Here is my list of the best Mt. Everest documentaries.
I’ve got 3 Everest docs from Netflix and a bunch of freebies to watch on YouTube.
I’ll keep adding to this list as I found new Everest docs.
Enjoy!
1) Everest: Beyond the Limit
“Everest: Beyond the Limit” is the best documentary I’ve seen on Everest.
It’s a nail-biter docuseries started that began its run on Discovery Channel in November 2006.
It follows uber-guide Russell Brice and his crew of thrill-seeking climbers daring to summit the 29,000-ft beast of Mount Everest.
At 19 episodes (over 3 seasons), it’s the most comprehensive look at Everest.
And when I say cliffhanger, I mean it.
We’re talking life-or-death battles with brutal elements, inner demons, and Everest’s straight-up killer reputation.
Armed with cam-mounted helmets and altitude-proof cameras, the 17-person film crew manages to capture all the nerve-wracking action across three seasons of man versus mountain mayhem.
In that first kickoff season in 2006, we meet double amputee Mark Inglis and his Emmy-worthy attempt for Everest’s peak. And whoa mama, that footage they got of doomed climber David Sharp is chilling!
The second season in 2007 follows more fan favorites like biker bro Tim Medvetz and his busted hand, and wild 70-year-old Katsusuke Yanagisawa trying to become the oldest dude to summit.
And you gotta see millionaire David Tait go nuts with his double-Everest-traverse world record attempt!
Then in the 2009 season, former astronaut Scott Parazynski returns to conquer his Everest demons, while John Golden tests out his transplanted knee by climbing Lhotse as prep for his own Everest ascent.
Throw in some scary early season avalanches and more brutal climber traffic jams near the peak and you’ll be watching through your fingers!
So across almost a dozen episodes, Everest: Beyond the Limit will having you praying these climbers make it back alive from Planet Everest.
It might just be the most insane reality series ever – and wicked entertaining!
Watch it “Everest: Beyond the Limit” for free if you subscribe to Prime Video; for free on Tubi (with ads) or on Discovery+ (with subscription). Check here for the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/everest-beyond-the-limit
2) Storm Over Everest
“Storm Over Everest” had been the best Everest documentary I’d seen until I started watching “Everest: Beyond the Limit” (above).
“Storm Over Everest” is PBS Frontline team’s 2008 documentary take on the same 1996 Everest disaster made famous by Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air” book and movie (both came out in 1997).
For the uninitiated, On May 10, 1996, a severe blizzard struck Mount Everest.
It trrapped three climbing teams high on the 29,029-foot peak.
Storm Over Everest (directed by David Breashears in 2008) has the benefit of 12 years of reflection on the dramatic events of that day.
Breashears knows the mountain well, having summited Everest five times himself.
He was climbing on Everest on May 10 during the fateful storm.
The film focuses on Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness – the two expeditions hit hardest by the blizzard.
Rob Hall led the Adventure Consultants team. Scott Fischer headed up the Mountain Madness group. In total, eight climbers died that day – four from Adventure Consultants, Fischer from Mountain Madness, and three Indo-Tibetan Border Police officers.
Through first-hand interviews and reenactments, Breashears takes us inside the May 1996 tragedy.
We meet the climbers and understand their motivations. When the storm strikes quickly at 26,000 feet, their struggles become very real.
Deafening winds, plummeting temperatures, and zero visibility leave teams disoriented between Camp 4 and the summit. As oxygen and energy deplete, panic and hypothermia set in. The unfolding human drama is frightening yet riveting.
Breashears balances raw tragedy with inspiring rescue efforts.
Teams like Hall’s valiantly try to shepherd clients down safely amidst the life-threatening conditions.
In the end, Storm Over Everest serves as both a cautionary tale and a tribute to the human spirit of adventure.
Everest’s extreme unpredictabilty and risks are spotlighted.
So too is the alluring mystique that draws seasoned climbers to take on her formidable challenge.
Watch “Storm Over Everest” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So3vH9FY2H4
3) Mountain Queen: The Summits Of Lhakpa Sherpa
I love that Netflix is active with Everest documentaries (3 as of my last count).
