Records & People

The World Has Three Different 'Tallest Mountains' — and Everest Only Wins One

Above sea level, Everest is unbeatable. Measure from base to summit, or from the centre of the Earth, and two other mountains take the crown — here's…

By Laxman Rawal · Jul 21, 2026

Read the full story

Ask anyone which mountain is the tallest on Earth and they'll say Mount Everest without hesitation. They're right — and also, depending on how you define 'tallest', completely wrong. Measure by three different, equally legitimate methods, and you get three…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Why a shorter mountain can 'win'

Sea level itself is not a fixed ruler — it's only a convenient, human reference point measured along the geoid, Earth's average sea-surface shape. Two other measurements ignore that convention entirely, and both dethrone Everest. Mauna Kea's trick is…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

What this means for trekkers

What this means for you None of this changes the number that matters on the ground in Nepal: 8,848.86 metres is still the highest point a human being can stand on this planet's surface, no asterisk needed. The 'three tallest mountains' trivia is really a…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Plan your trek

Everest Base Camp Trek — 14 Days

NMA-certified guides · permits sorted · 5,000+ treks since 1998.

From $1950

Plan this trek

Free guide

Get the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide

Permits, costs, seasons and routes — the essentials we send every traveller, plus a free, no-obligation trip quote.

↑ Swipe up

Your free Nepal trek kit

Read the full report and grab the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide — or ask our Pokhara team for a tailored, no-obligation quote.

Read more & get the free guide Plan my trip — free quote Browse Everest Base Camp Trek — 14 Days