Allegedly shrunk

Nepal is now remeasuring the world’s highest mountain

The highest mountain in the world is being remeasured. As the Nepalese authorities announced on Monday, the measurement of Mount Everest is intended to counteract persistent rumors that the mountain in the Himalayas has shrunk. Mountaineers appointed by the government in Kathmandu are to carry out the survey.

Officially, Mount Everest is 8848 meters high. This figure is based on an Indian measurement from 1954. Since then, numerous other teams have measured the mountain. According to a US measurement from 1999, in which GPS technology was used, Mount Everest is actually 8850 meters high. However, the 1954 altitude is still the most commonly used.

Severe earthquake triggers controversy
 After a severe earthquake in Nepal in 2015, a controversy arose as to whether the tremors had caused the mountain to shrink. The Nepalese authorities had therefore already initiated preparations for an expedition in 2017. Four government surveyors spent two years tinkering with their measuring methods and training for the extreme challenges of climbing Mount Everest.

"It will not be easy to work on this terrain, but we are confident that our mission will be successful," said expedition leader and chief surveyor Khim Lal Gautam. The expedition also gives Nepal the opportunity to carry out its own survey of the mountain, for which the country is famous, for the first time.