In an unlikely combination of increased communications coverage and making a mockery of the achievements of the past, Nepal Telecom are installing Everest with mobile phone coverage.  Yes, the entire mountain.  There’s already an internet cafe near the Everest base camp, and the new stations will allow cellphones to work even at the highest point in the world.

Nepal Telecom Director Bishwonath Goyal rather euphemistically states “This will also help climbers attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest to disseminate information about their success faster.”  Note the careful use of the word “attempt”, and the way “we’re not making it because we’ve broken our legs and are freezing to death” does technically qualify as information about success.

It’s intended to help tourists, but four bars of coverage will only make things worse, convincing tourists that the highest mountain in the world is any goddamn place for tourists.  We’re assuming that on receiving the news, the Mountain Rescue teams rolled their eyes, cancelled all leave, and agreed that the first time someone calls for rescue just because they’re tired they’ll be dropped down a crevasse.