Nearly three decades after a tragic expedition on Mount Everest, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has initiated efforts to recover the body known worldwide as "Green Boots" from the mountain's notorious death zone.
The force has floated a tender to appoint a specialist high-altitude recovery agency for the operation, which is expected to take place between June and September this year. According to a report by The Tribune, the mission will involve experienced Sherpas entering the extreme-altitude zone above 8,000 metres to retrieve the remains and facilitate their return to India through Nepal.
The planned operation is being viewed as a significant humanitarian effort, aimed at bringing closure to one of Everest's most enduring mysteries.
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One of Everest's most recognisable landmarks
For years, climbers ascending Everest's northern route have passed a body lying near a rocky shelter in the death zone. The distinctive lime-green mountaineering boots earned the climber the name "Green Boots", turning the site into one of the mountain's most well-known markers.
While the identity has never been officially confirmed, many mountaineering accounts associate the body with members of an ITBP expedition that ended in tragedy during the 1996 climbing season.
According to various reports, the climber is believed to be either Lance Naik Dorje Morup or Head Constable Tsewang Paljor, who were part of a six-member Indian expedition attempting to summit Everest via the north ridge route.
The retrieval operation will require specialised expertise. Tender documents reportedly state that the selected agency must deploy at least six highly experienced Sherpas capable of conducting technical recovery work above 8,000 metres. The agency will also be responsible for obtaining necessary permissions from Chinese authorities in Tibet, coordinating cross-border transportation, completing legal formalities and ensuring the respectful preservation of the remains.
The tender further specifies that appropriate preservation methods must be used while handling the body, which has remained exposed to sub-zero temperatures for decades.
A reminder of Everest's dangers
The mission has also renewed attention on the risks associated with high-altitude mountaineering. Everest's death zone, where oxygen levels are critically low, remains one of the most dangerous environments on Earth.
Mountaineering experts estimate that nearly 200 bodies remain on Everest, many of them in areas where recovery operations are considered extremely difficult or dangerous.
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Due to the effects of climate change and glacier melt, which have exposed portions of the mountain previously covered in snow and ice, the topic of the need for more body recovery missions on the world’s tallest peak has emerged.
If successful, the mission could mark one of the most significant body recovery operations ever undertaken in Everest's death zone.
FAQs
1. What is 'Green Boots' on Mount Everest?
The identity of "Green Boots" refers to that of a mountaineer whose body was found lying on the northern side of Mount Everest from 1996 onwards. It is generally assumed to be associated with an ITBP expedition team, although this has not yet been officially identified.
2. Why is it so hard to retrieve bodies on Mount Everest?
Bodies recovered from Mount Everest usually lie above 8,000 meters, making their recovery extremely difficult due to a lack of oxygen and other harsh conditions.