Lucy Walker’s “Mountain Queen: The Summits Of Lhakpa Sherpa” (2024) is a relentless 105-minute dive into the life of Lhakpa Sherpa, the woman who’s summited Everest ten times.
This is Netflix’s best documentary purely on Everest, me thinks.
You can argue that 14 Peaks (below) is the better overall doc. But it coveres 13 other peaks besides Everest.
She is not just any climber.
Lhakpa is a single mom, a survivor of domestic abuse, and a dishwasher at Whole Foods in Connecticut.
Imagine going from Everest’s peak to scrubbing dishes to support your daughters, Sunny and Shiny.
This doc grabs you from the start with raw archival footage of Lhakpa’s 2000 climb, where she became the first Nepali woman to summit and descend alive.
But it’s not just about the mountain. It’s about survival. Her marriage to George Dijmarescu? Brutal. A 2004 expedition turned nightmare by his violent outbursts.
Yet, Lhakpa pushes on, her strength rooted in love for her girls.
Walker contrasts Everest’s grandeur with Lhakpa’s gritty reality—taking out the trash after breaking records. No fluff, just the hard truth.
The doc’s honesty hits hard, showing the duality of Lhakpa’s life—hero in Nepal, humble worker in the U.S. “Mountain Queen” is more than a climbing doc; it’s a story of grit, resilience, and the quiet power of never giving up.
I love this doc so much that I wrote a 1,008-word review of it here: https://dailydoc.com/mountain-queen-the-summits-of-lhakpa-sherpa/
You can watch “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhapka Serhpa” on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81719138
4) 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible
“14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible” is the story of Nirmal Purja (“Nims”) and his team as they attempt to climb all 14 of the “eight-thousander” peaks (8,000 or more meters (26,247 feet) in under 7 months (the previous record was 7 years).
It’s not solely about Mt. Everest but it’s so damn good and has enough on Everest that I give it the ranking of 4th best Everest doc overall.
“14 Peaks” is currently #1 on my draft article of “Best Climbing Documentaries on Netflix”.
Some Everest highlights from the doc:
On May 22, he hits the peaks of Everest and Lhotse, and by May 24, he’s on top of Makalu.
That’s three giant mountains in just over 48 hours!
He even snaps a photo of a huge line at Everest’s Hillary Step, which ends up going viral and landing on the front page of the New York Times.
Among the pile of records Purja smashed, one stands out:
He nails the fastest climb of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu in just 2 days and 30 minutes.
There’s a lot more to the doc than Everest and I might review it more fully in another of my “Best of” articles (e.g. “Best Climbing Docs”).
The 1 hr 41 min. doc is directed by Torquil Jones and exec-produced by Nirmal Purja, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Vasarhelyi.
Watch “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible” on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81397884
5) Everest: A Climb for Peace
In the 2005 film Everest: A Climb for Peace, director Lance Trumbull points his lens towards Nepal for an ascent that’s equal parts gritty mountaineering and spiritual journey.
The 1 hour 5 minute doc, narrated by Orlando Bloom, follows a band of climbers bonded by an audacious goal – to summit Everest and paraglide from its peak in a bid to fund the humanitarian efforts of Sir Edmund Hillary.
But there’s a compelling backstory.
This mixed crew of Aussies, Americans and Nepalis includes the first joint Israeli-Palestinian team to take on the mighty mountain.
Historic tensions simmer between Israeli Micha Yaniv and Palestinian Ali Bushnaq as they inch up jagged ridges and establish camps amid the thin, pitiless air.
When storms bear down and summit hopes narrow, the friction threatens to fracture the expedition.
Yet somehow, bonds of brotherhood prevail.
What emerges isn’t just stunning footage of Everest’s grandeur, but a parable of setting aside deepest differences to seek higher ground.
We’re left cheering these unlikely teammates – and the ideals that powered them skyward.
As the Dalai Lama hailed, it’s a “tremendous achievement” where soaring vision overcomes earthly divides.
Watch “Everest: A Climb for Peace” on Apple TV for $rental or purchase. See https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/everest-a-climb-for-peace for the latest streaming options.
6) Farther Than the Eye Can See
“Farther Than The Eye Can See” is not your typical Everest doc.
Sure, it’s got the stunning shots of snow-capped peaks and the “Are these people insane?” moments.
