/-12
He’d been at a boarding school only four years before his death. I gather from those that have been though that sort of system that it takes a little longer for school inculcated habits to dissipate.

Johnny Brown

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 11600
  • Karma: +724/-22
I went to the same school. I haven’t continued to sew names in my stuff, but even now I have the odd item that is still named. I would suspect less of a case of institutionalisation and more of a case of putting your lucky socks on for summit day.

Will Hunt

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Superworm is super-long
  • Posts: 8189
  • Karma: +661/-121
    • Unknown Stones
Seems a sensible thing to do when you're on an expedition with a load of other blokes with identical socks, Sean  :shrug:

cheque

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 3472
  • Karma: +530/-2
    • Cheque Pictures
Feels weird that Jimmy Chin’s so prominently in the picture.

dunnyg

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1541
  • Karma: +91/-7
Yeah. Seems a bit grim tbh.

andy moles

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 712
  • Karma: +55/-1
Agreed, something feels all wrong with that. Like he's posing with a trophy.

Moo

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Is an idiot
  • Posts: 1474
  • Karma: +84/-6
That definitely struck me as being a bit off, it is some human remains after all.

SamT

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 2226
  • Karma: +107/-0
Totally... I was voicing the same thoughts with some friends last night and interesting to hear others have similar feelings.  I noticed too, that it was it actually one of the other expedition members (Erich?) that spotted it yet Chinny gets all the spotlight.  :-\

Wellsy

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1612
  • Karma: +137/-11
Isn't Jimmy Chin known to be a bit of a publicity hound who has done a few distasteful things? I'm only speaking from very vague memory

Will Hunt

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Superworm is super-long
  • Posts: 8189
  • Karma: +661/-121
    • Unknown Stones
Purely from an editorial perspective, I'm guessing that Jimmy Chin is infinitely more recognisable as Sandy Irvine or Whazzname who found the boot, so it makes sense that they'd want him in the headline photo.

shurt

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • nincompoop
  • Posts: 735
  • Karma: +38/-1
Isn't Jimmy Chin known to be a bit of a publicity hound who has done a few distasteful things? I'm only speaking from very vague memory

I heard he sold his dear old Mum for a feature in Climbing

mark20

Offline
  • ****
  • junky
  • Posts: 913
  • Karma: +132/-0
Any sign of that camera? It could contain the greatest retroclaim of all time  :bounce:

stone

Offline
  • ****
  • junky
  • Posts: 970
  • Karma: +57/-5
I'm not with the idea that getting to the summit but not getting down is some sort of mountaineering achievement. Their deaths were a terrible, tragic screw up regardless IMO.

Far worse even than a dab.

dunnyg

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1541
  • Karma: +91/-7
Let's not over exaggerate here  :spank:

 

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal