Nepal Furious About Phone Call Atop Everest

One more sign that climbing Everest just ain't what it used to be: When a British mountaineer got to the summit over the weekend, he pulled out his smartphone and gave the BBC a video billed as "the world's first live video call ... from the rooftop of the world." Now Nepal tourism officials are in a huff because he didn't clear it beforehand, reports AFP. "Even the tourism ministry has to seek permission from the communication ministry to film, broadcast, or conduct media related events on Everest," says one.

The climber, incidentally, was one of nearly 150 people who reached the summit on Sunday alone. One critic thinks all these inexperienced hikers are making a mess of the mountain, though there have been some nice milestones of late—along with a sherpa fight. (More Mount Everest stories.)