The doc follows Erik Weihenmayer, a guy who decided that being blind wasn’t going to stop him from climbing Everest.
Yep, you read that right—blind.
Directed by Michael Brown, this 75-minute film is more than just another man-vs-mountain story.
It’s about teamwork, grit, and a whole lot of guts. Erik’s journey is as much about the people around him as it is about the climb.
From his childhood friend, Jeff Evans, to a Sherpa named Kami, this doc shows how a team can rally behind someone with an impossible dream.
And let’s be honest, the dude summits Everest. Blind! That’s something that leaves you shaking your head and saying, “What’s my excuse?”
Thanks to Daily Doc subscriber Elizabeth Kim for first telling me about Erik Weihenmayer.
Watch “Farther Than The Eye Can See” for free on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usRV8CuUdGE
Note: IMDB and others say this is a 75 minute documentary. But the video I found above is just 42 minutes (yet seems to cover the entire doc (e.g. a normal intro and then credits at the end). Sorry, I’m not sure what’s going on here. But I couldn’t find another video to link to.
7) From Olympus to Everest (Apo ton Olympo sto Everest)
If the video embed above doesn’t work then try this link to the full movie: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1902206756805126
This one is in a combo of Greek and English (but unfortunately subtitles/captions are turned off).
Here’s the gist of it according to my watch of it.
A lot of it was hard for me to understand.
But I rank this one so highly because often the video speaks for itself (e.g. guys falling 20 feet); and the audio parts (in English) that I did understand were compelling.
And, IMDB users loved it (8.9 ranking out of 10 with 54 people voting) as did the 130 people commenting.
In the fall of 2003, a bunch of Greek mountaineers found themselves in Tibet, staring up at the Cho Oyu peak—a casual 8,201 meters of “Are you kidding me?”
It’s in the neighborhood of Everest, and the crew was using this beast as a warm-up. Everest was the big goal for the next year.
Things were going smoothly, until, well, they weren’t. On the last day, just as they were descending, the unthinkable happened.
Their leader, Christos Barouchas, died in the arms of the team’s filmmaker, Pavlos Tsiantos. Talk about a gut punch.
Back in Greece, the team was ready to call it quits. Who wouldn’t be? But then, they stumbled upon an old letter from Christos.
Suddenly, they had a new fire under them. The gang got back together, finding the strength they needed to keep going.
Spring 2004 rolls around, and they’re heading up Everest, this time with a little help from Greek-American climbing legend Pete Athans.
But Everest doesn’t mess around. When the team faced the brutal reality of another death on the mountain, it all came down to faith and teamwork. That’s what they had left, and that’s what they had to dig deep into to reach the summit.
Watch “From Olympus to Everest (Apo ton Olympo sto Everest)” for free by clicking the video embed above or going here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuwD05U_nAs.
8) Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine
This ’86 doc from PBS’s NOVA rewinds the hands of time to the 1920s quests on that behemoth Everest.
It’s when Brit hotshots Mallory and Irvine vanished into the icy mists, never to return.
We tag along on 3 risky expeditions spanning 1921 to 1924, watching a dozen bold explorers perish from avalanches and altitude sickness as they inch towards that elusive 29k summit.
Armed with primitive oxygen rigs and sheer grit, Mallory and his 22-year-old protégé Irvine launch their last assault on June 8, ’24 before clouds swallow them 1500 feet from glory.
Legend has it these mountain men almost nabbed the top prize – the image of Irvine’s ice axe found in ’33 and a lone corpse spotted by Chinese climbers in ’75 stoke theories they died on the descent, just minutes from fame.
A real nail-biter even if you know how it ends.
Sit back and watch this intrepid dozen sacrifice life and limb to pinch Everest’s crown, only to wind up as crosses in the snow.
Their final heights may be disputed, but their bravery still inspires.
Cool factoid I learned from the doc. It was Mallory who coined the term “Because it’s there” (which he answered why he’d want to climb Everest).
