1.

2 On to The Summit: We Reach the Top

Glossary:

1. anchor – support / production

2. steep – high / sharp
3. expedition – mission
4. incline – slope
5. taut – tightly
6. bulky – large
7. descent – going down / coming down
8. spared – saved
9. flushed – glowed
10. alternated – changing places
11. sloping – slanting up or down
12. summit – the highest point of a hill or mountain
13. controversy – prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion
14. pact – a formal agreement between individuals or parties
15. ridge – a long narrow piece of raised land
16. embrace – hug, hold (someone) closely in one’s arms
17. accord – agreement, be harmonious or consistent with
18. quench – satisfy one’s thirst
19. exhilarated – very happy and excited
20. gale – strong wind
21. apparently – as far as one knows, or one can see.
DIALOGUE WRITING :
There are certain prerequisites for Mountaineering. With reference to the
following points, develop a short dialogue between you and your friend
about mountaineering.
Points: Time, Distance, Equipment, Training, Clothes, Mental and
physical fitness
I           :- Hi Rahul! How are you?

Rahul:- Hello! I am fine Tushar. Do you know about mountaineering?

I           :- Yes. I collected some information about it from internet.

Rahul:- I too got some information from newspapers and books.

I           :-  Good. Mountaineering is not an easy task. It needs a lot of time

to become expert.

Rahul  :-  Yeah. The distance is also important. Initially we can’t cover too
much distance on mountains because we don’t have its habit.

I         :- For mountaineering few things like rope, axe, water tumbler,

sleeping bags, string, oxygen cylinder, food packets, medicines etc. are
essential.

Rahul :- There is need of proper training for security of the mountaineer.

We also have to decide in which season we should go for climbing.

I     :- Yes. It’s true. We need to take proper clothes for the

mountaineering. Our clothes should help us in the climbing. They should
not be too loose. They should not become a problem during our journey.

Rahul :- Mountaineering is also the test of mental and physical fitness. We

should pay attention on it also.

I          :- Yes. We have much information now. OK. Good bye.

Rahul :- Good bye.

Develop a dialogue between you and your friend about
mountaineering
I: Hi, Raghu, What's up?      

Raghu: Hi, Dilip, I have a good news.

I: What's it tell me.         

Raghu: I have joined a mountaineering training session.

I: Wow, that's really great. Raghu tell me something about it

Raghu: I had wonderful experience in the first week of the class itself.

I: Come to the point Raghu don't beat around the bush.

Raghu: Ok dear, I was taken for an expedition to climb the Zippy point at,
Khandala.

I: Zippy point, that's too high.

Raghu: So what? Distance and time does not matter for a mountaineer.
The more the distance and time more the fun.
I: (astonished): what...?
Raghu: They provide all guidance and trained us. We need to wear
special clothes and carry certain equipment along with us.
I: Was it not heavy with all these things for climbing?
Raghu: No, as we are trained for physical fitness and mental endurance. I
too felt the same before undertaking the expedition but once I started the
journey nothing could stop me as my goal of reaching the destination was
pulling me towards it.

I: Hats off to you and your determination.

Summary:
Tenzing and Hillary set out from Camp Nine early on Friday morning to continue their
journey to the Top. Tenzing was determined to conquer the peak even at the cost of
his life. They took turns to take the lead because the one that follows has the difficult
job of acting as the anchor for the team. Tenzing was carrying the flags of Great
Britain, Nepal, India, and the United Nations to plant them at the summit.
After an hour of steady climbing, they had to cut across the south face and begin
climbing the west side where they had to cross a steep line of rocks. This proved to be
difficult and thus took some time. However, once they had cleared these, they only
had to make it past a snow-covered incline.
This became progressively easier as the steepness of the incline decreased as they
neared the top. Although the last sixty or seventy feet up the top were not very
dangerous, they maintained the same steady pace and reached the small, flattened
summit almost together. The rope that was tied between them was a symbol of their
teamwork and companionship.
Important names
1. Edmund Hillary: Mountain climber and Antarctic explorer who, with the Tibetan
mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest
2. The narrator: Tenzing Sherpa a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer.[2][3] He was
one of the first two individuals known to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
3. (C.W.F.) Noyce: Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce (31 December 1917 – 24 July 1962)
was usually known as Wilfrid Noyce. He was an English mountaineer and author. He
was a member of the 1953 British Expedition that made the first ascent of Mount
Everest.
4. (W.G.) Lowe: Wallace George Lowe (15 January 1924 – 20 March 2013), was known
as George Lowe. He was a New Zealand-born mountaineer, explorer, film director,
and educator.

