Mount Fuji's New Wi-Fi Lets Climbers Make Friends Jealous on Social Media

Wi-Fi is available everywhere these days. You can use Wi-Fi at some New York City subway stations. You can use Wi-Fi at some Subway restaurants. Some people even have Wi-Fi in their homes.

Now, thanks to Japanese government officials, Wi-Fi is also available at the summit of the country's highest mountain.

From 10 July climbers of the 12,389ft (3,776.24 metres) Mount Fuji will be able to tweet, Instagram and MSN message to their hearts' content.

That's great - if you're an idiot.

Not so long ago the whole point of climbing a big mountain or trekking along a river or crawling into a crevice was the way to escape the travails of normal life. Get away from the noise of horseshoes on cobbles, the allure of the opium den.

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Now it is not a legitimate experience unless you document every moment with a selfie or an update that you are "#lovinglife" or having a "cheeky pint".

Most climbers begin their ascent of Mount Fuji from its "fifth station" (there are 10). The fifth station is at an elevation of 7,562ft (2,305 metres), meaning a climb of a vertical mile, or four Empire State buildings. (You don't actually climb vertically.) Mountaineers face a risk of altitude sickness and are advised to stop overnight at the seventh or eighth station. For much of the year temperatures are below freezing.

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There is no phone signal when you are halfway up the side of a mountain. Japanese officials told the Asahi Shimbun news site that this was a problem, because "many climbers from the United States and Europe have said they wanted to use the internet to share their experiences while on the mountain". Hence the Wi-Fi.

But why do people want this?

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Imagine the sense of elation upon reaching the Mount Fuji summit. Imagine scouring the horizon, knowing you are at the highest point on this fine cluster of islands. Then imagine your phone connecting to the Wi-Fi and receiving an email from your colleague Clive asking if you managed to finish that Woodcock file before you left and, oh, can you gchat Jason? He's forgotten how to work the fax machine and, hey, what's the password for that protected Excel spreadsheet again?

That's the worst-case scenario. But the best-case scenario is still awful.

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People will take daft pictures from the top of mountains. Of course they will. That's the world we live in. But can't they wait a day, or - God forbid - two days before posting them on MySpace?

Is there no enjoyment in serenity any more? Must we reach Fuji's crest only to listen to Nora telling her mum over Skype: "Yes the view is amazing. Hey look, I'll show you - oops sorry, I've got my iPad pointing the wrong way, wait a minute there you go. What do you mean you can't see it? Have you closed the window again? Press escape. Oh well just check my Facebook, there'll be a picture on there in 15 seconds."

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Now we have Wi-Fi at our most lofty peaks, it is only a matter of time before there is simply no escape from the tyranny of the internet. Fire up your BlackBerry at the Taj Mahal. Tweet that you're #lovinglife from that desert island you've been cast adrift on. Post an Instagram selfie from the grave. #yolo

Wi-Fi atop Mount Fuji is a slippery slope. It's time to rise up against Wi-Fi atop Mount Fuji. Wi-Fi atop Mount Fuji means Wi-Fi has peaked.