▁ax e ▁discovered ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁near ▁the ▁NE ▁R idge . ▁Wang ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁an ▁a val anche ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁provide ▁additional ▁details . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁however , ▁Con rad ▁An ker ▁of ▁the ▁Mall ory ▁and ▁Ir v ine ▁Research ▁Ex ped ition ▁found ▁Mall ory ' s ▁body ▁in ▁the ▁predicted ▁search ▁area ▁near ▁the ▁old ▁Chinese ▁b iv ou ac . ▁There ▁are ▁oppos ing ▁views ▁within ▁the ▁mount aine ering ▁community ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁the ▁du o ▁may ▁have ▁reached ▁the ▁sum mit ▁ 2 9 ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁successful ▁as cent ▁by ▁Sir ▁Edmund ▁Hill ary ▁and ▁T enz ing ▁N org ay ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁Despite ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁many ▁theories , ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁Mall ory ▁and ▁Ir v ine ' s ▁sum mit ▁assault ▁must ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁remote ▁at ▁best . ▁ ▁The ▁leading ▁theory ▁amongst ▁those ▁supporting ▁the ▁sum mit ▁push ▁has ▁Mall ory ▁over coming ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁the ▁she er ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Step ▁by ▁standing ▁on ▁Ir v ine ' s ▁shoulders . ▁Ar med ▁with ▁Ir v ine ' s ▁remaining ▁ 3 / 4 - full ▁o xygen ▁tank ▁he ▁could ▁conce iv ably ▁have ▁reached ▁the ▁sum mit ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁day , ▁but ▁this ▁would ▁have ▁meant ▁that ▁Ir v ine ▁would ▁have ▁had ▁to ▁descend ▁by ▁himself . ▁However , ▁ro pe - j