Human beings are bound to cling to something that makes their life easier. Some create a passion for sports, some for art, some go with travel, and some for literature.
The list goes on. This is a story about a guy who has an extreme love for Mountains.
However, the tale may not have a happy ending, as the guy sets his final journey in the spring of 1996 at Mt. Everest. An unfortunate and tragic incident to remember by the Moniker “ The Green Boot Guy” till today.
Story of the Green Boot Guy
Born on April 10, 1968, in the small village of India called Shakti, Tsewang Paljor was dedicated to the love for mountains. They say, that when Passion meets the profession it reduces the complexity and pressure of existence.
An Indian climber who later followed his passion towards the footsteps of the tallest mountain ( Mt. Everest) in the world teaches a lot in the end.
With grace and fate, Tsewang accomplished multiple peaks followed by his passion. Later, he was called by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which created a bridge of courage to reach the top of the summit, Mount Everest of Nepal.
This is not an ordinary profession. ITBP primarily focuses on inspecting and protecting the 2167 mile (3488 km ) India- China which strained across the hazardous terrains at the altitudes. This force also prevents any illegal border activities ensuring the safety of remote border areas and maintaining security threats.
Tsewang Paljor was responsible for entirely all of it.
A Cop With an Ambition
The Military background is a proud profession in itself where not only the family but the entire country vows their safety by trusting the Military. Paljor was the head constable. A head constable is equal to a sergeant in police forces in other countries.
Luckily, this job helped him pursue enough training and experience that is required to reach the Supreme Summit: Mount Everest.
Calamitous Everest Expedition 1996
The military holds numerous services beneficial to the soldiers. A tough job profession where one is not allowed to be selfish and commit himself to the nation is a sign of bravery and remarkably applaudable.
Paljor was an unfathomably tough guy. As a part of an ambitious ITBP expedition, Paljor got a chance to defeat his every fear and conquer the top of the summit.
Climbing Mt. Everest is one of the deadliest summits and a challenge to everyone. You need to have every single detail, fact, diagram, and roadmap. One single change in the plan may put you in danger. Likewise, one bad decision will alter your expedition. So, be wise in who to trust while you climb the peak.
The Everest expedition was led by the expedition leader Mohinder Singh. The first Indian to climb a 29,032 foot ( 8849 m) peak from its eastern plans. The team was formed followed by the 6 experienced climbers from the Border Police.
Sherpas are the residents of the Everest. Their entire livelihood, their lifestyle are based on Everest. Or say, they are experienced tour and trek guides that will take you to the mountains starting from the Everest Base Camp.
It is said that they did not hire any Sherpas for guidance and support. That might be a wrong turn for the fall of the Green Boot Guy or the summit attempt failure.
You want to set foot on the top of the mountain. The beauty of the Mountain may take you to the top but have you considered the probability of the Mountain Swallowing you up?
The team started their journey. The more they pushed the height, the more Paljor and the team faced bad weather conditions. The visibility became unclear, the trails became more steeper.
In the end, the blizzard had Swallowed the entire Mountain.
Tsewang Paljor, Tsewang Smanla, and Dorje Morup claimed to have reached the summit of the team. As per the Nepali time at 11:45, they tried to call their expedition leader through their communication channel to inform them that they reached the top.
However, the evidence collected from nearly a decade ago suggested that they may not have entirely reached the top of Everest but stayed below 430 feet ( 150 meters) as the visibility was completely unfair creating confusion for all of us.
Isn’t death horrible when no one can witness you pass or claim your body? You are just lying with everything crushed somewhere in between mountains. The Indian climbers vanished into the storm. They were never returned. The dead bodies were unable to be rescued instantly.
The teammates saw the fleeting headlamps near the second Step ( 28, 117 ft/ 8570 ) but the 3 climbers never returned to their high camp. (27,231 ft / 8, 300 ) m.
Deputy Team leader and expedition leader.
Mahendra Singh as an expedition leader and Harbhajan Singh as a Deputy leader took the risk of making the Indians visible and making all the Indians proud. They were with their team at every step.
The expedition leader Mahendra Singh despite his clear instructions to not make any move if there is a delay in their 2 o’clock rule.
They were clearly instructed to not start the journey even if they reached at 2:30- 3 pm. Likewise, Harbhajan Singh who was there with the team, the deputy team leader from the team signaled to not make any further travel and stay safe but the three climbers pushed their bodies beyond to reach the summit.
