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 top. 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. In The Lost Explorer, Anker explains why he thinks Mallory and Irvine failed to reach the summit, but also expresses his awe at Mallory's achievement with the primitive equipment of the time.
Introduction by David Roberts