The narrator and Hillary were determined to reach the top of the world
When the narrator and Hillary left Camp Nine on Friday morning he was determined to
get on the top of the mountain even if at the cost of his death. He wasn’t afraid if he
died that day. They started early and lead the journey alternatively, sometimes the
narrator took the lead, and sometimes Hillary. The man who would be behind had the
most difficult job both in climbing up and down like an anchor. The man leading cuts
the steps and breaks the way.
When the narrator was in camp four Colonel Hunt gave him three flags of Britain, the
United Nations, and Nepal which he was asked to plant at the top of the mountain
when they reach. The narrator asked for permission to let him plant the Indian Flag as
well which he had brought with him.
Colonel Hunt was glad that he had an Indian flag and after an hour they cut across the
south face and started the west side which had a steep line of rocks. This way took
time and was difficult to cross. After this there were no barriers left except a snow-
covered incline, sloping less and less as they get nearer to the top.
The beginning of their journey to Mount Everest
The last sixty to seventy feet up was not very dangerous and they kept moving at the
same pace. During the last fifty feet from the peak, Hillary and the narrator were
almost twenty feet apart but were tied with a rope which helped them stay together in
difficult situations. They were not different individuals but a team.
The narrator has been asked by many who was the first to reach the summit to which
they had no answer as climbing is not about reaching first but overcoming the
barriers. Their main thought was that both of them reach the top, one couldn’t have
done it alone.

The narrator and Hillary reach Kathmandu

The narrator and Hillary had become a controversy when they reached Kathmandu yet
it didn’t affect them. They decide to sign a pact in the office of the Prime Minister of
Nepal which stated that they will not be a part of any controversy and embrace every
part of the journey.
The narrator’s first thought on reaching the top was gratitude to God. He and his wife
are Buddhists, e wanted to kneel but couldn’t because of the clothes and the
equipment yet he offered a silent prayer in his heart. He offered biscuits, candy, and a
little blue pencil that his daughter Nima had given him when he was leaving home so
that he would put it on top of the mountain as her offering.
The narrator plated the flags along with his offerings and Hillary took picture of it. The
narrator was very thirsty and when he took out his metal container, the water was
frozen and he couldn’t satisfy his thirst so he ate some biscuits and offered them to
Hillary.

The narrator expressed his gratitude

He wore a scarf that his friend gift him up the mountain, remembered him, and felt as
if he was with him. The narrator didn’t feel tired and was happy at that moment. All the
hills and mountains looked like gods and goddesses to him which also looked like
broken pieces of the map.
Only two or three people could stand on the top of the world. Twenty to thirty feet
below there was enough space for two people to sleep. They stayed on the top for a
little more than fifteen minutes and the next thought was to get down safely. The
climb down was more dangerous than climbing up.
Climbing down took less time but it needed more caution. When they reached camp
nine is when they were relieved that they reached safely. The narrator and Hillary were
not in the mood of talking to and rested for a while. Just above camp eight were
others who could see them and the narrator gave a thumbs up. Noyce and Lowe saw
and flushed out of joy, this way the narrator could tell them that their journey was a
success.
By the time they reached camp eight which was another fifty feet down Noyce brought
some tea which smelled like kerosene and they enjoyed it anyway as the gentleman
took the trouble to bring it to them.
Conclusion
The narration is a real-life experience of Tenzing Norgay also referred to as Sherpa
Tenzing and Edmund Hillary who were the first two individuals known to reach the
summit of Mount Everest in 1953. In this particular lesson, Tenzing describes the climb
to the top and all events that occurred during the historic climb.
ANSWER THE FOLLLOWING QUESTIONS
Q. Discuss with your partner the various hazards and risks that a mountaineer/
trekker has to face in an expedition:

Ans. Mountaineering is something very adventurous and is not meant for the weak
hearted people. It involves various risks and dangers as well like heavy rain storm,
avalanches, if a mountaineer loses focus he/ she may fall down from height, lack of
oxygen, extreme tiredness, feeling dizzy, and a lot other kind of troubles mountaineers
might face.

Q. Give reasons for the ‘rope’ being called a symbol:

Ans. The rope was considered a symbol as it tied Tenzing and Hillary together. One could
not move without the other. They were not two individuals, but a team.

Q. List the ways in which Tenzing Norgay celebrates on reaching the top.
Ans. On reaching the summit-
a) His first thought on reaching the top was a sense of gratitude to God, he had blessed
Tenzing with fulfillment of this desire which he had held for so long.
b) Tenzing and Hillary embraced each other overjoyed at their success, and then he took
photograph of Tenzing holding aloft the flags of Great Britain, Nepal, the United Nations
and India.

c) He then placed on the summit the offerings to God that he had carried with him. This is
in accord with Tezing’s Buddhist religion. The offerings were biscuits, candy and a little
blue pencil that his youngest daughter Nima had given to him before he left home.
BRAINSTORMING
A(1) Summarise to the class in your own words the highly risky and dangerous
journey of Tenzing and Hillary from the base to the top of Mt. Everest.
Ans. This time Tenzing thought he will surely conquer the peak even at any cost. Before
this he tried to climb the Everest and failed six times. Both Hillary and Tenzing were well
coordinated with each other and had a good understanding. They took turns to take the
lead and the other was walking behind, which was rather a difficult job. Tenzing carried
the flags of four countries, including India so that he can put them onto the summit. After
an hour of steady going, they had to cut across the south face and started up to the west
side where they had to cross a steep line of rocks. That was quite difficult, thus slow.
However, once they had cleared these, there was nothing barring their way, just a snow-
covered incline. This was eventually becoming easier as the steep incline decreased as
they neared the top. Although the last sixty or seventy feet up the top were not very
dangerous, they maintained the same steady pace and reached the small, flattened
summit almost together. During the last fifty feet from the peak, Hillary and Tenzing were
moving about twenty feet apart. They were tied together with a rope. This rope was a
symbol as it proved that they were not two individuals, but a team.