Mystery identity of 'Green Boots' climber - who became a macabre landmark frozen in ice after dying on Everest - is finally solved after DNA test

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 08:58, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 08:58, 1 July 2026 The mystery surrounding the identity of Everest's infamous 'Green Boots' climber has finally been solved after a DNA test revealed the frozen mountaineer was not the man many believed for decades.  For almost 30 years, the body of the climber - preserved in snow and ice high on the world's tallest mountain - became a macabre landmark for thousands attempting to reach the summit.  Known simply as 'Green Boots' because of his distinctive bright green mountaineering boots, still protruding from the snow and ice, the remains have now been identified as Indian climber Dorje Morup, 47. For decades, many mountaineers believed the body belonged to fellow Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, 28. The DNA comparison has now ended that long-running mystery.  The identification was confirmed by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) ahead of plans to recover the body from Everest's notorious 'death zone' at an altitude of more than 8,000 metres. Officials are now seeking a specialist high-altitude rescue team to carry out the dangerous recovery operation from the mountain's Tibetan side later this summer.  Morup was part of a six-member ITBP expedition attempting to climb Everest via its north face on May 10, 1996. When the team was caught in a ferocious blizzard near the summit, three climbers turned back.  The mystery surrounding the identity of Everest's infamous 'Green Boots' climber has finally been solved Known simply as 'Green Boots' because of his distinctive bright green mountaineering boots, still visible beneath layers of ice and snow, the remains have now been identified as Indian climber Dorje Morup (pictured)  Morup continued alongside fellow mountaineers Tsewang Paljor, 28, and Tsewang Samanla.  All three died on the mountain, while eight climbers in total lost their lives in the 1996 Everest disaster. According to expedition records, the three climbers radioed their team leader at around 3.45pm Nepal time to report that they had reached the summit. However, later accounts suggested poor visibility may have made it difficult to determine their exact position, raising the possibility that they remained some 430ft below the top. Soon afterwards, conditions deteriorated dramatically. Ferocious winds battered the mountain, temperatures plunged and visibility shrank to almost nothing. From below, members of the expedition reportedly spotted two headlamps moving above the Second Step at an altitude of around 28,000ft above sea level. It would be the last sign of the climbers alive, the three climbers would never return to High Camp. Because recovering bodies from such extreme altitudes is considered exceptionally dangerous, Morup's remains were left where he died, with snow and ice preserving them for decades. Sheltered within a small cave-like recess, his body is curled on its side, apparently after seeking refuge from the mountain's relentless conditions in his final moments. The location sat deep within Everest's so-called 'death zone' – the area above 26,000ft where the lack of oxygen places immense strain on the human body and survival can become a minute-by-minute battle. The identification was confirmed by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) following a DNA comparison ahead of plans to recover the body from Everest's notorious 'death zone' at an altitude of more than 8,000 metres (stock image) The corpse remained where it lay and over time passing expeditions began referring to the site as Green Boots Cave. His distinctive green boots made the body instantly recognisable and turned it into one of Everest's most haunting landmarks, passed by countless climbers on the mountain's northeast route to the summit. As Everest expeditions increased during the years that followed, Green Boots became an unsettling but practical point of reference. Climbers ascending the Northeast Ridge knew that reaching the cave meant they had arrived at around 27,890 feet and were approaching the mountain's final challenges. Many paused there briefly to rest or check oxygen supplies, and discarded oxygen cylinders accumulated around the site. Veteran climber Noel Hanna later said: 'It's hard to miss the person lying there.' For some, encountering Green Boots became one of the most disturbing aspects of climbing Everest. For others, the sight reinforced the brutal reality of the challenge they had chosen to undertake. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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