Plans to Measure Mount Everest

Mount Everest has always been known as the most intimidating mountain to conquer. Ever since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest, over five thousand people have followed in their footsteps. Many who have taken on this massive task have failed, as it is not only the most challenging climb in the world, but is notorious for being the most dangerous, as many climbers have lost their lives here. It was always documented that Mount Everest stood at a height of 8 448 meters, or 29 028 feet, but more recently there have been disputes in regard to its height and the government of Nepal has now decided to put this issue to rest once and for all.

Due to a 1999 expedition of the mountain completed by a group of Americans using a GPS satellite system, the official height was adjusted to being 8 850 meters. However, a more recent expedition conducted by a Chinese group claimed that their calculations showed that the mountain was actually 8 844 meters. To settle the dispute, the government of Nepal have decided to use modern technology to determine exactly how high Mount Everest is, and estimate the project to take approximately two years to complete.

Gopal Giri, the spokesman for the Land Reforms Ministry, confirmed that they will be placing a device on the summit of Mount Everest, which will enable them to use satellite technology to measure the height of the mountain. In addition to the device being placed on top of Mount Everest, three stations will be set up in different locations, and they have used the technology offered by the global positioning system to establish these locations. The three stations will be at PK 2, Namche and Taksindu, and the measuring of the mountain will begin in the Indian port of Kolkata.

Even though other countries have made their own measurements, Nepal has decided to take on the challenge to measure the mountain on their own, to end all disputes and reaffirm Mount Everest as being the highest mountain in the world.