| On the 17th of May 2010, Bonita Norris returned | | | | Sagarmatha: Safer and Smarter |
| to the safety of Everest Base Camp, trekking | | | | There is no avoiding the fact that with addition of |
| down to meet her team and earn a place in | | | | climbing lines, extensive Sherpa assistance, |
| history as the youngest Briton ever to summit | | | | weather prediction technology and the services at |
| the world's highest peak. | | | | Everest Base Camp, trekking to the top of the |
| At the age of 22, Bonita (from Berkshire, Great | | | | world has become a safer than it once was. But |
| Britain) has eclipsed the record of Victoria James, | | | | the commentators who imply it is easy are |
| who was 25 when she climbed Everest. | | | | mistaken. No one should come to Mount Everest |
| In the wake of her achievement, a number of | | | | presuming that success is guaranteed; even in a |
| newspapers have focused, rather disrespectfully, | | | | climbing season such as the one we have just |
| upon Bonita's novice status as a climber, picking | | | | seen in 2010, two mountaineers not only suffered |
| up on the remarkable fact that in 2008, she had | | | | failure but also serious injury while attempting to |
| never before climbed a mountain. Going from unfit | | | | reach the summit. |
| to Everest's summit within two years is quite a | | | | There is no belittling the mountain, or the |
| feat, but it belies the fact that Bonita had trained | | | | achievements of those who have summited. |
| and prepared fully for the task. | | | | When Bonita embarked from Everest Base Camp |
| Ten days prior to her summit bid, and impatient | | | | to trek towards the summit, she crossed |
| for a propitious gap in the winter weather, Bonita | | | | crevasses, avalanche fields, and made steady |
| quit Base Camp for a few days, heading down | | | | progress up the mountain's storm-buffeted sides. |
| the Everest Base Camp Trek route towards | | | | After these difficulties, climbers will reach altitudes |
| Pangboche. On her blog she said how, by | | | | in excess of the infamous 8,000 metre mark |
| descending to "thick air," she "felt like a super | | | | where the air becomes unspeakably thin. |
| charged human" with "rugby player thighs", | | | | It Doesn't Get Any Shorter |
| demonstrating how well she had acclimatised to | | | | Rugby star, Josh Lewsey, another amateur |
| the reduced oxygen at altitude. | | | | climber hoping to reach the top this season, put |
| Training for Everest | | | | things quite succinctly when he commented that |
| There's no denying that Bonita's development was | | | | Everest "doesn't get any shorter." |
| remarkably quick between her statement of | | | | I think the 'mountaineering purists' have been |
| intent in 2008 and completing her goal. In fitness | | | | misrepresented in reports. Any dissatisfaction the |
| training, she was clocking some fifty miles per | | | | media has picked up on from veteran climbers is |
| week jogging, as well as participating in "extreme | | | | in fact related to Mount Everest's popularity, |
| marathon" events. To practise climbing, she began | | | | rather than the ease of the climb. Contrary to |
| by trekking up Snowdon in wintery conditions, and | | | | one article that suggested Everest has lost "its |
| progressed to learning more technical climbing | | | | lustre as a benchmark of adventure," the |
| techniques from experienced mountaineers. Along | | | | mountaineers are reacting to some recent |
| the way to Everest, Bonita set a world record | | | | congestion on the trek up from Everest Base |
| for being the youngest woman ever to summit | | | | Camp to the summit. |
| Nepal's formidable Mount Manaslu (8,163m). Then | | | | Over the years there has been an increase in the |
| came the acclimatisation effort, with further | | | | concentration of climbing activity packed into a |
| training climbs along the route of the famous | | | | narrow, busy weather window. The fact that the |
| Everest Base Camp Trek. | | | | successful summit bids are condensed into a |
| Despite Bonita's diligence, her Everest success | | | | matter of hours within a season simply shows |
| coincides with that of 13-year-old Jordan Romero, | | | | that "the Goddess of the Sky", Sagarmatha, |
| which has led to suggestions in the media that | | | | doesn't just let anyone march up and down her |
| climbing Everest has become 'too easy'. | | | | whenever they please. |