The Indian government is organizing an unprecedented, historic mission to recover and bring back the mortal remains of a courageous soldier who went missing in the perilous death zone of Mount Everest three decades ago. This tragic loss occurred during what stands as one of the most disastrous trips in the country’s climbing record, reported The Tribune. Decades after his disappearance, official plans are now in motion to finally return his mortal remains to his grieving family. Lance Naik Dorje Morup had perished during an expedition in 1996, a fateful venture that met a tragic end due to the massive Mount Everest disaster that year.

To honor his memory, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has officially begun the process of recovering the remains. This unique and extremely complicated operation is being planned with meticulous care. Veteran mountaineering experts have analyzed the upcoming logistics and have termed this as one of the most difficult body retrieval missions India has ever attempted. Because the conditions on the upper reaches of the peak require highly specialized skills, the ITBP has put out a tender to recruit a high-altitude recovery agency capable of accomplishing the task safely and successfully.

Finding and moving the fallen soldier presents an extraordinary physical challenge due to the geography of the mountain. Morup’s remains are considered to be located deep within Everest’s infamous “death zone,” where oxygen levels are too low to support human life for extended periods of time. The location is pinpointed at an extreme elevation of about 27,700 feet on the mountain’s northern, Tibet-facing slope.

According to official timelines, the planned operation is set for June through September. Due to the high stakes, a team of professional Sherpas would ascend beyond 8,000 metres to find the body and convey it down the mountain before bringing the mortal remains to India via Nepal.

The scope of work outlined by the military authorities demands a highly specialized rescue crew. The tender document stated that at least 6 exceptionally skilled Nepali Sherpas, ideally Everest summiters with knowledge of technical retrieval operations above 8000 meters, would be needed for the mission. The responsibilities of the operation extend far beyond the physical climb itself. The chosen agency will also have to arrange transportation across the Tibet-Nepal border, obtain authorisations from the Chinese authorities in Tibet, satisfy the legal requirements for repatriation and guarantee the preservation of the remains, which have been subjected to below-freezing temperatures for nearly 30 years. Furthermore, out of profound respect for the fallen soldier and his family, the mission must be carried out completely in accordance with cultural and religious customs.

The tragedy dates back to a period that left a permanent scar on the global climbing community. Morup and 2 others disappeared during one of the deadliest seasons in Everest’s history. The group was trying to reach the summit from the Tibetan mountain’s North Face, pushing forward despite the worsening environment. On 10th May 1996, three members of their six-person summit team withdrew due to severe weather. However, Subedar Tsewang Samanla, Lance Naik Dorje Morup and Head Constable Tsewang Paljor continued their journey. Later that day, an intense snowstorm covered the mountain, and they could not make it back to the camp.

Over the years, the site of this tragedy became highly visible to subsequent climbers, creating a legendary and somber landmark on the route. The corpse of a climber close to a cave on the Northeast Ridge trail became a tragic symbol for mountaineers over time, earning the nickname “Green Boots” due to the characteristic green Koflach mountaineering boots evident on the body.

For a long time, the true identity of this climber has been a subject of debate among historians of the mountain. Some experts and mountaineers believe it belongs to Paljor, while others speculate that it might be of Morup. However, “Green Boots” is listed next to Morup’s name in the ITBP tender form, suggesting that the force considers that the body is that of the latter.

The upcoming mission will test the absolute limits of human endurance and high-altitude logistics. In mountaineering, recovering bodies from the death zone is one of the riskiest operations. Rescuers face serious risks from avalanches, storms, falls, and oxygen deprivation. Furthermore, carrying even a dead climber a short distance at such a high altitude may require multiple Sherpas working in perfect unison. As of right now, the procedure was still in its early stages, and its completion would mostly depend on the weather in the upcoming months.