Everest grows by almost a metre after China and Nepal settle a long-running debate
- Twin surveys by the Himalayan neighbours conclude that world’s highest peak is 8,848.86 metres tall – some 86cm more than the earliest highest estimate
- Announcement hailed as a symbol of closer ties between the two as Nepal moves away from reliance on India
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Everest even taller after China and Nepal settle long-running debate over world’s highest mountain
China and Nepal announced Everest’s new official height on Tuesday, agreeing to increase the size of the world’s tallest mountain by almost a metre.
The two sides have long disagreed over the exact measurements of the mountain, which straddles their border, but decided to settle the debate once and for all by conducting twin surveys.
The new figure – 8,848.86 metres (29,031.7ft) – raises the previous highest estimate by 86cm. China had previously set the figure 4 metres lower than that because it counted the summit’s rock base, while Nepal included the snowcap.
The findings also lay to rest a more recent debate about whether the devastating 2015 earthquake in Nepal had caused the summit to rise or fall.
Nepal’s survey department told The Kathmandu Post that the new height had been agreed using both traditional methods and the latest technology to give a figure that was accurate to within a few centimetres.
The announcement highlights the growing closeness between the two countries as Kathmandu moves away from India’s orbit.