Remains of Sandy Irvine, perhaps one of the first to climb Everest, appear to have been found

Partial remains of Sandy Irvine, perhaps one of the first men to climb Mount Everest, have likely been discovered on the mountain, National Geographic reported.

The find comes 25 years after his climbing partner George Mallory’s frozen body was also discovered on the Himalayan peak. Mallory and Irvine’s 1924 attempt on the summit remains “the greatest climbing mystery of all time,” the outlet wrote: One hundred years later, it is still not clear whether they died on their way up or on their way down. If the latter, then they beat Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who made the first confirmed ascent, by 29 years.

The new discovery was of a boot, containing a foot and a sock labeled with Irvine’s name — the foot will be DNA-tested, but its discoverer was confident it was Irvine. “I mean, dude,” he said. “There’s a label on it.”