A CNN report, published on 10/10, features previously unreleased documentary footage of Dorje Morup, an Indian mountaineer who died on Everest in 5/1996. His body later became famously known as "Green Boots."

Filmed in 4/1996, the video shows a man in a sweater attaching crampons to his green climbing boots, preparing for his Everest expedition. Subsequent scenes depict expedition members walking in a line on the snow, eating, and chatting inside a tent.

Harbhajan Singh, a 70-year-old former officer with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), provided these videos to CNN. Singh was among the last people to see Morup alive. During an interview at his Punjab home, he showed reporters photo album images of his three teammates: Dorje Morup, Tsewang Paljor, and Tsewang Smanla.

The body of Green Boots. Photo: *Swotah Travel*

Singh described Morup, Paljor, and Smanla as fit, experienced mountaineers, close like family. Morup, though quiet, often volunteered for difficult tasks, such as fixing ropes. On 10/5/1996, at the Second Step (above 8,000 m), Singh observed deteriorating weather and decided to return to camp. His three teammates pressed on towards the summit, disregarding warnings about their return time.

After successfully summiting Everest, all three vanished in a blizzard. Morup is believed to have descended below the First Step before perishing in a small rock overhang. His body, identifiable by its exposed green boots, became a landmark for generations of climbers on Everest's north route, often used to gauge remaining distance to the summit.

For years, the identity of the deceased remained debated, with a popular theory attributing it to Tsewang Paljor, another Indian expedition member who died in 1996.

In 2025, Nepal's Asian Trekking expedition company discreetly sent Sherpa guides to the body at above 8,000 m, collecting hair and nail samples for DNA testing. Indian test results confirmed the body as Morup, who was 47 years old at the time of his death. This identification paves the way for plans to return him home after three decades on Everest.

In 2026, the ITBP began seeking an organization capable of undertaking the recovery mission, projected for the 4-5/2027 climbing season, pending necessary procedural completion. Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking CEO, estimates a team of about 8 experienced Sherpas could accomplish the task.

The mission is exceptionally dangerous: the body has been frozen for 30 years at above 8,000 m, a zone with scarce oxygen, harsh weather, and treacherous terrain. Recovery also hinges on China's approval, as Morup lies on its mountain slope. Chinese mountaineering authorities have not yet responded to the prospect of deployment.