Summit of Ama Dablam (6856m)

(photos not currently working but will be uploaded shortly, check @bonitanorris on twitter for pics in the mean time...)

Having had a few days back in the UK i've finally had some time to digest what has been an incredible expedition to Ama Dabla, which was kindly sponsored and supported by Karrimor and Tag Heuer, and a trip that has never made me feel so alive and so grateful to be a mountaineer.

Ama Dablam is truly the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, and being face to face with it- climbing that perfect Granite, was just WOW.

The trip didn't really start off this way however!

After long delays in Kathmandu nerves were building, by the time myself and my team (emma, rosamond and tim) had made it into the Khumbu and were spying Ama we were absolutely terrified- looking at it, you'd think it was almost impossible to climb.

I said to myself again and again: "this will be the last, no more expeditions, just finish this and then get a normal job which has a higher chance of survival"

It made me feel better to think that I would never have to endure the suffering that was about to unfold again. I KNEW what was coming, i think that was the problem.

We finally made it to base camp and Ama loomed over us- at night it's white flanks were illuminated in the moon light and the stars shone about it. It was always there. Even lying in my tent at night i was aware of its presence and was thinking: "will this be the one where my luck runs out?"

The route takes a never ending rocky ridge line up the the summit fields- where the angle is steep to the point of needing to front point on your crampons. The hanging glacier (dablam) sits precariously to the left, and the final top out is a straight push up steep ice and snow. The summit is crevassed and will one day collapse. The entire route is fixed with anchors which in the UK i wouldn't dream of using as protection- the mushroom ridge for instance, boasting stakes wobbling like jelly in loose, sugary snow.

The day before the summit push i had a wash at basecamp, i emptied out the bowl of dirty water, turned around and saw a familiar face: "lakpa?" it was lakpa Wongchu! The climbing sherpa who had been with me on Everest summit day, without his help would i be here today? Not sure. I owe him and others my life. We hugged, and then i duly burst into sobs of tears. Nice.

This trip had made me realise just how much that day still haunts me- more than anything i wanted to climb this mountain to prove to Lakpa and to the people who helped me that day that i was capable of descending without getting injured. It's a vulgar word but this mountain for me was about 'closure'... putting an end to the demons that have haunted me ever since the 17th May 2010.

The real climbing on the mountain starts after camp 1. When it comes to expeditions i am very anal- if we say we're leaving at 8am i am walking out of camp at one second past 8. Luckily, Lakpa Wongchu was also ready and thus we had a great head start on the way up to camp 3- nobody in front of us for the entire route, no waiting around at anchors. Just the two of us climbing in unison and moving quickly over the terrain that Lakpa new so well.

I said to Lakpa that if he took lots of photos he could have my cannon 500D, which he happily agreed to- so all these photos are his, and he did an awesome job.

The climbing from camp 1 to 3 is great fun- lots of rock, the most perfect granite i have ever seen and if this mountain was at sea level it would have some fantastic climbing routes on it in the VS to HVS range.

The route follows the jagged ridge line up to the bottom of the summit pyramid. Theres lots of traversing, short pitches of climbing and also the infamous yellow tower (HVS rock climb) and grey tower (scottish grade III gulley)both were exhilirating- especially the top of the yellow tower where you are presented with an overhang- i threw my hand over the top, found a hold and just hauled my body over onto the platform, thousands of feet of air and cloud beneath me- just wow.

The grey tower was more exhausting- by this point we had put on crampons and whilst this had its benefits it also made my intuition when trying to climb a little confused- anyway, i scratched my way up and used the jumar to ascend when i had the energy- though generally wherever possible on the mountain i tried to use my hands and feet to get higher- jumaring reguires far too much brute strength and i find that after 2 or 3 (sometimes 1) pull on it and i am gasping for breath- plus it aggravates my back, so i climbed as much as possible, using the jumar as a safety and anchor for resting on route- which is nice!

Throughout the trip i was using a karrimor X-Lite rucsac which was perfect for this terrain- the lightest pack i have ever used and very slim so that it didn't get in the way of the climbing. I was also wearing a Karrimor baselayer (pink) which is quite a novel colour in the hills!

Finally made camp 3 and the morning dawned on summit day- we decided to leave at 8, and so we were- bang on. Lakpa and I moving at our steady pace, soon we were ahead and had nobody infront of us all the way to the summit- looking up, the mountain was all ours.

