Sid Pattison gazes at Mount Everest from the Northeast Fork of the Rongbuk Glacier while he and Jake Norton were searching for the 1924 Camp 2.

EVEREST: THE FIRST ASCENT

Sid Pattison gazes at Mount Everest from the Northeast Fork of the Rongbuk Glacier while he and Jake Norton were searching for the 1924 Camp 2.

Photo by: Jake Norton & MountainWorld Productions

Jake Norton & MountainWorld Productions

Did Explorers Reach Summit of Mt. Everest Before Sir Edmund Hillary?

By: Nesa Nourmohammadi

EVEREST’S GREATEST MYSTERY follows a team of mountaineers scaling Everest to determine if explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine reached the summit in 1924, nearly 30 years before Sir Edmund Hillary’s famed trek.

September 28, 2020

Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay made history when they became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. But is there a chance someone else reached it first?

Premiering Sunday, October 11 at 9P, EVEREST’S GREATEST MYSTERY brings together a team of mountaineers to solve the mystery of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, two explorers who may have reached to summit before dying on Everest in 1924

Carrying only essential tools and a Kodak camera, Mallory and Irvine disappeared on their trek. Mallory’s preserved corpse was discovered on the north face of the mountain in 1999, but Irvine’s body and camera have yet to be found. A team of mountaineers, led by Jake Norton, will scale Everest to investigate and piece together clues and evidence in an attempt to find Irvine and his camera. If successful, their findings could change history.

Sid Pattison holding up and photo Jake Norton brought of the 1924 Camp 2, matching it to the skyline, allowing he and Jake to be sure they were in the right spot.

EVEREST: THE FIRST ASCENT

Sid Pattison holding up and photo Jake Norton brought of the 1924 Camp 2, matching it to the skyline, allowing he and Jake to be sure they were in the right spot.

Photo by: Jake Norton & MountainWorld Productions

Jake Norton & MountainWorld Productions

Sid Pattison holding up and photo Jake Norton brought of the 1924 Camp 2, matching it to the skyline, allowing he and Jake to be sure they were in the right spot.

While undertaking the investigation on Everest in early 2019, the team experienced extreme weather conditions and overcrowding that contributed to the deaths of 11 people. Told through the perspectives of the world's most experienced climbers, the Discovery documentary TO LIVE OR DIE ON EVEREST shows audiences what it takes to survive on the mountain and what can be done to prevent climbing tragedies from occurring in the future.

TO LIVE OR DIE ON EVEREST premieres Friday, October 9 at 9P.

In addition to watching the documentaries on Discovery, viewers can view by downloading the Discovery GO app. People can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #EverestsGreatestMystery and #ToLiveOrDieOnEverest and follow Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

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