Climber sets sights on a cold mission

Published 8 Jul 2010 16:00 0 Comments

THERE is no stopping the adventurous Bonita Norris. Just weeks after returning from climbing Mount Everest, the intrepid explorer is planning a trip to the South Pole.

The Wokingham woman became the youngest British female to reach the top of the world's highest summit on May 17 and is already missing being on the mountain.

She is now planning to conquer the South Pole as part of a self-sufficient, all-female team in 2012 and hopes to do an expedition to the Himalayas before that.

Miss Norris said: "I'm always looking for adventures. I can't keep my mind on anything that doesn't keep my attention.

"I'm lucky that I have found something I really like doing."

On her record-breaking expedition, the 22-year-old, who only took up climbing a year ago, trekked for 28 hours with no food, water or toilet breaks to get from base camp, below the summit of Mount Everest, to the top and back again.

Miss Norris, of Barkham Road, suffered a fall on the way down from the summit at the notoriously difficult part of the decent, Hillary's Step, where the rock she was standing on fell away and the fall pulled on her neck, giving her whiplash.

Despite being injured, Miss Norris had to keep descending for another 10 hours to avoid dying on the mountain, but she made it back to base camp and has since recovered.

This unfortunate event has not deterred Miss Norris and she added: "When I was lying in my tent on Everest I would often think of home and the summer time, but now I'm here I want to be back on Everest, I miss it a lot.

"There is nowhere to compare it too, I think I will go back one day."

For now Miss Norris has her sights set on other mountains and expeditions and until her trip to the South Pole and the Himalayas, she has fond memories of the 8,848m climb.

She said: "I used to hold Everest in the same regard as everyone else but I don't have that same feeling towards it now that I've conquered it.

"It has made me realise that completing big challenges is possible."

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This article appeared in Villager 08 Jul 10

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