India’s government is soliciting bids for a mission to retrieve the remains of “Green Boots,” a climber who died 30 years ago on Mount Everest. See an image of “Green Boots” here(scroll and use the slider to reveal).
In 1996, climbers attempted the first Indian ascent of Everest from the northeast side in Tibet. (Climbing from Nepal’s south side is more common, accounting for about 70% of climbs.) Near the summit, the group was hit by the blizzard chronicled in Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air.” Eight people died, including three Indian climbers, of whom only one body has been found. Nicknamed for his lime-colored boots, the body remains on the trail, and DNA has confirmed he is Indian soldier Dorje Morup. India wants the retrieval completed by October, despite poor weather conditions.
About 200 bodies remain on Mount Everest. Efforts to retrieve them are dangerous, although some—including “Sleeping Beauty”—have been moved out of sight.
