The Third Pole

March 1, 2021
The author of The Impossible Climb (2019) returns with another hair-raising mountaineering story. Professional climber and journalist Synnott chronicles his climb of Mount Everest in hopes of finding the remains, and an all-important camera, of George Mallory's climbing partner, Andrew Irvine. In 1924, Mallory made an ill-fated attempt to be the first known human to summit Everest. Irvine joined Mallory for the final push, and neither man returned. If found, Irvine's camera might provide evidence that the men attained the summit, or didn't. This is the story of that attempt, narrated by Synnott with easy grace--even when the climbing and weather were anything but. The expedition also ran into the usual bureaucratic delays from the host nation (they were climbing the north face, which is in China), but the author introduces readers to a side of the mountain and its routes not typically seen, as most expeditions start from the Nepalese side. In addition to describing all of the roadblocks in their way, he populates the harrowing text with excellent background material to convey a rich sense of what summiting the great peaks entails. Synnott offers important pocket-sized biographies of Mallory and Irvine, of course, but there are also discerning forays into British colonial geopolitics, the ongoing disputes between China and Nepal, Tibet's tortured relations with China, and the many vested Chinese political interests in the history of Everest mountaineering. Unsurprisingly, given his experience as a mountain guide, Synnott writes with gratifying savvy about all elements involved in the dangerous venture: Everest meteorology, notoriously unpredictable; the effects of altitude on the body and mind; the pleasures of camping in the sky; and the impressive biological adaptations of Sherpas, who "function at high altitudes like highly efficient hybrid vehicles that get many miles per gallon, whereas the rest of us are gas-guzzling SUVs." A fine tale of adventure and exploration sure to please any fan of climbing and Everest lore.

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Starred review from April 1, 2021

Were George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine the first to summit Mt. Everest, in 1924? Journalist and professional climber Synnott (The Impossible Climb) joined National Geographic's 2019 Sandy Irvine research and documentary expedition with the goal to find Irvine's body on Everest's uppermost slopes, and more importantly to find the pair's camera, which could definitively solve this mystery. Synnott enlisted the help of experts who specialize in the 1924 expedition to aid in locating Irvine's body. (Mallory's body was found in 1999; see The Lost Expedition by Conrad Anker and David Roberts.) Throughout the book, Synnott skillfully intertwines Irvine's story with his own expedition's progress, while highlighting some of his fellow travelers' stories. He also discusses the physiological effects of altitude, the development and use of supplemental oxygen, the environmental impacts of Everest tourism, and the challenges of filming at an elevation where altitude plays havoc on bodies and equipment. As in his previous book, the author's writing comes alive when he recounts life on the mountain, including low visibility and high winds, along with his determination to find answers. VERDICT Did Synnott and his team solve mountaineering's greatest mystery? No spoilers here, but this is a must-read for outdoor enthusiasts and readers of Everest and exploration history.--Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Lib., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2021
Despite an impressive climbing r�sum�, Synnott had no interest in attempting Mount Everest, a "place overrun with inexperienced climbers," until he became involved in trying to solve an Everest mystery. On June 8, 1924, Britain's George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine attempted to summit the famous peak via the Northeast Ridge with "newfangled oxygen sets," only to perish in the attempt. But did they make it to the summit? No one knows for sure. In 1933, Irvine's ice axe was recovered at 27,760 feet (the summit is 29,032 feet high), and in 1999, Mallory's body was discovered. Furnished with new clues, along with drones and GPS, Synnott and a team set out to find Irvine's body with (hopefully) his Vest Pocket Kodak camera. If the film was salvageable, it might be able to confirm whether the duo made it to the summit, thus rewriting history. Synnott (The Impossible Climb, 2019), weaves back and forth between the early climbing pioneers' experiences and his 2019 expedition, harrowing in its own right. A gifted storyteller, he proves firsthand the irresistible lure and perilous dangers of climbing Mount Everest.

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