Amazing pyramid

In The Jakarta Post of Nov. 26, 1994 I was startled to read that the Chephren Pyramid in Egypt is 1469 feet high. On looking closer I saw that this was a conversion from a metric height of 136 meters. Obviously the old conversion factor of 3,2808 has been abandoned and a new factor of 10.8 is to be used. This was confirmed in the following paragraphs when the conversion factor of 10.8 was consistently used to convert from meters to feet.

This new conversion factor has important implications. The Himalaya mountains are now elevated to the truly stratospheric heights of 80000 to 95000 feet. As commercial aircraft fly at maximum heights of around 40000 feet aircraft flying between Asia and Europe will have to take lengthy detours over Africa where passengers may be able to spot the giant pyramid referred to in the article.

Furthermore as the ceiling for the world's clouds and weather is around 40,000 feet the higher mountains in the world including some in Indonesia are now above the top of any weather problems and therefore climbing them should be much easier. However on a recent climbing trip while camped at 5800 meters or 62640 feet, apparently, I was confined to my tent by a very real blizzard. Surely there must be some mistake somewhere.

DAVE ATKINS Jakarta