Motorola are sponsoring a British climber to break the world record for the highest telephone call. Rod Baber will be climbing Mount Everest equipped with a Moto handset.

 

Not content with holding the world record for reaching the highest point of every European nation, and climbing more highest points than anyone else, Baber is scheduled to make his call sometime in May.

A mobile base station has been installed in China, that has line of site to the north side of the mountain. Unfortunately for Baber, to ensure he stays in contact with the base station he will have to follow the north ridge to the top, the most difficult and dangerous of the various routes.

"I’ve been running 8-10 miles a day and on the days I’m not doing that I’m doing weights and spending time on a cross-training machine," said Baber.

"It does not matter how fit you are, the key reason to success is 80% psychological. Having someone you can speak to on the other end of the telephone can overturn those invisible obstacles."

Motorola have supplied the handset, and tested it in very low temperature conditions to ensure it will work on the day.