Tsewang Paljor: Difference between revisions
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| birth_place = [[Sakti, Leh|Sakti]], [[Leh]], [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]] |
| birth_place = [[Sakti, Leh|Sakti]], [[Leh]], [[Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]] |
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| death_place = [[Mount Everest]] |
| death_place = [[Mount Everest]] |
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| resting_place = "Green Boots" Cave, [[Three Steps|First Step]], [[North Face (Everest)|North Face]], [[Mount Everest]] |
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| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LON|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} --> |
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| religion = [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] |
| religion = [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] |
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| allegiance = [[India|Republic of India]] |
| allegiance = [[India|Republic of India]] |
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| memorials = |
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| relations = |
| relations = Tashi Angmo <small>(mother)</small><br>Thinley Namgyal <small>(brother)</small> |
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'''Tsewang Paljor''' (10 April 1968 – 10 May 1996) was a member of the First Indian team to reach the summit of [[Mount Everest]] from the [[North Col]].<ref name=sev>{{cite book|last=Tenzing|first=Judy|title=Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest|publisher=[[Harper Collins]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-xLOzwkXh9kC&pg=PT92&dq=%22Tsewang+Paljor%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sGIrT7KIL_LE2QW_5fWBDw&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Tsewang%20Paljor%22&f=false}}</ref> |
'''Tsewang Paljor''' (10 April 1968 – 10 May 1996) was a member of the First Indian team to reach the summit of [[Mount Everest]] from the [[North Col]].<ref name=sev>{{cite book|last=Tenzing|first=Judy|title=Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest|publisher=[[Harper Collins]]|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-xLOzwkXh9kC&pg=PT92&dq=%22Tsewang+Paljor%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sGIrT7KIL_LE2QW_5fWBDw&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Tsewang%20Paljor%22&f=false}}</ref> His body, known as '''"Green Boots"''', became a landmark on the mountain until its removal in 2014. |
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==Early life== |
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Paljor was born 10 April 1968 in the Indian village of [[Sakti, Leh]], the middle of six children. He dropped out of school in 10th grade to provide for his family, who were struggling with farming. He joined the [[Indo-Tibetan Border Police]] to make ends meet for his family, and was regarded by his siblings, including monk Thinley Namgyal, as "a kind of Superman." He gained experience climbing several peaks, but never climbed an [[eight-thousander]] until 1996. He had a fondness for singing and roast chicken, something that remained one of his hobbies throughout his life. |
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The Everest disaster of 1996 is well known in mountaineering circles for the deaths of eight climbers, which included five climbers from the Adventure Consultants and [[Mountain Madness]] expeditions on the southeast route. Lesser-known are the three fatalities on the northeast route. These were the climbers from the [[Indo-Tibetan Border Police]] (ITBP) expedition from India. The expedition was led by Commandant (equivalent to [[Lieutenant Colonel]]) Mohinder Singh and is credited as the first Indian ascent of Everest from the East side.<ref>{{Cite book| last =Singh | first =Mohinder | title =Everest: The First Indian Ascent from North | publisher =Indian Publishers Distributors | year = 2003 | isbn= 81-7341-276-6 }}</ref> |
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<ref name="bbc news">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151008-the-tragic-story-of-mt-everests-most-famous-dead-body | title=The Tragic Story of Mount Everest's Most Famous Dead Body | publisher=BBC | work=BBC News | date=8 October 2015 | accessdate=8 October 2015 | author=Nuwer, Rachel}}</ref> |
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==1996 disaster and death== |
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On 10 May 1996, Subedar [[Tsewang Samanla]], Lance Naik (equivalent to [[Lance Corporal]]) [[Dorje Morup]], and Head Constable Tsewang Paljor were caught in the blizzard, just short of the summit. While three of the six-member team turned back down, Samanla, Morup, and Paljor decided to go for the summit.<ref>{{Cite book| last =Krakauer | first =Jon | title =[[Into Thin Air]] | publisher =Anchor Books | year =1997 | isbn=03-8549-208-1 }}</ref> At around 15:45 [[Nepal Time]], the three climbers radioed to their expedition leader that they had arrived, a claim that was subsequently disputed by [[Jon Krakauer]], who based on an analysis of an interview given by a later Japanese team, believes they may have stopped {{convert|150|m|ft|0}} short of the topmost point but been confused by poor visibility. They left an offering of [[prayer flags]], [[khata]]s, and [[piton]]s. Here, the leader Samanla decided to spend extra time for religious ceremonies and instructed the other two to move down. |
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Having been selected to go to Everest to be the first Indians to summit Everest from the north side, he lied to his mother, Tashi Angmo, and said he was going to climb a different mountain. His brother Thinley was quoted as saying after Paljor's death, "He’d just passed his health exam, and he was so excited to go to Tibet. He wasn’t nervous at all. He was really happy about all of this."<ref name="bbc news" /> |
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The [[Indo-Tibetan Border Police]] sent six climbers ([[Tsewang Samanla]], [[Dorje Morup]], Mohinder Singh, Paljor, Jodh Singh, and [[Harbhajan Singh (mountaineer)|Harbhajan Singh]]) to be the first Indians to summit [[Mount Everest]]. The first team to climb was Harbhajan Singh, Samanla, Morup, and Paljor. Two of their Sherpas, Lopsang and Wengchuk, developed frostbite and had to stay behind. The group was delayed by strong winds and then overslept, and departed for the summit at the late hour of 8:00 AM, rather than 3:30 AM. They were instructed that at 2:30 PM, if they had not reached the summit, they were to return to Camp VI. When 2:30 arrived, Harbhajan Singh attempted to get the attention of his three companions and inform them to return to camp. They did not acknowledge him, and continued onward on their trek. Singh returned to camp, rather than pursue them, as he had developed [[frostbite]]. Eventually, Mohinder Singh called the three, and Samanla, after talking with Singh, handed the phone over to Paljor, who remarked to Singh, "Sir, please allow us to go up!"<ref name="bbc news" /> |
