THE mystery identity of the unknown Mount Everest climber dubbed “Green Boots” has finally been revealed after three decades.
The climber had become a sombre landmark frozen into the ice after dying on the world’s tallest mountain.
‘Green Boots’ was the name given to the corpse of Indian climber Tsewang Paljor who fell victim to exposure in the storm of May 10, 1996
The mystery identity of the ‘Green Boots’ climber has been identified as 47-year-old Indian climber Dorje MorupCredit: Indo-Tibetan Border Police
Known simply as ‘GreenBoots” due to his bright green mountaineering footwear, the man was preserved in the freezing temperatures, with his feet still protruding through the snow and ice.
Thanks to a DNA comparison, he has now been identified as 47-year-old Indian climber Dorje Morup.
For 30 years, many mountaineers thought the body belonged to fellow Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, 28.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) confirmed Dorje’s identity ahead of a push to recover his remains from the notorious “death zone”.
Countless climbers on the mountain’s northeast route pass by himCredit: Getty
Morup had been part of a six-member ITBP expedition that attempted to climb Everest via its north face on May10, 1996.Credit: Getty
He is currently frozen at an altitude of more than 26,246ft.
Officials are looking to engage a high altitude rescue team to undertake the dangerous recovery operation from the mountain’s Tibetan face later in the summer.
Morup had been part of a six-member ITBP expedition that attempted to climb Everest via its north face on May 10, 1996.
But when the team got caught in a savage blizzard near the summit, three of the climbers turned back.
Dorje decided to continue on up the mountain alongside Tsewang Paljor, 28, and Tsewang Samanla.
The trio later died on the mountain, while eight other climbers lost their lives in the 1996 Everest disaster.
Expedition records show that the three climbers had radioed their team leader around 3.45pm Nepal time.
They reported that they had reached the summit.
But later accounts indicated that poor visibility could have made it difficult to confirm their exact position.
It raised the possibility that they had remained 430ft below the snow cap.
And conditions suddenly deteriorated.
Terrifying winds whipped around the mountain, temperatures plunged and visibility shrank to almost nothing.
From below, members of the expedition reportedly spotted two headlamps moving above the Second Step at an altitude of around 28,000ft above sea level.
The lamp sighting was the last time the trio was seen alive as they never returned to High Camp.
Recovering remains from such extreme altitudes is considered exceptionally dangerous, so Dorje’s body was left where he died, with snow and ice preserving them for decades.
Sheltered within a small cave-like recess, his body is curled on its side, appearing to seek refuge from the mountain’s relentless conditions in his final moments.
Deep within the “death zone” of Everest is the area above 26,000ft where the lack of oxygen places immense strain on the human body.
In these conditions, survival can become a minute-by-minute battle.
His body stayed in its final resting place and has become a landmark for climbers attempting to summit the enormous peak.
After remaining unidentified for so long, other climbers began referring to him as “Green Boots”, and the site as “Green Boots Cave”.
Dorje’s distinctive green boots made his remains instantly recognisable and became one of Everest’s most haunting landmarks.
Countless climbers on the mountain’s northeast route pass by him.
As Everest expeditions rose during the years that followed, Green Boots became an unsettling but practical point of reference.
Climbers ascending the North-east Ridge knew that once they had reached the cave, it meant they had arrived at around 27,890ft and were approaching the mountain’s final challenges.
Many stop in the spot to briefly check their oxygen supplies or to rest.
Veteran climber Noel Hanna later said: “It’s hard to miss the person lying there.”
