A Chinese team of surveyors have reached the summit of Mount Everest on a mission to remeasure the height of this famous landmark bordering China and Nepal.
As a result of COVID-19, both countries instated a ban, prohibiting foreign teams from climbing the mountains. For the spring season, Nepal has cancelled all expeditions, keeping its ban in place. China is only allowing its citizens to climb.
The reason for the remeasuring expedition is that interestingly, Nepal and China’s measurements of the mountain differ. Nepal sets the height of the mountain at 8,848m, as determined by the Survey of India during British colonial rule.
China sets Everest’s height as 8,844.43m after it conducted a measurement in 2005, a 4m difference, according to BBC.
Some experts believe the earthquake in 2015 could have had an impact on the measurements too, and that a remeasuring might indeed be quite necessary.
The team from China’s Ministry of National Resources started their ascent in April and reached the Everest summit yesterday, 27 May according to New York Daily News.
This expedition is also a rarity because they were the only climbers on the mountain. The results of the expedition and their official findings on the height of Everest are yet to be announced.
Take a look at some footage of their journey:
Congratulations to #Chinese surveying team on mounting #Qomolangma(Mt. Everest) for an accurate measuring of the height of the top of the Earth! The sixth ascendance in 60 years. pic.twitter.com/DBqINQhsIl
— China Mission Geneva (@ChinaMissionGva) May 27, 2020
Congratulations to the Chinese Mountaineering Team for climbing Everest again！#China #Everest pic.twitter.com/57rgZFMStO
— Ann-Cold Storage (@AnnLee27401727) May 28, 2020
2020 Chinese Everest elevation survey mountaineering team successfully reached the summit and completed the survey task#Everest pic.twitter.com/wABmDDz3C1
— Marathify (@Marathify) May 27, 2020
Image credit: Twitter/ EverestToday