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There was no radio contact after that. Back at the camps below, anxious team members saw two headlamps moving slightly above the second step — at {{convert|8570|m|ft|0}}. None of the three managed to come back to high camp at {{convert|8300|m|ft|0}}. |
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Samanla, Paljor, and Morup continued onward, reaching the summit at approximately 3:45 PM [[Nepal Standard Time]], upon which they radioed back to Singh that they had reached the summit. After a brief religious ceremony, Samanla told Paljor and Morup to begin their descent and that he would follow them shortly. |
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The next day, at 6:30 AM NST, Paljor and Samanla were spotted making their descent connected by a rope by a Japanese expedition. Paljor was described as "shivering" and "frostbitten". At some point, Morup and Samanla reunited while Paljor was separated. Eventually, Paljor collapsed to rest in a [[Green Boots|cave near the Northeast Ridge]], lying on his side as the Japanese expedition returned, having previously helped Samanla from the [[Second Step]] down to the [[Three Steps|First Step]]. The expedition walked past him, never aiding him. By this point, he was comatose, He did not ever get up, dying in a fetal position. His body remains there to this day, now known as "[[Green Boots]]", and which is used as a trail marker for climbers to gauge their distance from the top. <ref name=mart>{{cite web|title=Martyrs' Gallery|url=http://itbpolice.nic.in/itbpwebsite/magal.html|work=Martyrs' Gallery|publisher=Indo Tibetan Border Police Force|accessdate=2014-01-01}}</ref> |
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However, since 2014, Paljor's body has gone missing - lately, climbers have been reporting that the cave where his body was is now empty. In addition, most of the bodies in "Rainbow Valley" - named for the vast number of colored jackets and boots bodies within wear - have also vanished. It is thought the [[Chinese Mountaineering Association]] or the [[China Tibet Mountaineering Association]] have either removed the body or it has been buried by covering it with rocks.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151008-the-graveyard-in-the-clouds-everests-200-dead-bodies | title=Death in the Clouds: The problem with Everest's 200+ bodies | accessdate=October 10, 2015}}</ref> |
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[[File:Green Boots.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The body of "Green Boots", thought to be Tsewang Paljor.]] |
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==Legacy== |
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In 2006, British mountaineer [[David Sharp (mountaineer)|David Sharp]] was found in a [[hypothermic]] state in Green Boots' Cave by climber [[Mark Inglis]] and his party. Inglis controversially continued his ascent without offering assistance, and Sharp died of extreme cold some hours later. Around three dozen other climbers would have passed by the dying man that day; it has been suggested that those who noticed him mistook him for Paljor, and therefore paid little attention. Some attempted to help Sharp, but none were able to succeed, and David Sharp froze to death.<ref name=Sharp>{{cite news |last1=Breed |first1=Allen G. |last2=Gurubacharya |first2=Binaj | url = http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=305837&rel_no=1 | title = Part II: Near top of Everest, he waves off fellow climbers: 'I just want to sleep' | date = 18 July 2006 | work = Oh My News}}</ref><ref name=Smithsonian/> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Tsewang Samanla]] |
*[[Tsewang Samanla]] |
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*[[Dorje Morup]] |
*[[Dorje Morup]] |
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* [[Green Boots]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Paljor, Tsewang |
| NAME = Paljor, Tsewang |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paljor, Tsewang}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paljor, Tsewang}} |
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==External links== |
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[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=47709085 Tsewang Paljor at Find a Grave] |
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{{Mount Everest}} |
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{{Unidentified decedent}} |
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[[Category:1968 births]] |
[[Category:1968 births]] |
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[[Category:1996 deaths]] |
[[Category:1996 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Indian mountain climbers]] |
[[Category:Indian mountain climbers]] |
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[[Category:Mountaineering deaths on Mount Everest]] |
[[Category:Mountaineering deaths on Mount Everest]] |
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[[Category:Formerly missing people found deceased]] |
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[[Category:People from Leh district]] |
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[[Category:Mummies]] |
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{{Climbing-bio-stub}} |
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[[Category:Formerly unidentified decedents]] |
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[[Category:Formerly unidentified people]] |
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[[Category:2000s body identifications]] |
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Revision as of 23:07, 11 October 2015
Tsewang Paljor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 April 1968 |
| Died | 10 May 1996 (aged 28) |
| Resting place | "Green Boots" Cave, First Step, North Face, Mount Everest |
| Relatives | Tashi Angmo (mother) Thinley Namgyal (brother) |
| Police career | |
| Allegiance | Republic of India |
| Department | Indo-Tibetan Border Police |
| Status | Deceased |
| Rank | Head Constable |
Tsewang Paljor (10 April 1968 – 10 May 1996) was a member of the First Indian team to reach the summit of Mount Everest from the North Col.[1] His body, known as "Green Boots", became a landmark on the mountain until its removal in 2014.
