Bonita Norris during her ascent of Manaslu last year

A novice mountaineer this morning became the youngest British woman to reach the highest point on earth.

Bonita Norris, 22, reached the summit of Everest at 6.30am, guided by Kenton Cool, who himself set a new record with his eighth successful attempt on the mountain – more than any other Briton.

Ms Norris, of Wokingham, Berkshire, takes the title of youngest female British summiteer from Victoria James, who made her ascent at the age of 25.

The 22-year-old had been due to push for the summit yesterday, but high winds forced a day’s delay.

She had never climbed a mountain until a year ago, but in autumn last year climbed to the summit of Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak, at 8,156m (26,759 ft).

She blogged briefly after her summit triumph, achieved with three other clients of Cool’s Dream Guides outfit: “Thank you all for such incredible support back home, it really kept me going in the toughest of moments.”

Cool, who also led eccentric adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes to the summit at his third attempt, said: “I love Everest. To have summited once was mildly insane; to have summited for an eighth time is utter madness. Why eight times? Why not?”

Bonita Morris’s Everest expedition was part of an effort to raise cash for the charity Global Angels, which espouses children’s causes internationally.