Tall Story? Doubts Over Everest's True Height

The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is to be remeasured amid claims from China and western climbers that official calculations are not accurate.

The decades-old measurement of 29,028ft (8,448 metres) is currently the one officially recognised by the government of Nepal , the country in which the mountain lies.

The decision to recalculate was taken last week, spokesman Gopal Giri said, adding the plans are being put in place immediately.

The work will involve placing a device on the peak that will measure the height using satellite technology, he said.

Stations will be set up in three different locations using the global positioning system (GPS) and the task will take two years to complete, he said.

An American expedition in 1999 said it used GPS satellites to measure the peak and found it to be 29,035ft (8,850 metres), a height which is widely used now.

And the Chinese recently came up with a different measurement, claimed the height of Everest to be 29,008ft (8,844 metres).

Everest has been climbed by thousands of people since it was first conquered by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953.