The climbing in the early hours was tough, the altitude (now above 6000m) was beginning to bite, and the blinding exhaustion as lactic acid builds up in your body after a few moments of effort started to become the norm. it was also very cold- but i had my headphones on (playing chase and status, naturally) and could see the halo of the sun up above me, I could also see the golden tint to the snow up ahead which signalled warmth- it drove me on, and i climbed as fast as i could until i was bathed in that beautiful sunlight.

At around 10am i got a call over the radio, Lakpa passed it to me. it was Henry from BC, he said: "Bonita, you're about to pass a dead body. Please remember that there's nothing you can do- the soul has gone. Stay calm and go past it, just stay calm. I'm here if you need me."

I could see him up ahead, on the route, tied into the fixed lines. He had died 48 hours previously. All i could think was: his family. And then: 'i want to speak to my dad. I can't do this until i've spoken to him.'

Lakpa, patted my back and signalled for us to carry on. When we got above him at an anchor we both said a prayer and poured water into the snow as an offering. Then we carried onto the summit, i couldn't stop crying.

Finally, we made it- Lakpa and I stook on the top of Ama Dablam at 11.45 on the 17th November 2011. We had made it 3.45minutes out of camp 3- a great effort, but in the back of my mind i was already thinking about the descent- we were halfway.

First of all we sat and ate chocolate, then stood up on the big, flat plateau that is the summit and took photos of each other. I put on my karrimor down jacket to keep warm whilst we weren't moving so much.

When we sat down again we were looking at Everest. I said to Lakpa: "you saved my life over there, i know that" He didn't look me in the eye, but nodded. It was closure, finally- exactly 18 months to the day since it had happened.

We descended back to camp by abseiling and arm wrapping in around 2 hours, and the next day back to base camp.

I came into base camp ahead of the others for no other reason than that i wanted to walk alone. When i arrived in the evening twilight Pasang Tempa grabbed me by the bum and lifted me in the air! Henry said to me: "Bonita, you've done a 360- the difference between this and Everest is a 360, well done"

That night i got into my tent and laid down on (wait for it) a thin tent mattress, karrimat and a thermarest- it was THE most comfortable bed i have ever lain on and as i sunk into it all the stresses and worries and doubts that you take with you on the mountain melted away. I was blissfully happy. it was a perfect ascent and i had Lakpa and Henry to thank for it. I thought about the man we had passed, said a prayer and then thanked God that i was still alive.

As we flew back to Kathmandu a few days later from Lukla I surveyed the Khumbu from above- this little known part of the world has become by chance the most important of places in my little life. I know i will visit again, many, many times.

I thought as we flew away from the Himalayas and back to the city- this trip, this mountain, this country- taking the risk, knowing that i could fail utterly- but getting to climb with Lakpa and thank him for what he did as we looked across at Everest from the summit of Ama Dablam- the whole experience has simply bought me back to life.

I'm ready and psyched for the future, my love affair with the hills has been re-ignited and I can't wait to take on more challenges in the mountains in the years ahead.

Taking the risk on Ama bought me from the dark back into the light. Never give up on what you love. There will be good times as well as bad- and both are needed to truly live.

It begins again in the spring! Lhotse is calling.

Standing by for now...

Bonita

Thank you to Henry, Lakpa Wongchu, Jabu, Dorje, Pasang Temba, Kumar, Kame, Emma Tim and Rosamond for this incredible trip, one which I will never forget.

Thank you to Karrimor for supporting this expedition and for providing kit which i wore throughout.

Base Camp

After delay upon delay due to bad weather over Lukla, my team and I (Emma, Tim and Rosmund) decide to charter a helicopter from Katmandu to a lower village in the Khumba. Reports are 300+ trekkers and climbers stranded at both ends due to the stagnant cloud, meaning that domestic flights are grounded. Today (9th) flights have finally resumed. We, the lucky ones, are now at our base camp at the foot of Ama Dablam (6812m). It's a spectacular mountain- absolutely beautiful. Base camp is at 4600m and we're all feeling great. It's fairly cold- I'm wearing my karrimor down jacket, especially in the evenings. The sun disappears behind the mountains and a chill settles- the clouds fall and the moon rises over Ama Dablams left shoulder.

