In mountaineering history, one question has lingered for almost a century: Did explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine conquer Mount Everest's summit almost three decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's historic ascent in 1953? The disappearance of Mallory and Irvine has been a subject of intrigue for generations.

The phrase "Because it's there," famously uttered by explorer George Mallory in New York in 1922, has long been associated with the spirit of mountaineers. On June 8, 1924, while scaling Mount Everest, Mallory and Irvine were spotted from below, close to reaching their goal, just hours away from potentially conquering the world's highest peak. Tragically, their companions lost sight of them in the mist, leaving a void in history that has perplexed adventurers for decades.

What sets The Lost Mountaineers apart is the perspective of Irishman, Richard William George Hingston, a native of Passage West Co. Cork, who accompanied Mallory and Irvine on that fateful expedition. A graduate of University College Cork, Hingston served as the medical officer and naturalist for the Mallory expedition to Mount Everest's summit. Yet, his role goes beyond mere documentation; Hingston's diary, held at Trinity College Dublin and rarely seen by the public until now, offers a unique insight into the events of that day.

The Lost Mountaineers is a documentary that delves into the Mallory expedition, as seen through the eyes of Richard William George Hingston. Almost a century after George Mallory and Andrew Irvine vanished, this RTÉ Documentary on One seeks to shine a light on the question that has perplexed mountaineers and historians alike: Did they indeed reach the summit of Everest, nearly three decades before Hillary and Tenzing.

Credits:

• Narrated by Marc McMenamin
• Produced by Marc McMenamin and Donal O'Herlihy
• George Mallory's Letters were read by Riley Madincea
• Richard Hingston's Letters were read by Alf Mc Carthy
• Richard Hingston's Diaries were transcribed by Jim Murphy
• Julie Summers book is entitled Fearless on Everest: The Quest for Sandy Irvine
• Mick Conefrey's Book is entitled Everest 1922
• Jim Murphy's book is entitled Passage to Everest and Beyond

First broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, 2PM, Saturday 30th September 2023

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries