THE BIG READ: Trouble at the top of Mount Everest
TSEWANG Paljor’s name is largely unknown by the hundreds of climbers that tramp past him during the short climbing season on Mount Everest. They call him ‘Green Boots’, on account of the fluorescent climbing boots that he wears. He lies half hidden by a dusting of snow in a limestone alcove at the 8,500m mark. This is exactly the spot where he died 18 years ago. Paljor was one of three Indian climbers who reached the summit in May 1996, but all of whom perished in blizzard conditions when they tried to descend.
The ‘Death Zone’, generally understood to begin at the 8,000m mark. There are only 14 mountains on the planet which extend beyond 8,000 meters. The oxygen levels up here are only a third of what they are at sea level. While climbers attempting to summit Everest spend about ten days at base camp acclimatising to the depleted oxygen levels, no human can survive for more than 48 hours in the Death Zone. You get in, get to the summit and get back. Rescue attempts are rare because they are adjudged unlikely to succeed. Attempts to recover bodies are even rarer, though they do happen.
