An Indian mountaineer known as “Green Boots” due to the distinctive lime-colored boots he wore has remained frozen on Mount Everest for three decades following his death in 1996. The remains are believed to belong to Dorje Morup, a lance corporal with the Indo Tibetan Border Police who was part of a historic expedition attempting to summit Everest from the Chinese side of the mountain.
Morup and two expedition teammates, Tsewang Smanla and Tsewang Paljor, reached the 8,849-meter summit before encountering a blizzard during their descent. All three climbers perished in the disaster. While two bodies were never located, the third remained visible in the death zone at approximately 8,500 meters. For years, officials believed the remains belonged to Paljor, but evidence from surviving expedition members and radio contact locations has led authorities to conclude the body is Morup’s. Clothing and climbing gear have further supported this identification.
Retrieving the body presents substantial logistical and safety challenges. The location sits in Everest’s death zone where temperatures drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius and oxygen availability is severely limited. The Chinese side of the peak lacks the support infrastructure available on the more frequently climbed Nepalese slope, and the terrain is steeper with numerous hazards. Experts estimate recovery missions typically cost between $40,000 and $80,000, and require teams of experienced climbers to establish support systems and physically transport remains that may weigh several times more than an average person due to frozen climbing equipment.
The ITBP is funding the recovery operation and hopes to retrieve Morup’s remains by September through partnership with mountain rescue Sherpa groups. Once returned to India, DNA testing will confirm his identity. Morup’s family, who never received closure following his disappearance, anticipates holding a funeral near Martyrs Park in Leh and preserving the iconic Green Boots as a memorial to his legacy and sacrifice.
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