We've seen shooting stars and the Scorpio constellation (my birth sign) dominated the night sky. The days- we have high pressure so brilliant blue skies and little wind. The sun rises and finally tips over the peaks at about 8am and the air temperature rises rapidly. Last night, the first in my tent at BC, was particularly cold and despite my minus 40 sleeping bag I was kept awake by the night time freeze.

Today we had our Puja and went through kit for the hill. Things will start to move fast from now so I won't have a chance to write again. I'm feeling strong- no coughs, colds or injuries yet and no headaches or altitude related problems so I'm optimistic about going higher. The route looks very cool, and nothing like I've seen before on Everest or Manaslu- so a whole new challenge awaits.

Standing by for now

Ama Dablam

Just about to head out the door to Heathrow- a whirlwind of kit bags, check lists, passport, tickets- I think i'm there.

Flying to Doha tonight then on route to Kathmandu tomorrow. Looking forward to being back in the city for the third time, it's a crazy place- where faith, religion, culture, consumerism, west and east collide.

For climbers its a special place- lots of bars, restaurants and small shops built up over the years as our gateway to the Himalayas.

Fly into the Khumbu valley on Monday. One of the world's most dangerous landing strips awaits. Then we start our trek to base camp, staying in tea houses, eating daal Baht every night and craning our necks to see jagged tops of the Himalayan giants standing over us.

Pangboche is the last village below Ama Dablam- our Quarry. At 6856m it's a beautiful peak. We will spend the rest of our time in the Himalayas trying to reach the top of it.

I'm climbing with a friend from my first trip to the Himalayas- Emma Jack, we're using logistics from Himalayan Guides and climbing with a small team. Thank you to my family, friends, supporters and sponsor karrimor. My dad- my rock.

Who knows what awaits. Another adventure begins... psyched!!!

Summer

So September has crept up on us and another summer has come to a close,though here's hoping for a few more days out on the rock before it gets too cold :)

And what a summer it has been, for me it began after returning from the Arctic Circle and our team's successful last degree expedition to the North Pole. We skied in average temperatures of minus 30 and the sun never set. Arriving home in May I pretty much drove straight to sea cliff climbing at Swanage (Hi mum! Bye mum!), had a bit of an accident descending into a route using a fixed rope and ended up in A&E with a very painful foot!

Days later I was back the airport on a flight to Toulouse for some hot rock in the Pyrenees with a climbing buddy, Rich. We were met at the other side by Rich's friend's Adam and Dawn and spent a great week driving around France visiting various crags, getting tanned and climbing pristine rock with the sun on our backs. I managed to onsight a 6a line and went home very chuffed considering that my foot was still swollen and didn't really move much! Thanks Adam and Dawn for hosting us :)

By June England had some hot rock of its own and some great weekends were spent down in Devon at Baggy Point on the 40m slabs that jutted out of the Atlantic ocean. A fun afternoon was spent with fellow Karrimor athlete David Pickford on the Promentory Slab getting shots for our sponsors. Nights were spent sleeping in caves at Hedbury, long evenings messing about on the boulders at Froggatt, days swimming in the River Test, some speeding across the Solent on a RIB and weekends bivvying on the summit of Mt Snowdon.

In between weekends of climbing work was super busy- i've been hot footing it between Leeds, Sheffield, Harrogate, Newcastle, Wiltshire, London- the list goes on. One minute it's speaking at a corporate event in the city with spectacular views overlooking the London skyline, the next i'm kicking off my heels in the car and heading straight off for a weekend of sleeping in a tent. Sofa surfing and hotel rooms have become the norm and i've been lucky enough to meet some sporting legends such as Peter Shilton, Tim Henman and Graham Bell, who are also supported by Sports Direct, along the way.







Once July was out my work diary for August was a massive blank, with 4 weeks to play with this was quickly filled with trips abroad.

First up- some Alpine climbing for Trek & Mountain magazine. Accompanied by editor Chris Kempster i packed my rucsac and headed to Chamonix, where we firstly met with BMG Chris Ensoll and bagged a 4000m peak (the Weismeiss in Saas, Switzerland). I somehow managed an AD route called the Dri Hornli traverse with a raging hangover after the Les Houche pub quiz with the lovely Emma Jack, who was a great friend when we climbed an 8000m peak together back in 2009. We attempted Mont Blanc with IFMGA guide Tim Connerley but were twarted by the weather and only got as far as the Gouter hut- third time lucky next year i hope... check out Trek & Mountain magazine for the full details of that very sketchy 24 hours on the Blanc!

