Mont Blanc nearly two metres taller, surveyors say

French surveyors said Mont Blanc was measured at 4,807.47 metres last month, nearly two metres higher than its last reported measurement in 2023.

Jean des Garets, chief geometer in the Haute-Savoie department, announced a 1.88-metre increase and said the Alpine summit is “constantly shifting.” He said each individual measurement was not significant by itself in the context of global warming, but added that the data would be analysed over time.

Researchers have measured Mont Blanc every two to three years since 2001 to gather information about climate change's impact on the Alps.

The mountain's rocky peak is about 4,792 metres above sea level, but its covering of ice and snow changes from year to year depending on wind and weather. In 2023, Mont Blanc had shrunk by more than two metres compared with two years earlier.

Glaciologist Luc Moreau said at the same press conference that Mont Blanc's summit had “not been significantly altered by climate change” for now.