Here's What George Mallory Wrote in His Last Letter Before Disappearing on Mount Everest

British mountaineer George Mallory was last seen 800 feet below the peak of Mount Everest along with his partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine on June 8, 1924, before both of them disappeared. His body was found more than seven decades later in 1999, face down at a height of 8,156 meters, along with his personal belongings including several letters. Mallory was one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to climb Mount Everest in the 1920s. People were intrigued by Mallory’s state of mind and his feelings for a century ever since he disappeared, and they were finally revealed in newly digitized letters released by the Magdalene College at Cambridge. An exhibit titled George Mallory: Magdalene to the Mountain was also hosted by the college to showcase some of these letters and related items.

One of the most insightful letters was the one he wrote to his wife Ruth. According to CBS News , it read, "The candle is burning out and I must stop. Darling, I wish you the best I can—that your anxiety will be at an end before you get this with the best news, which will also be the quickest. It is 50 to 1 against us but we’ll have a whack yet & do ourselves proud. Great love to you. Ever your loving, George."

Knewz.com scanned the rest of the letters that revealed his detailed planning and excitement about the expedition, despite the challenges and risks he faced. For Mallory, his wife Ruth's support meant everything, but despite her worries, he still attempted to scale Mount Everest's towering heights. Furthermore, Katy Green, the project lead and an archivist at Magdalene College, revealed that the collection included around 840 letters written between 1914 to 1924, and about 440 were from Ruth.

Jochen Hemmleb, an author and alpinist who was part of the Everest expedition that found Mallory’s body in 1999, told CNN about the letter, "They are really personal. They are documents of his character. They provide unique insights into his life, and especially into the 1924 expedition—his state of mind, his accurate planning, and his ambitions. It’s such a treasure that these are now digitized and available for everyone to read."

The Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition climbed Everest to find the remains of Mallory and Irvine and recovered three letters. These letters, written by his brother, sister, and a family friend, were later digitized. On May 1, 1999, mountaineer Conrad Anker discovered a frozen body at about 26,700 feet and identified it as Mallory’s by the name tag sewn into his clothes. Anker also shared that Mallory’s body was buried on the spot where it was found at the request of his family.

He further told CNN , "Having done body recoveries in other places, it’s very laborious, and it’s very dangerous at that altitude. We collected some of his personal effects that went back to the Royal Geographical Society, including the three letters that were later scanned at Magdalene College."

Mallory had participated in three British expeditions to Everest in 1921, 1922, and 1924. In 1921, Mallory, along with Guy Bullock and Edward Wheeler, tried to reach the summit but only made it to 23,000 feet before turning back. In 1922, he climbed with Edward Strutt and reached a height of 26,800 feet, setting a world record. However, their record was soon broken by George Finch and Geoffrey Bruce, who reached over 27,000 feet using oxygen.

The largest expedition was in 1924 when Mallory and Irvine climbed Everest with oxygen tanks. The climbers faced many obstacles, and their health also deteriorated before they went missing. However, while Mallory’s remains were found, Irvine's body was never recovered, reported The Guardian . Mallory's camera, which might have contained evidence that they reached the summit, was also missing. The photograph of Ruth, which Mallory had promised to leave at the peak, was not found either.