Folks interviewed in the doc include (in order that they first appear):
- Professor Noel Odell
- Captain John Noel
- Sir Edmund Hillary
- Tom Holzel (Boston engineer and author who had studied Everest for 15 years at that point)
- Chris Bonington (had led three expeditions to Everest at that point and summitted in 1985)
- Sir Jack Longland (on the 1933 Everest Expedition)
Watch “Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine” for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed link above or going here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVLOJAXPC_s
9) Sherpas: The True Heroes of Everest
When Western pep squads bounce back from that 29k beast Everest, it’s high-fives all around.
They chronicle battling thin air, triumphing over Old Man Winter, and occasionally tip the cap to the Sherpa smile brigade lugging their packs.
But who are these mysterious mountain movers – what’s their POV as they shepherd climbers into the death zone?
This making-of doc flashes some Sherpa lens-eye on that bucket-list peak, switching up the usual Western optics.
Nepali cameramen get schooled by a Swiss TV crew and start shooting their own kind hauling expeditioneers towards oxygen-starved heights.
No small feat toting cameras at lung-busting altitudes where even bottled air barely cuts it.
We get the real nitty gritty of life-risking Sherpa labor – turns out that famous grin masks a metric ton of hardship.
After 5 years brewing this doc deal, producer Frank Senn tapped veteran Nepali film journo Hari Thapa to get the inside skinny from the tireless carriers scaling Everest in clients’ footsteps.
The resulting culture-clash chronicle captures kindred spirits – Nepalis and visitors – united by mountain and personal summits. Some fresh snow from Sherpaland worth the avalanche risk.
Watch Sherpas – The True Heroes of Everest for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above or going here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2MdSik4UNY
10) Annapurna to Everest (from Himalaya with Michael Palin)
I love getting a different take on a topic like Mount Everest.
In this case, Michael Palin does a trek through the Himalayas isn’t your average travel show—it’s an adventure with a British legend who’s as charming as he is curious.
If you don’t know Michael Palin, he’s the Monty Python alum who swapped silly walks for serious miles, becoming one of the most beloved travel documentarians of all time.
In this 56-minute episode from “Himalaya with Michael Palin,” aired in 2004 (Season 1, Episode 3), Palin dives deep into the heart of Nepal and Tibet.
Things get dicey when he stumbles into a Gurkha recruitment, only to be interrupted by Maoist insurgents. But Palin’s no stranger to danger—he soldiers on, climbing to 15,000 feet to take in the jaw-dropping beauty of Annapurna Sanctuary.
The journey’s full of highlights: being blessed by the Nepalese king in Kathmandu, meeting holy men, and finally, crossing into Tibet.
Here, Palin’s greeted by yaks and visits the world’s highest monastery before trudging up the Rongbuk glacier, edging ever closer to Everest’s summit.
Palin’s humor and humility make this more than just a travelogue—it’s a must-watch exploration with a true master of the journey.
Watch “Annapurna to Everest” for free on Facebook by clicking the video embed above or here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2185811581572581
If that doesn’t work, I also saw a free link to watch it here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8mphnq (though it has ads).
You can also watch it on Apple TV last I checked here: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/himalaya-with-michael-palin
11) PASANG: In the Shadow of Everest
This 2022 doc crowns the first Nepali woman scaling Mt. Everest’s lofty heights – and the bittersweet aftermath.
Headstrong Sherpa Pasang Lhamu proudly stands atop 29k feet in ’93 after spurning patriarchy and crap conditions during multiple attempts.
With steely courage she muscles into mountaineering’s boys club to snatch long overdue glory for Nepali sisters by planting her country’s flag on that oft-vainly assailed peak.
But triumph turns tragic on the descent when storms roll in – Pasang perishes just hours after securing her pioneer place in the record books.
As the mournful nation bestows its highest civilian honor upon its fallen heroine, her shining legacy as inspiration for future generations remains secured.
Director Nancy Svendsen fleshes out the short-lived legend of this barrier-busting dynamo, who had to sacrifice her life to irreversibly shakeup the status quo of Himalayan peak bagging.
A must-watch chronicle of Everest’s first lady that will stoke that fiery climbing spirit.
As of right now (February 22, 2024), “PASANG” is only available in theaters (see https://pasangmovie.com/screenings/). But check back here for streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/pasang-in-the-shadow-of-everest
12) Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake
The second best Mt. Everest documentary on Netflix is “Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake”.
