Digitized Letters Reveal Mallory’s Mount Everest Optimism and Fears before Disappearance

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter to learn more about recent discoveries and advancements in various fields of study. The article discusses newly digitized letters written by George Mallory during his preparations for scaling Mount Everest, revealing both his optimism and doubts as he made this attempt. Although women often remain out of view behind their male partners’ success stories, the collection includes over 840 letters that provide unprecedented insights into daily life for women in the early 20th century through Ruth Mallory’s correspondence with her husband during his travels. The digitized documents also include three letters recovered from George Mallory’s body after he disappeared while attempting to reach Everest’s summit, and they offer readers a unique glimpse of this legendary mountaineer as an individual beyond the legend himself. Many continue to speculate about whether or not Mallory successfully reached the peak before his death in 1924, but these letters shed light on both his hopes and fears during those final days leading up to his disappearance. As Conrad Anker explained, climbers who approach Everest’s summit face danger under severe conditions caused by altitude sickness or sudden weather changes that could quickly become life-threatening for any individual involved in these expeditions. The digitizing of George Mallory’s letters ensures that his story continues to be shared with others interested in this intriguing part of mountaineering history, and it will continue beyond the lifetimes of those currently working on sharing them more widely through digital archives.