She set herself a formidable target Husband Jim Ballard

Before starting her descent, she planted a silk flower.

Her husband Jim Ballard, 48, a climbing photographer, who stayed at home to look after the children said: "I am very proud of Alison. I always had confidence in her ability to get to the roof of the world, although she set herself a formidable target."

Alison tackled the mountain's notorious north ridge from Tibet after more than a year's training on the slopes of Ben Nevis.

She failed in a similar attempt last year, when she was driven back at 27,500ft (8,382m) by arctic winds which threatened to freeze her hands and feet.

Cally Fleming, a spokeswoman for the Nevis Range ski slope where Miss Hargreaves trained said: "This is the most important climb ever undertaken by a woman. It's fabulous."

Miss Hargreaves, who uses her maiden name for climbing, arrived at base camp at 17,060ft (5,199.9m) on 11 April. She climbed the entire route without porters or oxygen

She was forced to approach the summit almost along the top of the arduous north ridge because weather conditions meant the slopes below were almost bare of snow.

The only other climber to have reached the top of Everest unaided was Reinhold Messner in 1980.

Alison Hargreaves now plans to climb the world's second highest mountain, K2, unaided after a short break in Scotland.

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