Everest Shrinking And Moving

Everest is shrinking due to global warming according to a report issued today by China's Xinhua news agency and quoted on Arabia.com.

Apparently Chinese researchers have discovered that the thickness of the snow on the summit of the world's highest peak has been declining over the past 30 years, though researchers declined to say exactly how much the snow cover has been reduced by - a sure sign, we reckon, that they don't have the faintest idea.

Just to confuse the situation further, although Everest's official height is 8848 m or 29,029 ft, the National Geographic Society now says it's actually 29,035 feet, some six feet highter for those who are numerically challenged. For more fascinating Everest anorak facts, check out the everestnews.com facts page.

Chinese experts apparently say that the temperature on the Tibetan Plateau is rising at above the global average and has gone up by 0.8 degrees since 1950. They also claim that GPS surveys show that Everest is moving 7-8 centimetres north west every year, so it should be making an appearance in Kent some time soon.

OUTDOORSmagic would like to point out that this means Everest is, in fact, moving, at a faster rate than many UK trains right now...

Mount Everest. moving faster than this Railtrack train (below) and that's despite the added weight of snow (melting) and poor aerodynamics.

'It's the wrong type of snow,' say Railtrack