The final letter George Mallory wrote to his wife before disappearing on Mount Everest a century ago has been digitized and published online for the first time by his alma mater, Cambridge University. In the letter, Mallory expressed a mix of optimism, exhaustion, and the challenges his expedition faced in their quest to conquer the world’s highest peak. He reassured his wife, Ruth, despite acknowledging the odds were against them, saying they would “do ourselves proud” despite the challenges. Mallory and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, disappeared during their expedition, and it remains a mystery whether they reached the summit and died on the way down or never made it that far. Mallory’s body was discovered 75 years later, but Irvine’s remains have never been located.
The first documented ascent of Mount Everest came nearly three decades after Mallory’s disappearance when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay successfully scaled the mountain in 1953. Magdalene College has made Mallory’s letters available online to commemorate the centenary of his ill-fated attempt to reach the summit. The collection includes letters Mallory wrote during his time on the battlefront in World War I, as well as correspondence from Ruth and others. Ruth’s surviving letter reflects her struggles and emotions, expressing regret for moments of unhappiness and longing for more time with her husband.
In his final six-page letter to Ruth, Mallory detailed the challenges his party faced as they slowly ascended the mountain, retracing their steps to set up camps at higher elevations before descending to recover. He described enduring a nagging cough, near-death experience in a crevasse, and constantly diminishing hopes during the expedition. Mallory expressed hope and determination to push forward despite the difficulties, intending to rest for two days before making the final push towards the summit. Mallory and Irvine were last seen alive about 900 feet beneath the summit, and Mallory’s body was eventually found at 26,700 feet.
A group of mountaineers attempted to reconstruct Mallory’s ascent in 2007 but could not definitively determine if he and Irvine had reached the summit. Conrad Anker, who participated in a documentary about the climb and discovered Mallory’s body, believes there is a possibility they made it to the top but considers it unlikely. In Mallory’s final letter, he acknowledges the end is near, saying, “the candle is burning out & I must stop.” He signs off with “Great love to you. Ever your loving, George,” reflecting his enduring love for his wife amidst the challenges and uncertainties of his final expedition.
