Are you curious to know what the Rainbow Valley of Mount Everest in Nepal is? Rainbow Valley is an informal name for a section of Mount Everest’s Death Zone where the brightly colored down suits and climbing gear of deceased climbers remain visible. It is no longer a mystery, as many documentaries, books, and firsthand accounts have explored the darker side of climbing the world’s highest mountain. One of the most talked-about stories is Rainbow Valley and the Death Zone on Mount Everest.
As a mountain guide from Nepal and the expedition leader of NEST Adventure, I’m eager to share the facts behind the deaths on Mount Everest that gave Rainbow Valley its name, what really happened there, and why this part of the Death Zone continues to fascinate climbers and travelers from around the world.
Quick Facts
Rainbow Valley is located on Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge in the Death Zone and is known for the brightly colored mountaineering clothing left by climbers who lost their lives at extreme altitudes.
| Location | Northeast Ridge of Mount Everest |
| Country | Tibet Autonomous Region, China |
| Elevation | Approximately 8,500 m (27,887 ft) |
| Mountain | Mount Everest (8,848.86 m / 29,031.7 ft) |
| Route | Standard North Col Route |
| Zone | Death Zone (Above 8,000 m) |
| Official Name | None (Informal nickname) |
| Famous For | Brightly colored mountaineering clothing and equipment of deceased climbers |
| Can Everest Base Camp trekkers visit? | No |
| Best-known landmarks nearby | Green Boots Cave, First Step, Second Step, Summit Ridge |
What Is Rainbow Valley on Mount Everest?
As much as it sounds beautiful when you pronounce “Rainbow Valley,” the story behind the name is extremely disturbing. Located on the Northeast Ridge of Mount Everest at an elevation of approximately 8,500 m (27,887 ft), Rainbow Valley is an informal nickname for a section of the mountain that has become known for the visible bodies of climbers who lost their lives during Everest expeditions. The question is, why do they call it Rainbow Valley? Well, the answer is simple: it’s a metaphor. The brightly colored down jackets, climbing suits, and expedition gear of deceased climbers, scattered across the snow and ice, gave rise to the name “Rainbow Valley.” It’s a relatively small section of the mountain, not a true geographical valley as the name might suggest.
Where Is Rainbow Valley on Mount Everest?
Rainbow Valley lies just below the summit at an elevation of approximately 8,500 m (27,887 ft) on the northern side of Mount Everest, along the Northeast Ridge. Anyone climbing this route has little choice but to pass through or near this section. Many of the climbers who either didn’t make it to the summit or died during their descent remain here because recovering bodies at this altitude is extremely dangerous. This is often described as the ultimate graveyard on Mount Everest. J.H. Moncrieff writes about it in her horror and suspense story, and I kind of agree with her description.
“A Japanese woman named Yasuko Namba, Neal Beidleman, and their team were considered too far gone to make it down the mountain alive.” This is part of the story portrayed in the Hollywood movie Everest. However, the film simplifies and dramatizes several real events. Yasuko Namba died after spending the night in the storm, while Neal Beidleman survived and helped lead several climbers back toward Camp IV.
But Neal Beidleman, from Dallas, Texas, survived the night of the storm and eventually reached Camp IV with other survivors. From this true story, you can understand why some unfortunate mountaineers remain frozen high on Mount Everest. If you put yourself in that situation as a strong climber who had barely made it back to Camp IV while Yasuko Namba remained stranded in the storm, would you risk your own life by climbing back into the Death Zone to rescue her? Probably not. That is one of the harsh realities of climbing Mount Everest. The lesson is that, above 8,000 m (26,247 ft), even experienced climbers may be unable to rescue others without risking their own lives. That is what Rainbow Valley on Mount Everest reminds us of.
Read More: How Was Mount Everest Formed
Why Are There So Many Dead Bodies in Rainbow Valley?
The chances are that when climbers die at high elevations, their bodies remain there. Many climbers purchase rescue or body recovery insurance before an expedition, but recovering a body above 8,000 m (26,247 ft) can cost more than USD 70,000 and is often too dangerous to attempt. Due to the extreme cold, many bodies remain preserved for decades. Many accidents occur in the Death Zone on Mount Everest, and many fatalities occur during the descent after reaching the summit. Climbers who die on the Northeast Ridge often remain where they fell because recovering them is extremely difficult. The trail in the Death Zone is very narrow in many places, often allowing only one climber to pass at a time. If someone dies on the route, other climbers may carefully move the body a short distance away from the climbing line when it is safe to do so. In many cases, however, the bodies remain close to where the climbers lost their lives.
