Archive · 8 Aug 2026
India plans daring mission to recover Green Boots from Everest
About 30 years ago, a man from India named Dorje Morup climbed Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
He reached the very top with two teammates.
But on the way down, a terrible snowstorm struck, and the climbers froze to death.
Morup's body stayed on the mountain, and because he wore bright green boots, climbers called it 'Green Boots'.
For a long time, people thought the body was Morup's teammate, not Morup himself.
Now, Indian police think it really is Morup, and they want to bring his body home.
Getting a body off Everest is very hard and dangerous, because it is freezing cold, there is very little air, and the body can be very heavy.
The mission costs a lot of money and needs brave, expert climbers.
Morup's wife, who is now 75, never stopped hoping he would come back.
India hopes to bring him home by September, and a DNA test will make sure it is really him.
India's Indo-Tibetan Border Police is planning a hazardous high-altitude mission to retrieve the body of climber Dorje Morup from Everest's death zone.
Morup, then 48 and a lance naik with the ITBP, died during a blizzard while descending from the summit on 10 May 1996.
His body, known for decades as 'Green Boots' because of its lime-coloured footwear, has lain at roughly 8,500 metres on the northern route.
The body was long believed to belong to teammate Tsewang Paljor, but recovered clothing and equipment have pointed authorities to Morup.
The ITBP, which is funding the operation, aims to bring the remains back to India by September, with DNA testing to confirm identity.
- Who
- Dorje Morup, an Indian climber and lance naik with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police; the force is organizing the recovery for his family.
- What
- A dangerous plan to recover the remains of 'Green Boots' — believed to be Morup — from Mount Everest's death zone.
- When
- Morup died in 1996 during an expedition; the ITBP aims to bring his remains back to India by September.
- Where
- Mount Everest, at roughly 8,500 metres on the Chinese (northern) route; Morup's family lives in Ladakh, India.
- Why
- To give Morup's family, especially his wife Konchak Yangskit, long-delayed closure after three decades.
- Climber
- Dorje Morup, lance naik, Indo-Tibetan Border Police
- Age at death
- 48
- Expedition
- Six-member ITBP team, first Indian attempt via Everest's northern (Chinese) route
- Summit
- 10 May 1996, 5:30 pm, 8,849 metres
- Body location
- About 8,500 metres on Everest's northern slope
- Recovery cost
- $40,000-$80,000 for routine missions
- Target repatriation
- September
- Confirmation method
- DNA testing