Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world is something we have all heard and known for decades. It is measured at 8,848 meters (29,032 feet) if we consider its elevation from the sea level. But does it make Mount Everest the highest point on Earth? The answer is “no” as our planet is never a perfect sphere. It rather has a slightly ellipsoidal shape due to the equatorial bulge, caused by centrifugal force from Earth’s rotation. If we take this factor into consideration and take measurements from Earth’s centre, Mount Chimborazo can beat Mount Everest as the highest mountain.
The inactive stratovolcano in the Ecuadorian Andes is located quite close to the equator. Due to the bulge, Chimborazo’s peak is 6,800 feet farther than Everest from the Earth’s core. However, the Himalayan peak is physically much taller than Chimborazo.
Derek van Westrum, a physicist with NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey, explained the topic during a recent interaction with CNN. “If you imagine the Earth as this blue dot in space, it’s the one place you can stand and be as far from the centre of that dot as you can possibly be,” he said.
This geographical glitch has benefited Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism, which is promoting Mount Chimborazo as an adventurous getaway. According to Santiago Granda, Undersecretary of Promotion, a lot of mountaineers who love to take up big challenges have shifted their focus to the Chimborazo summit in recent times.
“You are further away from the core of the Earth, and closer to the stars, than you will ever be with your feet on this planet – and that’s a big selling point,” Granada said.
Thanks to its topical location, Mount Chimborazo remains accessible to tourists for an entire year as daylight hardly varies here between seasons. Almost 500 climbers attempt to summit the peak every year and the success rate is over 50 percent. It usually takes a couple of days to complete the summit. People undergo acclimatisation activities on Cayambe, Iliniza Sur or Cotopaxi peaks.
Apart from climbing, tourists can also enjoy softer adventures at Mount Chimborazo. There are some hikes up to 17,000 feet which can be completed in a single day. Near Quilotoa Loop, thrill seekers can also opt for lodge-to-lodge treks to enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings.
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