Jochen Hemmleb, born on August 13, 1971, in Bad Homburg, Germany, is a writer, filmmaker, translator, and lecturer dedicated to the history of mountaineering, especially the mystery surrounding the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on Mount Everest in 1924. This mystery changed his life in 1987 when, at the age of 16, he read a book on the subject and has since devoted his life to searching for answers about whether Mallory and Irvine reached the summit and what actually happened.
In 1999, Jochen was among the initiators and participants of the “Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition,” which discovered Mallory’s body. He is the author of four books on this mystery: Ghosts of Everest (1999), Detectives on Everest (2002), Tatort Mount Everest (2009), and the latest – Spuren am Everest (“Tracks on Everest,” 2025), which established him as the world’s leading expert on Mallory and Irvine.
Jochen began trekking and mountaineering at the age of 10, climbing classic peaks in the Alps such as Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, as well as lesser-known regions. Over the years, he has compiled one of the largest private archives dedicated to the mountaineering history of Everest’s Tibetan side.
After finishing high school and completing his civilian service, he studied geology in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1996, he traveled and climbed in East Africa and worked as a research assistant in New Zealand between 1996 and 1997.
Jochen has participated in numerous research and film expeditions, including Austrian-German projects in the Karakoram, as well as studies on Nanga Parbat and Denali. He is co-author and consultant for documentaries focused on mountaineering and mountain culture and works as a screenwriter and director for television series and films.
As an ambassador of “alpine heritage,” Jochen believes in the importance of preserving, honoring, and retelling inspiring mountain stories that carry deep meaning and human experience.