Prakash Kafle/Kathmandu. When we talk about the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest immediately comes to mind. At 8,848.86 meters high, this peak has worn the crown of supremacy for decades.
But did you know? Recent scientific studies suggest that this crown might actually belong to another mountain.
In Ecuador, South America, scientists have found that Mount Chimborazo is about two miles taller than Everest when measured from the Earth’s center.
Everest’s summit is 3,965 miles from the Earth’s center, while Chimborazo’s peak is 3,967 miles away.
The reason lies in the fact that Earth is not a perfect sphere—it is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. Since Chimborazo is located near the equator, its summit extends farther from the Earth’s center.
However, when measured from sea level, Everest is still taller. Everest rises 29,028 feet above sea level,
while Chimborazo reaches only about 20,500 feet. So, by sea-level measurement, Everest remains the tallest mountain in the world, but from the Earth’s center, Chimborazo takes the crown.
Interestingly, before Everest’s height was discovered, Chimborazo was considered the tallest mountain in the world.
The first ascent of Chimborazo took place as early as 1802 A.D while Everest’s first successful climb was achieved in 1953 A.D by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.
In the end, the question of which mountain is taller depends on the basis of measurement.
By sea level—Everest is supreme.
By distance from the Earth’s center—Chimborazo claims the title.
So, which peak do you think deserves to be called the world’s highest—Everest or Chimborazo?
