Who was George Mallory? Summiting Mount Everest has become synonymous with the names Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first two known climbers to reach the top of the world in 1953, but their success was built on the efforts of many other climbers that came before them. Not least among them was George Mallory.
Mallory was a British explorer and mountaineer who undertook three expeditions on Everest in the early 1920s. His work there paved the way for future climbers to conquer this ultimate test in mountaineering, while his death was one of the most captivating mysteries of the 20th century. In this article, we take a look at the life, mysterious death and enduring legacy of this trailblazing figure in climbing.
A mountaineer is born
Mallory's introduction to climbing came in early in life. He was born in 1886 in the village of Mobberly in Cheshire, England. His elite status as one of a long line of clergymen earned him a spot at Winchester College, one of England’s oldest private boarding schools. During his time there, one of his teachers recruited him to join a trip to the Alps, where he got his first taste of climbing – an experience that would shape the rest of his life.
