First mobile phone call made on Mount Everest

Kathmandu: A British man has set a world record by making the first mobile telephone call from the summit of Mount Everest, taking the blessing — or curse — of the cellphone to new heights.

“It’s cold, it’s fantastic, the Himalayas are everywhere,” Rod Baber said in the phone call from the top of the 8,848-metre (29,198foot) peak early on Monday morning, according to a voice recording posted on his web log.

“I can’t feel my toes, everyone is in good spirits — we got here in record time, it is amazing,” said Baber. His achievement was made possible by China Telecom, which has set up a mobile phone tower at base camp on the north side of the mountain.

It is good news because communications are essential in the mountains where climbers face risk.