BBC Countryfile Magazine

THE GIRL WHO CLIMBED EVEREST

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“What we learn from climbing mountains is that we can push ourselves far beyond what we think we are capable of”. Bonita Norris should know – the 29-yearold is the youngest person in the world to have reached both the North Pole and summit of Mount Everest, despite not embarking on her climbing career until she was 20. This is the simply and appealingl­y written account of her battle to reach the top of the Earth’s highest peak.

There are no endless descriptio­ns of frosty tundras in flowery adjectives – instead we journey with Bonita through the nerves and challenges of expedition planning and then hike with her to her long-dreamed-of summit. Bonita recalls her trek in a human and often hilarious way (breaking frozen snot off her oxygen mask, or singing Billie Piper songs in her head as she climbs) and writes tenderly about her teammates’ support. Her euphoric summit turns to a nerve-racking account of the part that claims the most lives – the descent, an ordeal in which a small slip can end in death. Interspers­ing the tale are evocative photos of Bonita’s mountain adventures, taken on a Boots disposable camera. Sian Lewis, outdoors writer

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