After 30 Years on Everest, Will the Remains of the “Green Shoe” Owner Finally Return to His Family?

After three decades of resting at a towering height on Mount Everest, Indian authorities are preparing to attempt the recovery of the remains of a climber believed to be the owner of the famous corpse known as “Green Boots,” which has become a well-known landmark on the route to the summit of the world’s highest mountain over the years.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the Indian Border Police are operating on the hypothesis that the remains belong to Indian climber Dorje Morup, who died during a blizzard while descending from the Everest summit in 1996, after years of being misidentified as his fellow climber Tsewang Paljor.

Authorities plan to attempt the recovery of the remains by September 2026, despite the difficulty of the mission, as the body lies at an altitude of approximately 8,500 meters within what is known as the “Death Zone,” where oxygen levels drop drastically and rescue and recovery operations become extremely hazardous.

The identity of the remains has not yet been definitively confirmed through DNA testing. Morup’s family hopes the operation will succeed, allowing them, after 30 years of waiting, to hold a farewell ceremony with his remains and put an end to decades of uncertainty.