On 8 June 1924, George Mallory , regarded as one of the finest climbers of his generation, and Andrew Irvine died in a bid to reach the summit of Everest, a generation before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay 's success in 1953. Then, on 1 May 1999, an expedition made mountaineering history when they finally found Mallory's body.
This one-off film recalls the drama as present-day mountaineers, cocooned in high-tech gear, discover the scant remnants of their predecessors, It also tells the story of that discovery, which has led to a reinterpretation of Mallory and Irvine's final hours and speculation as to whether they actually succeeded in reaching the summit. Producer Peter Firstbrook (R) (S) (W)