Bonita Norris becomes youngest British woman to conquer Mount Everest

Miss Norris, from Wokingham, Berkshire, made it to the summit of the world's highest mountain early on Monday morning, a spokeswoman for MPTU, her main sponsor, said. During her climb, she put herself at risk from the dangers of extreme altitude, frostbite, hypothermia and snow-blindness, and required bottled oxygen.
 
Jacqui Andrews, her mother, said: ''We are so proud of Bonita in completing this amazing achievement.

''When Bonita told us back in 2008 that she wanted to climb Mount Everest, I have to admit we had reservations - it's such a dangerous thing for anyone, yet alone our daughter, to undertake.

''But, despite our initial misgivings, we've been behind Bonita every step of the way and we can't wait to welcome her home in a couple of days' time.''

Miss Norris has raised money for Global Angels, an international foundation championing the causes of children around the world, through her Top Up Everest campaign. Writing on her website, she said: ''One morning, in 2008, I woke up with a crazy idea - the kind of idea you dismiss as a pipe dream.

''The kind of idea that you feel embarrassed to have even considered yourself able to put into action. But it stuck - my idea was to climb Everest in its spring season of 2010, and raise a shed load of cash for charity along the way.''

She completed her campaign with British mountaineer Kenton Cool, 36, who also set a new British record by climbing Everest eight times. A statement issued on behalf of Mr Cool said he had now reached the summit of Mount Everest four times more than the next most successful Briton, with only local Nepalese Sherpas and two other Westerners having "summited" more times in the history of the mountain.

The climber, who lives in Fairford, Gloucestershire, and in the French Alps, relayed a message from the summit saying: "I love Everest. To have summited once was mildy insane, to have summited for an eighth time is utter madness. Why eight times? Why not." He is now descending from the summit and looking forward to returning to the UK to be with his wife Jazz, who is expecting their first child in June. 


/Telegraph.co.uk/