Identity of infamous Mount Everest climber ‘Green Boots’ finally solved after DNA test

WARNING, DISTRESSING IMAGES: The mystery climber, known only as Green Boots to those familiar with the climb, has been revealed after three decades of his body laying frozen up the mountain

The body of a man which has laid at Mount Everest for 30 years has finally been uncovered.

The mystery climber, known only as Green Boots to those familiar with the gruelling climb, has finally been revealed after three decades of his body laying frozen thousands of feet up the infamous mountain. His body has become a sombre landmark frozen into the ice after dying on the world’s tallest mountain, and is now a spot that current climbers use as a spot as they summit the mountain to know they are on the right path.

He is known only as ‘GreenBoots” due to his bright green mountaineering footwear that can still be spotted. His body has remained preserved in the freezing temperatures, with his feet still protruding through the snow and ice.

But now for the first time, he can officially be identified as 47-year-old Indian climber Dorje Morup after DNA tests were done. For 30 years, many mountaineers thought the body belonged to fellow Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, 28.

But the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) confirmed Dorje’s identity ahead of a push to recover his remains from the notorious “death zone” where he remains completely frozen and preserved at an altitude of more than 26,246ft.

Officials now say they are considering a rescue mission this summer to try and retrieve his body from the mountain. The gruelling task would require a specialist team to go up, considering how high and dangerous the feat would be.

Police said that Morup had been part of a strong team that attempted to climb Everest via its north face on May 10, 1996. But the climbers got caught in a horror blizzard near the summit, forcing the group to split.

Three of the climbers turned back but Dorje decided to continue up, climbing alongside Tsewang Paljor, 28, and Tsewang Samanla. All three died on the mountain, but expedition records show they got to the top but died coming back down.

Deep within the “death zone” of Everest is the area above 26,000ft where the lack of oxygen places immense strain on the human body. The body starts to shut down, organ by organ, as it struggles with the severe lack of oxygen.

After remaining unidentified for so long, other climbers have used “Green Boots” as a climbing landmark with his distinctive green boots making his frozen body instantly recognisable.

Climbers ascending the North-east Ridge knew that once they had reached the cave, it meant they had arrived at around 27,890ft and were approaching the mountain’s final challenges.