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Finally, Mallory RIP

A team looking for evidence that Mallory and Irvine reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1924 has failed to come up with any conclusion, expedition leader Eric Simonson, 43, said in Kathmandu.

"The expedition may be over, but investigations are about to begin," said Simonson yesterday, referring to an imminent examination of a number of items brought down by the team from the world's highest mountain.

Conrad Anker, 36, who had found George Mallory's body, admitted there were differences of opinion among the climbers, "but personally I do not think they made it to the summit".

Anker said the expedition had hoped to find a camera thought to have been left near the summit by Mallory and Andrew Irvine in the belief that pictures in the camera might establish beyond doubt if the two were the first to reach the top of the 8,848metre peak.

"It is our intention to go back and try to find the camera," he said.

Anker added that expedition climber Andy Politz, 39, had searched Mallory's body and the area where he was found with a metal detector, but there was no sign of the camera.

But Simonson said, "There is no reason for another expedition to go back to Mallory again. He can now rest in peace.''

UNI

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