The quest to find the camera that might solve the mystery of
Mallory and Irvine on Everest continues this spring with another
expedition searching the mountain for remaining traces of the
pair.
The latest attempt is sponsored by the Everest News web site and
is looking specifically for Sandy Irvine's body in the hope that
nearby may be the Kodak camera carried by the pair when they set out
on their summit bid in 1924.
The pair disappeared high on the mountain leading to speculation
over whether they managed to climb the mountain or not. In 1999 an
expedition including American mountaineer Conrad Anker found
Mallory's body high on the mountain, but no camera. That episode
sparked huge ethical controversy with some commentators comparing the
actions of the team to grave robbing.
It's something the Everest News team is clearly aware of. On the
web site they say: 'Our objectives are to locate Sandy Irvine,
retrieve the camera it is believed he carried, and to re-construct
the final events to learn if the summit was gained.
'Our intention is to return the personal possessions to the
Irvine family as they have requested of us, and most importantly, to
give Sandy the Christian burial as he deserves and as has been
requested by the family.'
The expedition has also agreed that any new information will be
relayed to the Irvine family before being made public.
You can follow the progress of the expedition on Everest
News along with progress reports on other attempts on the
mountain plus huge amounts of background information.
Pete Jones 1
