On to the Summit

On to the Summit:We reach the top

WORD MEANINGS

Set out: begin a journey
Camp nine: camping place
Get to the top: to move to or reach the highest point of something.
Take the lead: to be the primary person working on something; to assert oneself as the leader.
Anchor: support / production
alternated: changing places
In his capacity: typically used to refer to someone's role, or the duties associated with their role, in a certain situation or context.
Leader of the expedition: the person or persons appointed by World Challenge to lead the Expedition.
by all means: certainly, or sure thing
steady: firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.
cut across: go through or across something, especially to shorten one's route.
pass up: refrain from taking up an opportunity.
barring: except for; if not for
inclines: slope
sloping: slanting up or down
pace: speed
flattened: make or become flat or flatter
summit: the highest point of a hill or mountain
moving about: To move from place to place.
taut: stretched or pulled tight; not slack
controversy: prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion.
arisen: emerge; become apparent.
talked it over: to discuss a problem or situation with someone, often to find out their opinion or to get advice before making a decision about it
childish: behave badly in a way that would be expected of a child
pact: a formal agreement between individuals or parties
upwards: towards a higher place, point, or level.
leading: most important.
ridge: a long narrow piece of raised land
embrace: hug, hold(someone) closely in one's arms
aloft: up in the air
gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
accord: agreement, be harmonious or consistent with
kneel: be in or assume a position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission
prized possessions: that you have earned and feel very proud about
string: material consisting of threads of cotton, hemp, or other material twisted together to form a thin length.
lying flat: Chinese slang neologism that describes a personal rejection of societal pressures to overwork and over-achieve
tumbler: a drinking glass with straight sides and no handle or stem.
quench: satisfy one's thirst
exhilarated: very happy and excited
pitch one tent: to set a tent up.
gale: strong wind
descent: an act of moving downwards, dropping, or falling.
trace: find or discover by investigation, a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication
caution: care taken to avoid danger or mistakes.
(C.W.F.) Noyce: He was an English mountaineer and author.
W.G. Lowe: a New Zealand-born mountaineer,
apparently: as far as one knows, or one can see.

Lesson Summary & Explanation

Introduction

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 Nation 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

Edmund Hillary: Mountain climber and Antarctic explorer who, with the Tibetan mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest
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.
(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.
(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 were 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 if both of them reached 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, He 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.

Brainstorming

Passage 1

Lines from 1 to 58

In the page no 16 n 17

"When we left................between the two of them."

Global Understanding:

Complete the following sentences:

1] when they left camp nine on Friday morning, Tenzing______

2] Tenzing asked colonel hunt’s permission to plant the Indian flag because ______

3] Once they had passed the steep line of rocks, the snow-covered incline was _____

4] Hillary and Tenzing were mainly thinking about _____

Ans: 1. was determined to get to the top on that day.

ii. he was the leader of the expedition

iii the only obstacle in their way towards the top

iv. reaching the top together.

Analysis:

Arrange the following in order of their occurrence in the extract:

i]Colonel grants Tenzing permission to plant the Indian flag.

ii]Tenzing and Hillary ascent at a steady pace.

iii] They had to pass a steep line of rocks.

iv.They reach the small, flattened summit almost together.

Ans: i, iii, ii, iv

Reasoning:

1]Tenzing and Hillary took turns to take the lead while ascending. Give reasons.

Ans. Tenzing and Hillary took turns to take the lead because:

1. Tenzing and Norgay ascended the slope by forming a two-man rope team with a safety rope between them.

2. As such, one of them would follow and the other would lead.

3.The author notes that the one who follows has a tough job both while climbing up and climbing down.

4.This is because he is the anchor that must support the weight of the other climber in case of a mishap.

5. Acknowledging the dangerous and difficult nature of the job, they decided to take turns to lead the climb.

Personal Response:

Tenzing and Norgay managed to accomplish the historic feat through teamwork and mutualsupport. Can you think of an

incident when you had to work in a team? Write it in your own words.

Ans: When I was in Std. IX, I had participated in the 800m relay race with three others from my class. We began our training and soon realized that in a relay race, the team members have to be prepared to make up for the loss of time of their teammates. Through a series of trials, the order of running was fixed. On the day of the race, the first runner dropped the baton while passing it. The remaining three of us immediately knew we had to buckle up and run faster. In the end, our teamwork paid off and we claimed the first prize. It would not have been possible for a single person to cover up the large amount of time lost. Thus, in that moment of trouble, we had shown the true spirit of teamwork conquered the obstacle together.

Vocabulary:

1] write the synonyms for the following from the extract:

Authorization
Slope
Sign
Group

Ans:

Permission
Incline
Symbol
Team

Grammar:

He charged me with the duty of planting them on top of the world. (Change the Voice)

Ans: I was charged with the duty of planting them on top of the world by him.

If there had been a difference of one thousand feet between us, then one could make the claim that he was first.

(Identify and analyse the Clauses)

Ans: Then one could make the claim that he was

first - Main Clause

If there had been a difference of one thousand feet between us - Subordinate Adverb Clause of Condition

Write the noun form of the following:

i. remember ii. die

iii. incline iv dangerous

Ans:

Remembrance 2. Death 3. Inclination 4. Danger

Passage 2

Lines from 59 to 124

On page 18 and 19

Global understanding

1] Name the following:

a).The place where the author discovered about the controversy.

b) The place where the pact between Tenzing and Hillary was signed.

c) Nima's offering carried to the summit by the author

d) The leader of the 1952 Swiss expedition

e) The date the author received the red scarf

Ans:

a. Kathmandu b. The office of the Prime Minister of Nepal

c. An ordinary blue pencil d. Lambert e. May 28th, 1952.

