It had all gone horribly wrong, but so slowly that we didn’t realise. The weather turned, the pack mule died, Jim broke his leg… any single thing was just a minor hiccup on our ascent. But all three together so close to the summit? Disaster. There’s a reason why so many people die on Everest.

Lying now in the crevasse, with melted snow my only sustenance and the single light of my satellite phone’s dying battery, my only companion. I dialled home.

The screen flickered “Credit remaining: $20.00”

After I pressed the numbers, I expected to hear the familiar electronic sounds of trunk connections being made. Instead, a woman’s voice appeared almost immediately on the line.

“Thank you for using Globesat, for all your messaging needs. We here at Globesat make every effort to ensure that your calls go through no matter where you are. From the depths of the amazon jungle to the fishing trawlers of the North Sea, Globesat means you’re never too far from home. Globesat : We’re”

The line went dead. Credit = $0.0