Read More: How Difficult is the Everest Base Camp Trek
Do They Remove Bodies from Mount Everest?
The next possible question you might be thinking is, why don’t they remove the bodies and return them to their families? Well, it’s not as easy as you imagine. Anyone who dies at a very high elevation is extremely difficult to recover because of the severe weather, extreme altitude, and dangerous terrain. Helicopters cannot safely reach or remain in position to conduct search and recovery operations at the highest elevations of Mount Everest due to the thin air, strong winds, and technical conditions. It has to be a human team to recover the body. But the question is, who on earth is willing to risk their lives to recover the dead? Likely very few. That’s why many bodies remain on the mountain, and their brightly colored clothing and expedition gear gave rise to the nickname Rainbow Valley.
Some bodies have been recovered from Mount Everest at a cost that can exceed USD 70,000. But this is not something every family or insurance policy can afford. The cost may increase depending on the difficulty of the recovery and the additional resources required. Another side of the story is that the recovery process is uncertain, even if you are willing to spend more than USD 70,000.
Where Is the Death Zone on Mount Everest?
The Death Zone on Mount Everest is located above 8,000 m (26,247 ft) and extends to the summit at 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft). More than 200 climbers are believed to have died in the Death Zone, out of at least 344 recorded fatalities on Mount Everest since the first official Everest expedition in 1921. They call it the Death Zone because the human body simply can’t adjust to the available oxygen levels here. When you are at this altitude, every breath you take contains only about one-third of the oxygen available at sea level. Running out of supplemental oxygen in this area can quickly become life-threatening. Anyone who reaches this area has little time to linger or take multiple selfies. Also, many sections of the route are extremely narrow, leaving very little space for climbers moving in opposite directions.
The spring of 2019 became one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Mount Everest, with 11 climbers losing their lives. Several of those deaths occurred in the Death Zone. Long queues near the summit, exhaustion, severe weather, altitude-related illnesses, and dwindling oxygen supplies were among the contributing factors.
What Are the Chances of Dying on Mount Everest?
More than 8,000 climbers have stood on top of Mount Everest, and at least 344 climbers have died since the first official Everest expedition in 1921. However, the risk per individual summit attempt has declined significantly over the past few decades and has remained around 1% in recent years. The death ratio on Mount Everest was much higher during the 1970s and 1980s. But as the years passed, the fatality rate declined to around 1% by the late 2010s due to improved weather forecasting, better equipment, fixed ropes, supplemental oxygen, and improved expedition logistics. According to published research, the leading causes of death on Mount Everest include falls, avalanches, altitude-related illnesses, and exposure, with avalanches accounting for a significant proportion of fatalities.
For all climbs above Everest Base Camp, the death rate has dropped from around 3% in the 1950s to approximately 0.9% in recent decades. For Sherpas, the Nepalese high-altitude professionals hired to support mountaineering teams, it has declined from around 1.3% to approximately 0.8%.
Recent climbing seasons have seen more than 800 climbers reach the summit, making them among the busiest in Mount Everest’s history. Mount Everest has the highest number of recorded fatalities, but it does not have the highest fatality rate among the world’s 8,000-meter mountains. Although Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak, K2 is widely regarded as the more technically difficult mountain because of its steep terrain, unpredictable weather, and greater objective hazards. Annapurna I remains one of the world’s most dangerous 8,000-meter peaks, but its modern fatality rate has declined significantly and is now estimated at around 13%, compared with approximately 1% per summit attempt on Mount Everest.
| First Official Everest Expedition | 1921 |
| Successful Climbers | 8,000+ |
| Recorded Fatalities | 344+ |
| Recent Fatality Rate | Approximately 1% per summit attempt |
| Historic Fatality Rate | Approximately 2.2% (1970s–1980s) |
| Death Rate Above Everest Base Camp | Approximately 0.9% |
| Sherpa Fatality Rate | Approximately 0.8% |
| Death Zone Begins | 8,000 m (26,247 ft) |
| Mount Everest Summit | 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) |
| Leading Causes of Death | Falls, avalanches, altitude illness, exposure, and exhaustion |
| Deadliest 8,000 m Peak (Modern Fatality Rate) | Annapurna I (~13%) |
Where Is Green Boots on Mount Everest?
One of the most well-known names during Everest expeditions is “Green Boots.” It is a nickname given to a climber’s body because of the bright green mountaineering boots. High on Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge at an elevation of approximately 27,890 ft (8,500 m), there is a small limestone cave where the body, widely believed to be that of Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, remained for many years, wearing green boots with a few oxygen cylinders nearby.