Early life
Paljor was born 10 April 1968 in the Indian village of Sakti, Leh, the middle of six children. He dropped out of school in 10th grade to provide for his family, who were struggling with farming. He joined the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to make ends meet for his family, and was regarded by his siblings, including monk Thinley Namgyal, as "a kind of Superman." He gained experience climbing several peaks, but never climbed an eight-thousander until 1996. He had a fondness for singing and roast chicken, something that remained one of his hobbies throughout his life. [2]
1996 disaster and death
Having been selected to go to Everest to be the first Indians to summit Everest from the north side, he lied to his mother, Tashi Angmo, and said he was going to climb a different mountain. His brother Thinley was quoted as saying after Paljor's death, "He’d just passed his health exam, and he was so excited to go to Tibet. He wasn’t nervous at all. He was really happy about all of this."[2]
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police sent six climbers (Tsewang Samanla, Dorje Morup, Mohinder Singh, Paljor, Jodh Singh, and Harbhajan Singh) to be the first Indians to summit Mount Everest. The first team to climb was Harbhajan Singh, Samanla, Morup, and Paljor. Two of their Sherpas, Lopsang and Wengchuk, developed frostbite and had to stay behind. The group was delayed by strong winds and then overslept, and departed for the summit at the late hour of 8:00 AM, rather than 3:30 AM. They were instructed that at 2:30 PM, if they had not reached the summit, they were to return to Camp VI. When 2:30 arrived, Harbhajan Singh attempted to get the attention of his three companions and inform them to return to camp. They did not acknowledge him, and continued onward on their trek. Singh returned to camp, rather than pursue them, as he had developed frostbite. Eventually, Mohinder Singh called the three, and Samanla, after talking with Singh, handed the phone over to Paljor, who remarked to Singh, "Sir, please allow us to go up!"[2]
Samanla, Paljor, and Morup continued onward, reaching the summit at approximately 3:45 PM Nepal Standard Time, upon which they radioed back to Singh that they had reached the summit. After a brief religious ceremony, Samanla told Paljor and Morup to begin their descent and that he would follow them shortly.
The next day, at 6:30 AM NST, Paljor and Samanla were spotted making their descent connected by a rope by a Japanese expedition. Paljor was described as "shivering" and "frostbitten". At some point, Morup and Samanla reunited while Paljor was separated. Eventually, Paljor collapsed to rest in a cave near the Northeast Ridge, lying on his side as the Japanese expedition returned, having previously helped Samanla from the Second Step down to the First Step. The expedition walked past him, never aiding him. By this point, he was comatose, He did not ever get up, dying in a fetal position. His body remains there to this day, now known as "Green Boots", and which is used as a trail marker for climbers to gauge their distance from the top. [3]
However, since 2014, Paljor's body has gone missing - lately, climbers have been reporting that the cave where his body was is now empty. In addition, most of the bodies in "Rainbow Valley" - named for the vast number of colored jackets and boots bodies within wear - have also vanished. It is thought the Chinese Mountaineering Association or the China Tibet Mountaineering Association have either removed the body or it has been buried by covering it with rocks.[4]
Legacy
In 2006, British mountaineer David Sharp was found in a hypothermic state in Green Boots' Cave by climber Mark Inglis and his party. Inglis controversially continued his ascent without offering assistance, and Sharp died of extreme cold some hours later. Around three dozen other climbers would have passed by the dying man that day; it has been suggested that those who noticed him mistook him for Paljor, and therefore paid little attention. Some attempted to help Sharp, but none were able to succeed, and David Sharp froze to death.[5][6]
See also
References
- ^ Tenzing, Judy. Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest. Harper Collins.
- ^ a b c Nuwer, Rachel (8 October 2015). "The Tragic Story of Mount Everest's Most Famous Dead Body". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Martyrs' Gallery". Martyrs' Gallery. Indo Tibetan Border Police Force. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "Death in the Clouds: The problem with Everest's 200+ bodies". Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ Breed, Allen G.; Gurubacharya, Binaj (18 July 2006). "Part II: Near top of Everest, he waves off fellow climbers: 'I just want to sleep'". Oh My News.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Smithsonianwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links
Tsewang Paljor at Find a Grave