Back from the Alps and i was pretty much straight back to the aiport for a trip to Norway, again for Trek and Mountain Magazine. We spent 4 days being shown around the Fjords by the lovely Hanne- we trekked up a mountain, ate lots of good food and got to visit a UNESCO world heritage site. All i can say is: Visit Norway! It's an incredible place.





Finally, 48 hours after getting off a plane from Alesund i was back at T4 pushing a huge kit bag through departures on my way to Africa- Tanzania to be precise, to attempt Kilimanjaro with a team raising money for the charity Cash 4 Kids through Radio Wave 105.

We trekked the Lomosho Glades route and were blessed with great weather. Summit day went smoothly and 9 out of 11 reached the sign on the edge of the huge crater which marked the summit. I'm psyched to be leading two teams out there next year on the same route, but very much missing the people i've spent the last 10 days eating, sleeping and experiencing such a beautiful place with, aawww!

Back from the mountain that day, a few of us summoned the energy to visit the infamous night club, la Liga, in Moshi. We partied until gone 2am, taxied back to hotel, woke the rest of our team and went straight to the aiport- no sleep! An internal flight, a 4 hour stop over in Nairobi and finally a last 8 hour flight to heathrow and we were home and straight out for drinks with the Reading Climbing Centre team (still no sleep). A big thanks to Camps International for supporting my place on the trip, and to our fantastic team of guides, cooks and porters lead by Kassim. Visit www.rjseven.com for more info on climbing Kili :)





And that leads me to now- sitting on my bed, uploading a summer's worth of photos onto my computer and remembering some great moments but also planning some new ones for the winter. I'm hoping upon hope to get out to the Himalayas in November to attempt a peak just shy of 7000m, but for now its back to work with a very busy September of talks at schools and businesses across the country, including a 3 peaks challenge at the end of the month with Artillery, whom i gave a talk for in the city a few months ago and have gotten a bug for climbing of their own- can't wait for what should be a fantastic weekend!


Will keep this updated on whether i make it out to the Himalaya. If you'd like to catch me at an event in the next few weeks i'm speaking at the Night of Adventure in Bristol in October, which raises money for a great charity- Hope and Homes for children. Check their website for tickets :)

thanks for reading... B

VocaLink North Pole Challenge

If there is a moment from my recent North Pole expedition that sticks out it is the moment I stepped off of the Oslo flight to Longyearbyen at 78*North.

I gulped down the fresh air as we were herded onto the tarmac- and it was that first breath that sent a shiver of fear down my spine.

Like swallowing a thousand knives, the bitter air at minus 23*C was a deadly comparison from the warm aircraft- I choked at the shock. Within seconds of stepping off the plane I felt I was in the coldest environment I had been in my life. Everest didn’t seem to compare.

My mind reeling, all I can remember thinking was ‘what on earth am I doing here?’ The thought of heading even further North onto the barren sea ice seemed ridiculous. Impossible even.

But, it is testament to the human body- within a day my team of intrepid skiers and I were walking around town in ‘little more’ than thermals and Karrimor windproofs. We even began taking our gloves off! And yes- Everest reaches far lower temperatures but when heading into the death zone one is often more prepared for the cold than when stepping off a plane.

78*North is an odd place- the sun doesn’t set until 2am and even then leaves behind a scar of orange on the horizon. There are no stars. The community is even odder- it’s expedition season and so in every bar, every guest house and lingering in every aisle of the co-op is someone involved with or embarking on a polar trip of some sort. Gossip is rife, especially when a place like Longyearbyen becomes host to Prince Harry and the world’s media.

I even bumped into a Chinese chap in the equipment store who stood on the summit of Everest the same day as me. We had never met but had stood on top of the world together- and now again next to the jet boilers and sporks.

I was a member of a team lead by Alan Chambers MBE. Chambers was the first Briton to reach the North Pole unsupported from Ward Hunt Island in 2000 and his MBE is in honour of that expedition.

