On record, there are over 200 bodies frozen in time on Mt Everest and the number is growing with every passing year.
Many bodies of climbers who have attempted to climb the peak of the tallest mountain lie tucked into crevasses, buried in the Himalayan ice or swept off the face of the mountain by ferocious winds.
Other bodies are sun-bleached and remain frozen, serving as guides for climbers who still dare to summit the mountain.
Because of the huge number of bodies at the ‘highest point on Earth’, the mountain was nicknamed the world’s largest open-air graveyard.
Some of the mountain climbers who take this daring journey make a wish to be left on the mountain if they die.
However, others are left on top of the mountain because their families are unable to raise Ksh10,242,949 (£61,000), the amount required to bring their bodies down.
Also, it takes six to eight Sherpas to go on a recovery mission and bring down a dead body from the mountain, which could weigh about 80 to 150 kilograms when frozen.
Also Read: Cheruiyot Kirui: Inspiring Career of Banker who Died Climbing Mt Everest
Green Boots; Most Famous Dead Body on Mt Everest
Among the over 200 dead bodies on the mountain, there lies one that has gained recognition over the years, becoming the most famous dead body.
The body was once a young Indian climber named Tsewang Paljor who lost his life in the infamous 1996 blizzard that hit the mountain.
For about 20 years, the body of Paljor, popularly known as Green Boots, for the shoes he was wearing when his body was discovered, has lain at the summit of Everest’s north side.
His body lies in a small limestone cave at around 8,500 meters (27,900 feet) on the northeast route of the mountain, curled under a boulder with his gear and rucksack beside him.
However, before he became Green Boots, Tsewang Paljor was an accomplished climber who began exploring high peaks in the rugged terrain of Asia.
He was born on April 10, 1968, in the small village of Sakti in Ladakh, India and believed that climbing was his calling so much so that he got to become the head constable of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
ITBP patrolled and protected the 2,167-mile (3,488 kilometer) India-China border.
Furthermore, in 1996, Paljor was part of an ambitious expedition aimed at conquering Everest, led by Commandant Mohinder Singh. The summit marked the first Indian attempt to scale the 29,032-foot (8,849 meter) peak. The six-person team was composed of experienced climbers from the Border Police.
However, when the blizzard hit, three members of the team (Tsewang Paljor, Tsewang Smanla, Dorje Morup) continued with the summit while the others retreated.
Paljor was 28 years old when he died.
Since then, many climbers over the years have used his body as a landmark as they climb the mountain, and in many cases have to jump over his legs during a summit.
Also Read: Kenyan Climber Confirmed Dead After Going Missing on Mt Everest
How Climbers Die on the Mountain
One guide at a past Daily Mail interview said that about 10 bodies were visible to anyone completing the final summit push before 2014 from the Northeast Ridge, but in the years since he’d only counted two or three.
Furthermore, the guide said that Sherpas, who are hired to escort climbers up the mountain and ensure their safe return, have no hesitation in warning individuals if they are at risk of death. However, most fatalities occur among clients who ignore these warnings.
“Your Sherpa will tell you, ”You’re too slow, you have to turn around or you’ll die”, and some people don’t,” he said.
A Kenyan climber, Cheruiyot Kirui, who attempted to scale Mt Everest without using supplemental oxygen was on May 23, confirmed dead, adding to the list of the climbers who have lost their lives at the highest point of the world.
Many of the bodies on the mountain are not recovered because of the extreme Conditions, Physical Exhaustion when carrying a body down the mountain, Technical Challenges because of the terrain, the cost and other safety risks.
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