On the other hand, Harbhajan Singh suffering from frostbite made his way to descent back to Camp VI. Luckily, Around 5:45 p.m. Subedar Tsewang one of his team radioed the expedition leader Mahendra Singh to share their victory.
A proud moment for all the Indians. The news of the successful summit spread worldwide.
But their fate was their death as they were hit by the storm unable to be rescued. The disaster among teams led them to depart from each other.
The expedition Leader Mahendra Singh, later asked for aid from Furukawa( A Japanese Expedition ) but a failed attempt as they tragically vanished in the storm.
Today, Harbhajan Singh is the Inspector General at ITBP and also received the Padma Shri award. He still summons that day as a tragic incident and gets teary-eyed remembering the dead.
“Green Boots” Title
A very controversial subject to this day is the story of Green Boots. The notorious landmark over the decades for climbers on the Northeast Ridge is of the Indo-Tibetan guy Paljor or his teammate Dorje Morup is creating a mystery to the world till today.
Koflach is a famous company for equipping climbers. A body was discovered with bright-green Koflach boots and was encountered by the rest of the climbers under a cave. Then they Monikered Paljor as “ Green Boots “ due to his striking and eye-catching Boots.
The Niche where the Green Boot Guy lay, 27,890 feet (8,500m ) in height is known as a “ Green Boots Cave “ till today.
The Controversial Subject of The Green Boot Guy may be confusing but no matter who the person is, whether it’s Paljor or Dorje or some other undisclosed guy, all are a sign of courage and a proud citizen for the Nation.
The Green Boot Guy, died at the age of 28, Young and brave.
Was it Tsewang Paljor or Dorje Morup the green Boot Guy?
The senior deputy leader of the ITBP expedition, P.M. Das, has opposed and claimed that the Green Boot guy was none other than Dorje Morup.
However, the true identity is still controversial.
Later P. M. Das also wrote an article in 1997 on “ The Indian Ascent of Qomolungma by the North Ridge.” to prove his point.
To be fair, Das has his own theories. The fellow Japanese had encountered Morup lying down with Frostbite, unable to move or stand, even breathe. The human body gets restless.
There were difficulty with his equipment in between the First and Second Steps. However, the Japanese helped him with the rope transition and continued their journey leaving Morup Behind.
A Sherpa from the Japanese Climbing team witnessed Paljor alive but unhinged between the First and Second Steps. Likewise, the body of their third teammate Tsewang Smanla was seen above the Second Step.
The Japanese team claimed to have witnessed Morup again below the First Step during their descent. He was not conscious but trying his best to make his way down. But they lost sight again.
No one encountered Morup nor Paljor alive again. They believe Morup passed away taking shelter under a cave close to Camp 6, along with his climbing gear and rucksack beside him.
The team theorized Paljor had fallen down the Kangshung Face with nowhere of his body to be found.
Conclusively, most of the evidence shows that the unidentified body with the green boot was of an Indian Mountaineer Tsewang Paljor.
Who was Tsewang Paljor or Dorje Morup?
Tsewang Paljor:
Born on April 10, 1968, in a small village in Sakti. A very passionate climber from India tragically died in a storm in the 1996 Everest Disaster.
Human beings are born free but with every growth the dreams make their tiny shoulder heavier.
On following his passion, his tiny feet led him to the Base Camp of Mountains and further to the Everest Base Camp.
Dorge Morup:
Born on October 1, 1948, Dorje Morup was one of the team members of the ITBP expedition. He was fierce and unfortunately died in the 1996 Everest Disaster unable to be rescued. Later he was also encountered lying under the shelter of the boulder close to Camp VI by fellow climbers.
David Sharp: A controversial figure
On May 16, 1996, the body of a climber was seen lying next to the Green Boots by fellow climbers. The body reluctantly distinguished to be of David Sharp.
A solo climber who cared to not inform anyone during the most threatening expedition.
There is no valid confirmation if David Sharp really reached the summit or not. But I hope he did.
Despite his every attempt, the harsh conditions and dwindling oxygen, and his reluctant careless behavior to not inform anyone, the climber lacked the means to communicate his location or trace him.
The extreme cold, potential equipment failure, and altitude sickness at the mountain caused the person to struggle alone.
Later, David Sharp was found dead next to Green Boots.
It is obvious that the oxygen deprivation, fatigue, and darkness on the steep ways made the descent unclear to Camp IV, making his every attempt impossible.
He died tragically in a Green Boots Cave. Later, a team say, climber Mark Inglis and his team found the deceased climber on their way.
Does Green Boots Stay on Everest Forever?