Our team was an eclectic mix of Brits all wide eyed at the prospect of reaching the top of the world. We waited with baited breath for the ice and weather to settle so that a camp and runway could be established at 89*N.

After a week the call finally came: ‘be at the airport tomorrow morning’. Not exactly a scheduled flight, but credit to the Russians they get things done.

I wish I could say that that flight went smoothly, but it didn’t. The Russian Antanov plane crammed full of sledges and people was moving steadily towards to ice runway when just before the last ground checks were made the ice began to move and a 3 metre wide crack in the runway appeared- exposing the black depths of the arctic ocean beneath it.

The drama hit the world’s press and within hours the web was full of stories of the plane landing and nearly crashing through the ice. The flight onto the ice is the most dangerous part of the expedition and the media hype only served to make us more nervous.

A week later we finally landed safely at our start point. The Russian chopper lifted off in a whirlwind of white and then, quite suddenly, we were left in to survive in a silence like nothing that I have ever experienced before.

The expedition had begun. Within hours of skiing we were setting up camp- the sun was skirting around us, never rising or falling, just encircling us and offering little warmth as we struggled over the infinite white.

That first night must have been one of the coldest of my life. My sleeping bag simply wasn’t up to the job of keeping me warm- I didn’t freeze, but I didn’t stop shivering either. With my bobble hat pulled down tightly over my eyes and a hot water bottle I must have managed a few hours. ‘Man-up’ I can remember telling myself- though not really taking on the advice.

The routine of the day was always the same- breakfast, pack, tents down, ski, snack breaks, tents, food and then sleep. It can get monotonous. We were efficient- a ten day expedition was quickly reduced to four days as we skied for long hours, took few breaks and kept a strong pace.

The ice and weather had been good to us- by the final day it felt like we were home and dry, but like heading towards the summit of a mountain, I kept telling myself ‘it ain’t over ‘til it’s over’- anything could happen right up to 90*N, and in fact- it did.

At one point crossing a frozen over lead (channel of open water) a sickening crunch split the graceful polar silence. We froze in fear but the ice had begun to move. Water suddenly appeared- bubbling menacingly around my team mate’s skis. He was half way across the lead and the solid ice he has stepped onto was now morphing before our eyes to liquid.

We retreated as fast as we could on skis with heavy sledges. Looking back to where we had tried to cross the landscape has completely changed. This happened twice that last day to the Pole- we really were on thin ice as we covered those last few miles. The spring melt was on its way and where we stood would soon be ocean- it was time to reach the pole and get out of there!

The moment finally came after a long day- our team lined up on the crest of a small ridge and surveyed the flat plain of ice beyond us. I imagined all the lines of latitude gathering in this small area- this was the point where all time zones met, where you can ‘walk around the world’ in a matter of seconds and where for a moment or two you can stand with the entire planet beneath your feet. But first we had to find our goal of exactly 90 degrees North.

The sea ice was moving fast and so we seemed to skirt on the edge for some minutes- finally Alan got the exact reading on his GPS- this was it! We hugged, we cheered and I think some even got teary eyed. A toast was made and as the shot of cognac hit the back of my throat it burnt like fire- the liquor had almost congealed to syrup in the cold. I felt sick for a good half an hour.

The night was spent drinking hot chocolate and whisky and calling friends and loved ones on a satellite phone. One of our team mates nearly set his sleeping bag on fire in excitement and could have died in an inferno, which would have been quite ironic considering.

Back in the UK I am missing being on expedition already. These environments really are accessible if you can save hard, train hard and are willing to suffer a little. The things you see you will never forget- the sun surrounded by a halo of light, the infinite expanse of white and blue and the transformation in yourself as you adapt to life at minus 30.

For now I am back on the rock and looking forward to a summer climbing in the UK and in the Alps. That’s the great thing about these cold places: even England feels like the Caribbean when you return… for a few hours anyway.

http://www.vocalink.com/bonita


Even though I completed my challenge, by reaching the North Pole on the 13th of April, you can still help me to raise up to £10,000 with my sponsors VocaLink by topping up a pay as you go mobile phone at an ATM, during May 2011.

Thank you to my sponsors VocaLink, MPTU and YourCash for making this trip happen and enabling the public to donate to such a worthwhile charity.

