They think Mallory and his partner tried to make it up what is called the first step ( followed by the second step and then to the summit ) but weren't able to get up it with the antique gear and techniques of 1924. Mallory was found far, far down a steep incline from before the first step. His gloves were off, which would fit with him trying to turn around and go back down from the first step, and at a particularly treacherous area on the way back down, if Mallory slipped, he would have pulled Irvine over with him, they'd have gone down thousands of feet it looks, the rope breaking and being separated in the process, and with Mallory ending where they found him. The treacherous terrain, fatigue, O2 tank failure, poor light could all possibly played a factor. He was found laying almost encased in ice facedown with one foot and calf exposed. No camera was found, but it could have been frozen in the cake of ice under his clothes. They took the pictures printed with the article, read an Anglican burial service over him, and then piled a cairn of rocks over him, where he has rested for the last 75 years.
Though the author doubts Mallory made it up the first step, he also doesn't seem to feel that it diminishes Mallory whether he made it or not, but was a hero for being first to ever make it that far.
Correction - the writer thinks they made it up the First step, that it was the Second step they couldn't get up. They turned around, got down past the First step and were going down back before the First step when they fell all to ---- and gone.
[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 06 October 1999).]
hehehe.