The docuseries tells the story of the massive (7.8 to 8.1) earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015.
The Netflix series (directed by Olly Lambert) has 3 episodes:
- Wrong Place Wrong Time (38 min.) — What the earthquake was like
- No Way Out (53 min.) — The reaction to the earthquake
- Escape (58 min.) — The days after the earthquake including the fate of the climbers still on Mt. Everest
It aired on 10/6/22 and it’s unclear if Netflix will do a season 2.
Watch “Afterschock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake” on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81397884.
13) Hanuman Airlines: Fly Over Everest
These high-flying Nepali go-getters take peak bagging to the extreme in this adrenaline-fueled doc.
Armed with a shoestring budget and cojones of steel, Sanobabu and Lakpa set their sights stratospherically high in 2011 – hatching a wild plan to paraglide off Everest’s 29k apex then kayak into the sunset.
Never mind the decade-plus waitlist for permits, or getting helicoptered over miles of treacherous Khumbu icefalls just to set up camp.
After two months acclimatizing around asyncio at basecamp, our intrepid duo makes a go for the tippy-top as crowds cheer them onto the summit.
Then comes the real icing: they soar off that majestic massacre-maker in a death-defying paraglide, snagging a world-record along with NatGeo glory – plus satisfying bragging rights as the first aerial descent.
Sure it’s total insanity, but their mom-worrying motto says it all: “Adventure before life.”
All-in bet these gravity-giving Nepalis can’t resist another roof-of-the-world headrush.
Maybe next they’ll BASE jump the Second Step!
Watch “Hanuman Airlines: Fly Over Everest” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75AvqPVuDs.
14) Inside the 1996 Everest Disaster – Ken Kamler
Here’s a take on Everest from the “Extreme Doctor” Ken Kamler who went on the infamous 1996 Everest expedition (aka the “Into Thin Air” story).
Dr. Ken was camped at 23,000 feet, preppin’ to summit this beastly 29,000-foot mother.
But outta nowhere the demonic storm kicks up and starts blasting the mountain. We’re talkin’ 2 days of satanic wind and snow.
And the worst part is, there were these three poor teams still up near the peak getting their butts whooped by this thing.
Eight climbers straight up died from this storm! Those icy winds and freezing temps don’t play around.
Lucky for Dr. Ken, he was at a lower camp when this freak snow hurricane attacked.
But the job wasn’t done – as the only doc on the mountain, he had to treat mad survivors rolling in from the upper camps once the clouds cleared.
Frostbite, oxygen starvation, hypothermia – you name it.
Kamler knows what he’s talking about.
He’s been working with Nat Geo for years and even did the first ever live interview from Everest base camp with ABC!
Some highlights for me in this speech:
- Up the final slope to Everest there’s no snow. It’s so high that it’s in the jetstream (the snow gets blown off the top).
- You often climb at night so that the ice falls are less likely to nail you.
- When you get to Summit 4 ( the last base camp before trying to summit to the peak), everyone’s on oxygen (which is limited) and you have just a few hours to decide whether to attempt to summit.
- Doc was at basecamp 3 when the sudden storm hit the climbers up above.
- Dr. Ken gives injections to the wouned right through their clothing (there’s no time to shed clothing)
- Climber Beck Weathers is assumed dead. After 2 days and a night (in which climbers walk by him — he’s too weak to even talk to them). He thinks about his family and what he has to live for and gets up and stumbles into camp.
- A helicopter rescues some at 21,000 feet even though the “helicopter ceiling is 17,000 feet. The chopper pilot risks his life to rescue Beck (the highest rescue in history).
Watch “Inside the 1996 Everest Disaster” for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgqc2m7aBzs
15) How the Earth Was Made: Everest
The History honchos unspool this 45-min Everest origin story from 2010, tracking how that 29k beast ballooned into the roof of the world.
Turns out 400 million years back it was just seabed before violent clashes thrust the ground upward. India breaks from ancestral superland Gondwana, rams into Asia 50 million years ago .
We’re talking land wreck at 10 inches a year, faster than a 100-yard dash by NFL linebackers.
Carnage ensues: peaks folds like accordions, then shift along fracture lines, mashing rock layers atop each other to mold Everest’s backbone.