VocaLink North Pole Challenge

The time of year has come again- last March i was sitting on my bed, looking at an explosion of kit on my bedroom floor, and a year on it feels like De'ja Vu.

It's not the Himalayas i'm heading off to this time- though i hope to visit again soon. I am in fact heading North to the arctic circle to a place called Longyearbyen, then onto a Russian base called Camp Barneo and after that (fingers crossed) the North Pole.

This last degree expedition is in aid of a great charity, The Forces Children's Trust.
The trust supports families who have lost a parent in the British Armed Forces- that may be Afghanistan or Iraq, or even closer to home.

The trust provides counselling, days out and even adventures- such as taking a group of bereaved children to Lapland to meet Father Christmas. My sponsor VocaLink, alongside Mobile Phone Top-UP at ATM and Your Cash have a bold target to raise over £10,000 for this fantastic charity- and thanks to their support we are well on our way.

But we need your help too- whilst i am on the expedition (31st March to 15th April) everytime you go to an ATM and top-up your PAYG phone a few pence goes directly to the FCT. This is such an easy way to raise huge amounts of cash. We raised £10,000 from your Top-Ups for Global Angels whilst i was on Everest, and that money has made a huge difference to children in the UK and in Africa.

So please- help us. Go and Top-Up at an ATM. Together we can make a difference.

So i leave next thursday from heathrow, and hope to reach the Pole around the 11th of April. I'll be guided by Alan Chambers MBE, the first British man to reach the North Pole from Canada unsupported alongside a team of other intrepid adventurers from the UK and one from NYC- hi Rob! This trip has been organised by Charity Challenge, who took the celebrities up Kilimanjaro. If you want to go on a crazy adventure they are www.charitychallenge.com.

One last thing- thanks to VocaLink and my family for being the biggest support. Without you this wouldn't be possible. I am very lucky.

You can check out www.vocalink.com/bonita for more details and also keep up to date with the trip via my twitter feed @bonitanorris. Finally, this blog will be updated whilst i am away with our progress.

Let's hope the weather holds...

B

Spring climbing

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photos courtesy of Rhys Jones

What a glorious weekend for the nation's climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers- blessed high pressure meant brilliant blue skies, bright sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.

Taking full advantage of this mid-march anomoly Rhys Jones, Becky Bellworthy and myself headed down to the south coast for two days with high hopes of ticking some good routes and maybe even getting a tan.

Saturday saw us and what seemed like the world and his wife head down to Portland (sportland) to clip some bolts. Our threesome scrambled down past the cliffs of Blacknor Central to the jumble of slabs and boulders that seemed to be constantly battered by the swells.

We climbed pretty much every route on three of these slabs- including the diamond slab and ticked classics elsewhere such as The Bolt Factory. Good fun, but easy climbing. The waves crashed below, we played some tunes from Rhys' speakers and had many proud moments as Becky had her first experience of climbing and leading outdoors.




Photos courtesy of rhys jones

I found a huge, loose fossil which could be a 100million years old- i have no idea. I wandered whether i should take it home but instead hid it well under a boulder- if it has been there for millions of years without being taken then i suppose its not really my place to remove such a beautiful piece of history from the shoreline.

Day two Rhys persuaded us girls to head to Swanage for some trad climbing. Another great day and it was also nice to chat to Dave Pegler over sandwiches- he has provided all these of us with our kit for our Everest expeditions so it was nice to thank him in person.

I lead my first Severe climb- Inspiration S 4a. I had a long run out at the end after placing a sold nut and cam half way up the route. I knew i wasn't going to fall. That was a nice feeling- getting to the top with a smile. It's gotten me psyched for future trad days, Rhys you'll be pleased to know!







We watched the sunset from the top of the Agglestone in Studland- this great fiery orb sinking before our eyes behind the horizon. In the twilight we messed around on the sandstone and eeked out the final few moments of a wonderful weekend.

As we said goodbye to Becky, Rhys had to remind her- climbing in the UK is NOT normally like this! We've experienced gales in Scotland, frozen toes in the Lakes, cold hands pretty much everywhere else and not forgetting drizzle and wet, slippery rock.

But that's why weekends like that are so unforgettable- maybe they only come around once or twice a year, and to have been able to make the most of every moment is really what it is to feel alive.