Finally certainty: Everest body identified after 30 years

Kathmandu (Nepal) – For around 30 years it was probably the most famous puzzle on Mount Everest. Because of his striking green mountaineering boots, everyone called him “Green Boots.” Now his true identity has been clarified: A DNA test identified the dead man as the Indian mountaineer Dorje Morup († 47). The result only became public now in connection with the planned recovery of the body.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) confirmed the identity of the deceased after DNA matching. Morup’s body is expected to be recovered from the so-called death zone at an altitude of more than 8,000 meters this summer. The ITBP is currently looking for a company that specializes in high-altitude rescue operations.

Now “Green Boots” is to be recovered

The delicate rescue should take place on the Tibetan side of the Mount Everest take place. This requires at least six experienced Sherpas who specialize in technical rescues at extreme altitudes. In addition, numerous permits must be obtained from the Chinese authorities in Tibet before the body can be transported to Kathmandu and then to India.

Deadly storm at the summit

Morup was part of a six-member Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition that climbed Mount Everest via the north side on May 10, 1996. When the group encountered a heavy snowstorm near the summit, three participants turned back. Morup continued the rise together with Tsewang Paljor (†28) and Tsewang Samanla. All three died a short time later on the mountain. A total of eight mountaineers died in the Everest disaster in May 1996.

Because rescues at extreme altitudes are considered life-threatening, Morup’s body remained on the mountain for around 30 years. Snow and ice preserved the body for decades. He was nicknamed “Green Boots” because of his striking green Koflach mountaineering boots. For countless Everest climbers, the body became a macabre landmark on the northeast route to the summit.

Long thought to be another mountaineer

Was for decades the identity of the dead man is disputed. Many mountaineers assumed that “Green Boots” was the Indian alpinist Tsewang Paljor (†28). Only the DNA comparison that has now become known brought certainty: the dead man was Dorje Morup.