Fast forward and pressure cooks lower depth rock at scorching 4k-plus Fahrenheit, melting the works into rising granite goo that elevates the peak’s impressive bulk.
GPS stats confirm the Himalayas are still gaining height – take that, erosion!
A crazy tectonic pile-up spawned this monster mountain, and rumblings deep underground promise more drama ahead.
Catch those cliffs crumpling in real time once the next big quake hits!
Watch “Everest (How The Earth Was Made)” for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-oYON9V8tA
16) Ultimate Survival: Everest (Team Discovery)
This six-pack docuseries from 2004 follows four gonzo mountaineers gunning for Everest’s tiptop.
The squad preps for a two-month surge to outpace rivals to that 29k summit, pitting limbs and life against thin air, whiteout blizzards and temps that could ice a yeti.
The 6-parter is broken down roughly into:
- Ep 1 covers anxious basecamp arrivals.
- Ep 2 sees the team embrace acclimatization pain as Everest unleashes its wrath.
- Ep 3 captures the slow suffocating struggle to breathe sans supplemental oxygen.
- Ep 4 finds the climbers pushing through a brutal cold snap that allows rival squads to catch up.
- Ep 5 showcases a do-or-die final assault after a month exposed on the flanks; they’ll either nab the apex or die trying.
- Ep 6 captures two climbers who incredibly topped out – one insulin-dependent diabetic, one daring Mexican who did it oxygen-free – now attempting to skirt death again on the grim descent.
Fridge-magnet wisdom says the mountain makes the rules; over 30 years on Everest 198 have begged to differ.
Will these four join the frozen dead or summit alive?
Watch “Ultimate Survival: Everest” for free (all 4 hours and 33 min. of it!) on YouTube by clicking the video embed above or going here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gW8_KCP7p4
17) Kaizen
Release Date: September 14, 2024
A YouTuber trades gaming for the Himalayas.
The documentary “Kaizen” dives into the life of Inoxtag (YouTube handle name), a gaming sensation who swaps his controller for climbing gear.
Known for crushing Fortnite and Minecraft on his channel, he built an audience with his quick reflexes and even quicker wit.
Six years into his YouTube career, he’s ready for something new—something extreme.
So, he trains for a year to tackle Ama Dablam, a 6,812-meter beast of a mountain in Nepal. Idriss, his trainer, gets him in shape.
Mathis Dumas, a pro mountaineer, teaches him the ropes (literally).
They prep him for hypoxia, freezing temps, and climbing traffic jams at Camp 3. But Inoxtag’s gamer mindset? That never quits.
Every obstacle is another level to beat.
The team is stacked. Léo Slemett, world ski champ.
Dorji, Sherpa with 19 Everest summits under his belt.
Nico Mathieu, the adventure buddy. Manish, the local cameraman catching every death-defying step.
Challenges include witnessing a helicopter crash and COVID. And somehow, he still makes it to the top.
You can watch Kaizen for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above.
Mount Everest Documentaries Coming Later in 2024
I’m looking forward to watching these new Everest docs coming in 2024:
“The Quest: Everest”
Release date got delayed from April 1, 2024 to November 1, 2024. It includes a Virtual Reality version of the movie too.
Here’s the trailer:
Upcoming Nat Geo Doc by Jimmy Chin (2024/2025 timeframe)
Here’s a clip (from BBC) about a finding as part of a new Jimmy Chin/Nat Geo documentary (unnamed).
While filming, Jimmy Chin & team found something they never expected—a boot melting out of the ice.
As they got closer, they saw it was old, with studded hobnails from a bygone era of climbing. Inside, they found a foot, which they soon realized belonged to Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, who vanished in 1924 with George Mallory during their attempt to summit Mount Everest.
Jimmy Chin described the surreal moment when he lifted the sock and saw the name “A.C. IRVINE” stitched into it.
He and his team instantly grasped the gravity of the discovery, running in circles and dropping F-bombs.
Irvine and Mallory were last seen on June 8, 1924, and whether they reached the summit remains one of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering.
This discovery, says Chin, could finally offer answers, providing closure for both Irvine’s family and the climbing world.
Thanks for reading!
-Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc