The Lost Explorer

Book Description


On June 8, 1924, George Leigh Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine were last seen climbing toward the summit of Mount Everest. Clouds soon closed around them, and they vanished into history. Ever since, mountaineers have wondered whether they reached the summit.

On May 1, 1999, Conrad Anker, one of the world's strongest mountaineers, discovered Mallory's body lying facedown, frozen into the scree and naturally mummified at 27,000 feet on Everest's North Face. The condition of the body, as well as the artifacts found with Mallory, are important clues in determining his fate. Seventeen days later, Anker free-climbed the Second Step, a 90-foot sheer cliff that is the single hardest obstacle on the north ridge. The first expedition known to have conquered the Second Step, a Chinese team in 1975, had tied a ladder to the cliff, leaving unanswered the question of whether Mallory could have climbed it in 1924. Anker's climb was the first test since Mallory's of the cliff's true difficulty. In treacherous conditions, Anker led teammate Dave Hahn from the Second Step to the summit.

Reflecting on the climb, Anker explains why he thinks Mallory and Irvine failed to make the summit, but at the same time he expresses his awe at Mallory's achievement with the primitive equipment of the time. Stunningly handsome and charismatic, Mallory charmed everyone who met him during his lifetime and continues to fascinate mountaineers today.

The Lost Explorer is the remarkable story of this extraordinarily talented man and of the equally talented modern climber who spearheaded a discovery that may ultimately help solve the mystery of Mallory's disappearance.

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On June 8, 1924, George Leigh Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine were last seen climbing toward the summit of Mt. Everest. Clouds soon closed around them, and they vanished into history. Ever since, mountaineers have wondered whether they reached the summit, twenty-nine years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. On May 1, 1999, Conrad Anker, one of the world's strongest mountaineers, discovered Mallory's body, frozen and naturally mummified at 27,000 feet on Everest's north face. The condition of the body, as well as the "artifacts" found with Mallory, are important clues in determining his fate. Seventeen days later Anker free-climbed the Second Step, a ninety-foot sheer cliff that is the single hardest obstacle on the north ridge. Anker's climb was the first test since Mallory's of the cliff's true difficulty. From the Second Step, Anker led teammate Dave Hahn to the summit under treacherous conditions. Reflecting on the climb, Anker explains why he thinks Mallory and Irvine failed to make the summit, but also expresses his awe for Mallory's achievement with the primitive equipment of the time. Handsome, charismatic, and a climber of legendary gracefulness, Mallory continues to fascinate mountaineers today. The Lost Explorer is the remarkable story of this extraordinary man, and of the equally talented modern climber who spearheaded a discovery that may help solve the mystery of Mallory's disappearance.