Brit's Pointless Everest Record

British climber Rod Baber has set a markedly pointless record by making a mobile phone call from the summit of Everest.

Baber, who also holds the world record for climbing the highest point of every European country, is sponsored by a large mobile phone company and used one of their latest all-singing, all-dancing handsets to make the call which was made feasible when China set up a mobile base station with line of sight to the North Ridge.

In the call, which you can listen to on the BBC News web site, Baber, who sounds breathless, describes the temperature, time and profoundly notes that 'the Himalayas are everywhere'. He then called his wife and children.

He also set another record for sending the highest land-based text message.

More at news.bbc.co.uk.