SummitPost.org

No one alive today can awnser this question. The book <i>Ghost of Everest</i> mentioned is the best book I've seen on the subject. There is both evidence pointed to the fact that they did summit as well as evidence pointing against it. As far as the step goes, it is bypassable; in fact it has been skied around. Since Mallory was a rock climber, some have said that he would have climbed the step instead of finding the bypass, and since there is no piton at the top for their descent, the evidence leans in favor of them not summiting. Of course, this is just someones guess, and it is certainly possible that they did bypass the step. How would anyone know? It is entirely possible that they did summit, and equally, or perhaps more possible that they didn't. No one alive knows for sure. It is Irvine's and Mallory's secret.

Probably it is not only Irvine and Mallory carrying the secret, there camera's too. If one day they would be found, probably the films would still be developable. However, all the evidence that is there points in the direction they did not summit. Even if they did that can not be called the first succesful climb of Everest, as for that one has to return alive and in one piece, which they clearly not did. No points should be given for being dead.

I can't escape the gut feeling that they summitted. I know it's fuzzy logic, but I think if they had been forced to turn around lower down they would have lived. I really wish the camera(s?) had been found.

Still I agree all the direct evidence is that they didn't. But....

They failed to reach the summit.

Johan you are dead right. No Points for not making it back.
Gunther Northdurft and Franz Mayer were however given credit for climbing the Eiger Nordwand because their bodies were found on the other side.

climbwild, perhaps your comment is the only stupid thing here

I thought I remembered Anker saying that step was like 5.7 or 5.8. Sounds like Mallory could've maybe done it, not his partner though.

I'd say there's about a 1 in 3 chance Mallory made it......

During the recent furor about whether they made it or not, Hillary said, "Well, I think that if you don't make it down it doesn't count as a first ascent!"

Sneaky bastard... hedging his bets....

There is a chance that Mallory made the first ascent of Everest, but without a doubt, Hillary and Norgay made the first <i>descent</i> of Everest.

Just my two cents :

the latest evidence points out that, even if not 100% sure, chances that Mallory & Irvine made to the top are quite high. Some of the people involved in this (grisly and quite tasteless,in my opinion) hunt for M&I bodies are privately convinced they actually summited. And this, whatever Hillary may say, would change a lot of things (the fact that they didin't return is, IMHO, ininfluent: nobody would dream to deny, for instance, the first solo ascent of the American Direct at the Drus to Marco Pedrini, even if he died in the descent. Same goes, speaking of Everest, for the Czech team who made the first alpine ascent of the SW face in 1989, and was blown out during the descent)

However, even if final evidence would be found, don't expect a public admission none too soon. The (alas) political implications of the 1953 expedition (it was "Coronation Everest", after all) and some of the bitterness it generated among the veteran of previous attempt is still lingering over Everest history. Also, an admission that the '53 made just the second ascent would re-open an very ugly can of worms over whatever or not any residual evidence of Mallory's success was erased in 1953 (believe it or not, this issue has been already raised).

I think the truth will remain a mistery.

I repeat - just my two cents.

<a href=//www.everestnews2004.com/malloryandirvine2004/stories2004/xijing12152004.htm>Mallory and Irvine The Final Chapter: Xu Jing Part 2</a>

When I attended the Mountain Film Festival in the Russian Culture Center in Kathmandu in the winter of 2000/2001, there was a discussion on the topic.
Some people who I found very knowledgable brought up arguements for and against the chance of Mallory reaching the summit.
Most of what they said has been discussed here, but one interesting detail which I never heard of anywhere else but in "the Kathmandu discussion" is Mallory's "photo pocket".
According to the person speaking, Mallory had a pocket where he always carried a photo of his wife. When he reached a summit, he put the photo there. When finding Mallory's body, the pocket was closed and empty.
One other guy seemed to know about this pocket and agreed on it was one of the more interesting facts.

Maybe you all know about this?
Might be very well-known facts for those who are well-read on the subject?
I have not read any of the books about the climb and have paid very little interest to the matter, so I couldn't judge.
Anyway, I found it interesting when I listened to it.

<a href=//www.everestnews2004.com/malloryandirvine2004/stories2004/xijing12162004.htm>Mallory and Irvine The Final Chapter: Xu Jing Part 3</a>

<a href=//www.everestnews.com/mallory2005/mallory2005update04242005.htm>Mallory and Irvine The Final Chapter Everest 2005: Video from last year at high camp which was camp 3 for us</a>

Like everyone here, I don't know whether Mallory and/or Irvine reached the top. But I am really disappointed about some of the lack of respect I see in this thread for great mountaineers of yesterday. I admire these guys in their tweed jackets attempting what was then the virtually impossible. They had more balls than their critics, I think.

Dadndave, don't worry about what the trolls say. Anyone who logs onto a climbing message board in order to post one-liner crap like "who gives a fuck, man" deserves to be ignored.

Critics are like eunuchs in a harem - they know how it's done, they've seen it done... but they can't do it.