First Cell Phone Call from Everest

Filed in archive Outdoor News on May 22, 2007

Lately, there's a lot of firsts happening on Mount Everest. Last week, we learned Appa, arguably the world's most respected climber, scaled Everest for a record seventeenth time and Bear "Man vs. Wild" Grylls became the first man to fly over the summit by powered paraglider. And just yesterday, I reported Samantha Larson, the 18-year old from Long Beach, California, was the youngest person to summit it. Now, it seems Everest has gone mobile.

Yesterday, a British mountaineer, Rob Baber made the first cell phone call from the summit. Since 1953, over 200 people have died attempting to climb it. This accomplishment will no doubt assist in rescue operations.

"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 peak early on Monday morning, according to a voice recording posted on his weblog.

"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.

While the Himalayas had been cherished as one of the few places on earth where you can truly get away from it all, the news has nevertheless been welcomed by those involved in the adventure business.

"It's good news because communications are essential in the mountains where climbers face huge risks," said Ang Tsering Sherpa, the president of Nepal's Mountaineering Association.

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