Renowned Mountaineers, Feeling Peaky?

[maryportfuncity 10,508]

5 hours ago, Comped said:

Here in the US, at least on ABC which happens to also be owned by the same company that owns National Geographic (who seem to be producing a documentary on this), they led with the idea that the two climbers in question were the first up Everest, which is almost impossible to prove. I have no idea why they would. The BBC meanwhile is taking the responsible route and not focusing on that at all.

 

 

They'd lead with that because they want eyeballs so's they can get advertisers and charge them high prices. 

 

Long story and all online if you want it but...the Hillary Step near the summit of Everest is so called because the first people known for certain to have climbed it are Hillary and Tenzing, it was more of a barrier to summit bids than anyone expected, a daunting little surprise with the prize in sight. It matters because given the time available to Mallory and Irvine from where they were last seen to the end of daylight and given what they'd have discovered at the Hillary Step it seems highly unlikely they could have completed the climb. Obviously, the romantic view is they made it against the odds (or one of them did) and they died as a result of having pushed their luck all the way, effectively a sacrifice for the summit. The location of Mallory's body, discovered in 1999, (which was first assumed to be Irvine) makes it less likely they conquered the mountain. Irvine had the camera, so if it's recovered and the film developed (still, apparently, possible) that would be proof one way or another. If they made the top (or Irvine did - despite being notably the weaker climber) then there could be evidence. Romance says they did, pragmatism and the evidence gathered so far says not.

[Grim Up North 3,715]

1 hour ago, maryportfuncity said:

The location of Mallory's body, discovered in 1999, (which was first assumed to be Irvine) makes it less likely they conquered the mountain. Irvine had the camera, so if it's recovered and the film developed (still, apparently, possible) that would be proof one way or another.

Would be a black swan moment in changing accepted history.

[Paul Bearer 6,034]

11 hours ago, maryportfuncity said:

Sandy Irvine - last seen alive on Everest just over 100 years ago, offers up a foot by way of revealing his last resting place

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0g2p47xd5o

One foot in the grave?