He was part of a team of six Indian climbers. Based on an interview with team leader Harbhajan Singh, the BBC reported that Tsewang Paljor and one of his teammates, Dorje Morup, were believed to have reached the summit. To this day, Tsewang Paljor and Dorje Morup are widely believed to have been among the first Indian climbers to summit Mount Everest from the North side. During their descent, severe weather struck the team. In the image, which later became famous as “Green Boots,” the body remained in the cave alongside a few empty oxygen bottles for many years. Although the identity has never been officially confirmed, it is widely believed that the body known as Green Boots is Tsewang Paljor, who was wearing green boots when he was last seen alive.
What Happened to Green Boots’ Body?
His body was no longer visible from its usual location in 2014; it is widely believed to have been moved from its original position. However, reports from 2017 suggested that it had become visible again. Today, the body’s exact location has not been officially confirmed. For many years, Tsewang Paljor’s body served as a trail marker for climbers attempting to conquer the world’s highest mountain from its North Face.
Unlike many who ended up in Rainbow Valley without identification, the body widely believed to be Tsewang Paljor, known as “Green Boots,” became one of the most recognized landmarks on Mount Everest and remains one of the mountain’s most well-known stories.
Green Boots is not the only climber whose story became famous on Mount Everest. You can also read the tragic story of Sleeping Beauty of Everest, Francys Arsentiev, whose body remained on the mountain for years after her 1998 expedition.
Read More: Everest Three Pass Trek
FAQs About Rainbow Valley Everest
Rainbow Valley is located on the Tibet (North) side of Mount Everest along the Northeast Ridge. It lies on the standard North Col Route, above 8,000 m (26,247 ft), within the Death Zone.
No. Rainbow Valley is located high in the Death Zone near the summit of Mount Everest. It cannot be seen or visited from the Everest Base Camp trekking route. Most visitors experience Mount Everest through the Everest Base Camp Trek, which stays well below the Death Zone and does not pass through Rainbow Valley.
No. Rainbow Valley is not an official geographical valley. It is an informal nickname given to a section of Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge because of the brightly colored mountaineering clothing and equipment left behind by climbers who lost their lives.
Rainbow Valley is located at an elevation of approximately 8,500 m (27,887 ft), within Mount Everest’s Death Zone above 8,000 m (26,247 ft).
No. Rainbow Valley is only accessible to climbers attempting the summit of Mount Everest via the North Col Route. Reaching this altitude requires extensive mountaineering experience, permits, and expedition support.
The body known as Green Boots was no longer visible from its original location after 2014. Although reports suggested it became visible again in 2017, its exact current location has not been officially confirmed.
Rainbow Valley is located on Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge along the standard North Col Route from Tibet. Climbers attempting the summit from the north typically pass through or near this section.
Recovering a body from Mount Everest can cost more than USD 70,000, depending on the altitude, weather, technical difficulty, permits, and the size of the recovery team.
Yes. Although rare, some climbers have survived an unplanned night in the Death Zone. Survival depends on weather, physical condition, supplemental oxygen, and timely assistance, but the risk is extremely high.
No. Helicopters generally cannot safely perform rescues at the highest elevations of the Death Zone because of the thin air, strong winds, and lack of lift. Most rescues above 8,000 m (26,247 ft) must be carried out by climbers and high-altitude support teams.
No. Rainbow Valley is not a tourist destination. It can only be reached by experienced mountaineers participating in a permitted Everest expedition via the North Col Route.
Summary
I know it’s not a pleasant topic, but I realize why it is important to share the facts. And I guess it is what it is. Climbers know the mountains are dangerous, yet more and more people attempt Mount Everest each climbing season. By the time I finished writing this article, I had probably read content many times longer than what I have written here and learned that, in the Death Zone, climbers often face impossible decisions between pursuing their own survival and attempting a rescue. In mountaineering ethics, it is believed that “Saving one life is worth more than 100 summits.” Yet, in the harsh reality of extreme altitude, rescuing others is not always possible. The dream for many is to stand on the summit of Mount Everest.
Regardless of how fearless climbers are, no one wishes to become part of Rainbow Valley or be remembered like Green Boots. If you are a climber reading this article and hope to embark on this mighty Himalayan journey one day, please keep in mind that “Saving one life is worth more than 100 summits.” Be kind to others and offer help whenever it is safe and possible, even if it means giving up your dream.
When the story of Green Boots became widely known worldwide, it brought renewed attention to the tragedy the climber’s family experienced. There are many families who have lost loved ones on Mount Everest, and each loss is deeply personal. My sincere condolences go to all the families who have lost someone on the mountain, and may those who passed away rest in peace.
Disclaimer: Please do not copy or republish this article without proper source attribution.
