The youngest British woman to have climbed Mount Everest adds Ama Dablam to her list of conquered summits
Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to have climbed Mount Everest, has now also successfully climbed Ama Dablam (6,856m) in the Nepalese Himalaya.
Reaching the peak of Ama Dablam is a fantastic achievement for Bonita. She promised herself to take on the mountain, often named the world’s most beautiful, after admiring it on her Everest expedition last year.
Bonita said: “I made a pact with myself last year that I would return to Khumbu to attempt Ama Dablam, looking at it from afar it is simply a beautiful mountain and a great route requiring a fair amount of skill to climb.”
Bonita was the first of her team to reach the summit at 11.45am on 17 November with her climbing Sherpa, Lakpa Onju, who also accompanied her on her record-breaking Everest expedition.
“Ama Dablam is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen. I had my doubts whether I would be able to get to the top as it is a challenging climb but when we got onto the mountain things just felt right. I have been working hard on my climbing technique and fitness this year and the hard work paid off. I was with my climbing Sherpa from Everest, Lakpa, and together we stormed the summit and got back to camp safely and in quick time. The whole experience was brilliant and I felt very lucky to be there.”
"On the summit Lakpa and I were alone - we were the first to the top that day and felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves. We sat down with Everest right behind us and I finally got to thank him properly for helping to save my life after exactly 18 months to the day when he helped me down Everest when I was injured. It was a moment I will never forget."
Bonita and her Sherpa summated the mountain five days after leaving base camp, and returned to camp 3 two hours after reaching the top.
“There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than to be climbing towards a summit that has taken months of work and preparation. It is only when you stop to catch your breath that you can take in the incredible views and reflect on all the hard work that has got you to that moment. Feeling the warm sun on your face and watching the tiny shards of ice sparkle in the light is a reminder of how high up you are and that the top is not far off. It is definitely these moments that make all the suffering, cold and homesickness that accompany an expedition such as this worthwhile. It was just like on Ama Dablam – just incredible.”
“After sustaining an injury during the descent of Everest, I was determined to get down Ama Dablam without any problems. I felt like I had something to prove to myself and especially to Lakpa that I was capable of climbing big peaks without suffering from injuries. It was the fire that I needed to get up and down as fast and as safely as possible."
Bonita was supported by her sponsor, Karrimor, for this expedition. Pete Gostling, Marketing Manager for Karrimor, said: “We were so pleased to hear that Bonita reached the summit of Ama Dablam - we had every faith in her. Bonita is an inspirational young lady – she has reached the top of Everest, trekked to the North Pole and now summated Ama Dablam, not an easy climb and quite an achievement at just 24. We enjoy working with Bonita and are delighted to be able to support her in achieving her goals.”
Follow Bonita’s blog throughout her journey at www.karrimor.com/team_blog/ or follow her updates on Twitter at @bonitanorris.
