In an effort to put an end to generations of controversy, the authorities in Nepal are to launch an operation to try to ascertain the precise height of the world’s biggest mountain. The project could take up to two years, and even then it is more than likely that not everyone will agree.
While for well over a hundred years Everest has been recognised as the planet’s highest point, there are differences of opinion as to the exact dimensions and even over what should actually be measured.
For more than half a century, Nepal has recognised the generally accepted height of 29,028ft for what they call Sagarmatha, despite the insistence by neighbouring China that what they refer to in Tibetan as Qomolangma, or Holy Mother, is actually 29,017ft. The mountain straddles the border and neither side wishes to back down.
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