The Mountain claims to be a “Beauty and a Beast”. It gives you the most beautiful feeling of being alive but also makes you experience the untold and harsh parts of the mountains.
The Rainbow Valley is itself the dark side of the Mountains where thousands of dead bodies are lying unretrieved.
It has colorful climbing gears and discarded oxygen bottles that make the visibility clear like a rainbow. The Rainbow Valley is a threat where there are chances of not returning back to the Everest Base Camp from the summit.
Broadly speaking, the Rainbow Valley is just beneath the summit.
On the way lies one of the unretrieved bodies of Tsewang Paljor.
“ The Green Boots” to the world. One of the deadliest incidents to remember was caused by the blizzard that took the lives of Tsewang Paljor and his team.
The climbers and the report based in 2014 suggested that the body was not under anyone’s visual and might have been removed or buried safely.
But, Yes, some reports still say the unidentified climber with green mountaineering boots on were still on their way to Everest in the same spot but this time with more rocks surrounding the body with snow in 2017.
Broadly Speaking, he stays on Mount Everest if his body is unreached by any other climbers or the rescuer team.
May his soul rest in peace.
Why are bodies abandoned on Mount Everest?
Harsh climatic Conditions
The climatic conditions above 8ooom are harsh with sub-zero temperatures, thin air leads to hypoxia, and unpredictable weather making survival and retrieval of bodies difficult.
Hence, the harsh conditions create a rescue threat.
Extreme tiredness
The oxygen depletion at higher altitudes increases risks for survival causing several fatalities. The ascent and descent of Everest will reduce your physical and mental capabilities making your body numb and mental capabilities making your body numb and mental capabilities making your body numb. There is a lack of oxygen and very thin air in the Mountains. So, even thinking of rescue for the injured body apart from your own traumatizes and one should not even try it.
Geographical Constraints
There are steep ice walls, crevasses, and rocky outcrops that require technical skills to study and create a roadmap for every climber.
Threats
The altitude of Mount Everest is a threat in itself. Climbing is already riskier so, additional tasks of retrieving a body from above are too dangerous.
Cost charges
Approximately, 700k USD is considered a rescue charge. The rescuing process may involve additional equipment, highly skilled Sherpas, and possibly helicopter flights which may also be of major risk due to air depletion and technical challenges.
Laws and Authorizations
Permission from the respective governments ie Nepal and China as the mountain spans the border of these two countries is mandatory. This is a very sensitive action that may take another life due to multiple factors. It creates risks, and threats which complicate the recovery efforts.
Was The Green Boots By Himself on Mt. Everest During the Journey?
The tragic expedition of 1996 leaves a very painful trace mark in the history of mountaineering. The climb holds numerous risks and one could not possibly think of thriving the peak solo or alone.
The demise of MT Everest Green Boots was painful but no, the climber was not alone or just by himself. The deceased climber was a member of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP).
Their main focus was to succeed in the climb of the Mountain through the Challenging Northeast Ridge route. It was the year 1996 when they started their journey. The team formation was of 6 members, each capable of handling the victory and the defeats.
But fate does not favor everyone. The entire mountain was hit by a blizzard causing the visibility impossible and they continued their journey. It was very dark with cold.
Nature has its own rules. It has its pattern where no one can fight against it or go against it. The cold was undefeatable, and so was the storm at the highest point.
In the end, the Mountain couldn’t show any mercy to the poor climbers. Dorge Morup, Tsewang, and the guy with the Green Boots had to leave their life behind Later, the Green Boot Guy was encountered by some fellow Japanese climbers and named the person “ The Green Boots” of Mount Everest as a memoir.
Limelight on Green Boots
In May 1996, British Filmmaker and climber Matt Dickinson filmed the first video footage of the climber’s resting place. This video tragically is a testament to climber’s risks at high altitudes.
Precisely, there is a Brian Blessed documentary ” Summit Fever” which typically shows the frozen figure of a Nepali climber and hints at Everest’s beauty and the beast.
These videos and documentaries instantly attracted the mountaineering community.
Conclusion
The story of the famous body “The Green Boots” is a reminder of the casualties and the harshness that every climber possibly has to face on the climb. Today, the Green boot is controversial symbolizing the problems of unretrieved bodies, and treacherous environments.
On the contrary, it symbolizes the risks of the climb and the honor owned by those who faced tragic death without a trace. The Green Boot Guy may not be among us today but the heroic gesture of risking life to climb Mount Everest will forever be engraved among us.
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