India to remove Green Boots’ grim ‘warning’ from Mount Everest

©Sylvain Mauroux via Unsplash

After thirty years, the body of “Green Boots” still lies on Mount Everest, but now it is finally being taken away. The Indian climber, who earned his nickname because of his striking green boots, died in 1996 at an altitude of 8,500 meters—a place where every mission is life-threatening.

However, doubts remain about Green Boots' exact identity. It's certain that he was part of an Indian expedition of six climbers to the summit of Mount Everest in May 1996. As the climbers approached the summit, half of the group decided to turn back to the previous camp. However, bad weather caught the climbers by surprise.

The three men who continued climbing were caught in a violent storm and all perished. One of them has since attained mythical status because of his green boots. After all, his body has remained untouched on the mountainside since his fateful death. His distinctive green mountaineering boots earned him the nickname “Green Boots.” Since then, he has served as a grim warning to all climbers who pass him on their journey to the summit of the world’s highest mountain.

Green Boots is Dorje Morup, or Tsewang Paljor. The body of Tsewang Samanla, the third expedition member, was found elsewhere on the mountain. It is believed that one of the men fell from a cliff, but there is no consensus on who he was.

Green Boots has since lain in a small cave at an altitude of 8,500 meters, on the Tibetan side of the mountain. His frozen body serves as a grim warning to the hundreds of climbers who pass him each year.

Retrieving a body at that altitude is extremely dangerous: a helicopter cannot land there. That means experienced Sherpas or climbers must climb to the remains and bring them down the steep ascent—facing significant risks of avalanches, oxygen deprivation, and storms. A very precarious undertaking.

Nevertheless, the Indian government is willing to take the risk. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police has issued a call for bids for a specialized rescue company that operates at high altitudes. The mission is expected to take place between June and September 2026.

Green Boots is one of the most famous landmarks on Mount Everest, and his frozen body has become a navigational aid for other climbers on the difficult Northwest Route. Tsewang Paljor was a member of an Indian team that was set to become the first Indians to reach the summit of Everest. He and two others likely reached the summit but were caught in a deadly snowstorm during their descent.

©Sylvain Mauroux via Unsplash - illustrative image of two mountaineers