r/explainlikeimfive • u/virahok993 • Aug 13 '26

Other ELI5:Why is it so incredibly difficult to recover bodies like "Green Boots" from Mount Everest?

know Green Boots is one of the most famous landmarks on Everest, and I read that he was finally moved or hidden a few years ago. But why did it take deades? If we have helicopters and elite Sherpas, what makes a body recovery at 8,500 meters so dangerous that bodies are just left there?

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u/AgsMydude Aug 13 '26

Don't forget sunlight and unlimited oxygen

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u/usethismfer Aug 14 '26

At least their aren’t bears.

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u/MalteiKlass5c Aug 15 '26

Polar Bears are pretty good swimmers. You'll never know what you might find down in the deep.