1923: Major Cameron's Everest Experience

The Legend: 

In 1923, British Major Alan Cameron and his party, who were with the Everest Expedition of that year, were climbing towards the peak of the mountain when one of the guides pointed out a line of living creatures moving along a cliff face high above the snowline. Cameron's party reached a point near the cliff face two days later and found huge, human-like footprints in the snow.

The Problems

        First off, there was not a British Everest Expedition in 1923... there was in 1922 and 1924, but not in 1923. Secondly, there is no one named "Alan" or "Cameron" on the roster of climbers for either 1922 or 1924.

        I've looked high and low, but can find no source for this story earlier than Frank Edwards' factually challenged book Stranger Than Science, published in 1959. He may have made the story up; but from my previous experience with investigating his stories, Edwards' tends to alter stories, not create them... so I suspect he got the initial account from somewhere else. However, until something can be found Frank Edwards' must be the suspect for this story's creation.

        Perhaps needless to say, anyone who finds a source for Alan Cameron's presence at Everest earlier than 1959 is strongly encouraged to contact me.