Everest’s ‘Green Boots’ Body to Be Returned to Family After 30 Years

Nearly three decades after becoming a grim landmark near the summit of Mount Everest, the body widely known as "Green Boots" is set to be recovered and returned to its family in India. Indian authorities believe the remains belong to Dorje Morup, an Indian mountaineer who perished in a devastating blizzard in 1996.

Positioned at roughly 8,500 meters on the treacherous Chinese-side slope, "Green Boots" has served as a chilling reference point for climbers navigating toward the world's highest peak for nearly 30 years.
Morup was a Lance Naik with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). In 1996, he joined a six-member Indian expedition attempting to scale Everest via the dangerous north face. Although three members turned back due worsening weather, Morup and two companions pressed onward, successfully reaching the 8,849-meter summit. All three perished on the descent. While two of the bodies were never recovered, the third became the legendary "Green Boots."

For decades, the remains were widely thought to belong to Tsewang Paljor, another member of the expedition. However, accounts from surviving team members, final radio log positions, and recent examinations of clothing and mountaineering gear have led Indian authorities to conclude the body is that of Morup.

The planned September recovery operation is fraught with extreme danger. Located in Everest's notorious "death zone," the site features temperatures plummeting to minus 40 degrees Celsius and oxygen levels at roughly one-third of sea level. The steep, sheer slope on the Chinese side lacks infrastructure, requiring a dedicated team of 10 to 12 elite mountaineers and Sherpas, extensive rope rigging, and eventual helicopter extraction at lower altitudes. The ITBP is entirely funding the high-cost rescue mission.

For Morup’s family in Ladakh, the operation offers a chance at closure after three decades of agonizing waiting. His wife, Konchak Yangskit, told the BBC that she never fully accepted his death.
"Some nights, it felt as though he would knock on the door," she said.

The family still treasures his medals, trophies, old photographs, and an official summit certificate issued by the Chinese government, which documents that Morup reached the summit of Everest at 5:30 PM on May 10, 1996. Upon recovery, the family plans to hold his final rites in Leh, Ladakh, and preserve the iconic boots alongside his summit certificate as a lasting memorial. His son, Punchok Dorjai, emphasized that his father should be remembered as a martyr.