Analysis

1. The author shares a close relationship with God. Justify this statement based on the extract.

Ans: 1. On reaching the summit, the author's first thoughts were filled with a sense of gratitude to God.

2.He was grateful and overwhelmed at having succeeded on conquering the summit after six failed attempts at doing so. He regarded this success as a blessing from God.

3.In spite of it being a dangerous and tiring journey, the author had carried offerings to place at the summit out of respect for the rituals of his religion.

4 . These offerings included biscuits, candy and an ordinary blue pencil, which was special because itwas given by the author's daughter to be placed at the summit. The pencil had been invaluable to her. The author offered these to God in the first moments of reaching the summit as a token of his gratefulness. Thus, the author shared a close relationship with God.

Reasoning

1. The author and Hillary signed a pact that they had reached the summit together. Give reasons.

Ans: The author and Hillary signed a pact that they had reached the summit together because:

A controversy regarding the question of who reached the summit first had begun by the time Tenzing and Hillary reached Kathmandu on their way back.
Colonel Hunt, Hillary and Tenzing all agreed that all the talk was childish.
Tenzing and Hillary deeply respected and admired each other and truly believed that they were a team. Their success was thus a joint one.
As soon as they reached the summit, they embraced each other and were overjoyed by their success. This indicates that the thought of who had reached first was not important to him.
Thus, as an acknowledgement of their joint effort and in order to put to rest any controversy, they decided to sign the pact.

Personal Response

Write about any controversy in which you have got embroiled. Also speak of your experience to the class.

Ans: Some years ago, I had participated in an essay writing contest at school. We had to submit an essay on the topic 'Nuclear Energy: Advantages and Hazards'. After hours of pouring over books to research the topic, I managed to complete the essay and submitted it in school the next day. The next week the winners were announced and I realized I had won. However, nobody seemed to believe that the essay was written by me. One of the classmates started a rumour that my mother had written the essay for me. Eventually, everyone was talking about me in hushed tones. With time, the rumours died down, but because of this controversy, I was left with mixed feelings about my win.

Find one word from the extract for the following:

a thing offered as a religious sacrifice or token of devotion.
a hiking and climbing tool

iii. a container to hold liquids

iv. a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head

Ans: i. offering ii. ice axe

iii.tumbler iv.scarf

Write the antonyms for the following from the extract:

Lightweight
Detached
Lost
Unhealthy

Ans:

Bulky
Fastened
Found
Fit

Grammar

Write the adjective form of the following:

A .Controversy b. mountain c. possession

d. thirst e. friend f. sensation

ans:

a. controversial b. Mountainous c. possessive

d. thirsty e. friendly f. sensational

Passage 3

from line 125 to 170

on page 19 and 20

Global understanding:

Complete the following sentences:

Standing space could be created on the summit by_____

ii. Tenzing was determined to _____

iii At Camp Nine, the author was thankful that______

iv. It was easier to______

Ans:

i. cutting ice

ii. make sure that Hillary descended safely

iii. they had been spared an accident so far

iv climb down from Camp Nine to Camp Eight

Analysis

1. write down the significance of the following:

Kerosene flavoured tea

Ans:

a.After their historic conquer of Everest, the author and Hillary met other team mates on their way down, with whom they shared the news of their victory.

b.As they got nearer to Camp Eight, one of the team mates, Noyce, brought them tea.

c.Mountaineers often use kerosene stoves for cooking which leaves a smell of the fuel in the food.

d.The tea was thus kerosene flavoured because Noyce had made in a hurry on the stove

e.In spite of the unpleasant smell of the tea, the author drinks it, which highlights his acknowledgement of the efforts of his friend and the bond of their friendship.

Reasoning

1. It was difficult to climb down the mountain. Give reasons.

Ans: It was difficult to climb down the mountain because: i. There was a higher risk of slipping on the way down. If one slipped, he would fall into the Kangshung glacier and his remains would never be found.

ii. It took less time climbing down, but required more husiar (caution).

iii. The author and Hillary were obviously tired after the exhausting journey to the top.

Personal Response

1. Give your opinion on whether we should or should not participate in adventure sports.

Ans: I firmly believe that we must participate in adventure sports. Though adventure sports come with their fair share of risks, they also provide us with a sense of adventure that cannot be obtained through other sports. In addition, they test our physical and mental abilities and thus make us stronger. Due to their risky nature, they also train us to have quick responses and presence of mind as there is always a fear of something going wrong in the flash of a second. Moreover, they help us overcome our deepest fears which in turn gives us the courage to tackle any obstacle in life.

Vocabulary

Pick out the synonyms of the underlined words from those given in the brackets: (spared, lucky, apparently, trace)

i. fortunate

ii. sign.

iii. supposedly.

iv. saved

Ans:

i. lucky ii. Trace iii.apparently iv. Spared

Grammar

1. Do as Directed:

i. I must say that the climb down was more difficult and dangerous than the climb up.

(Change the Degree of Comparison to Positive)

Ans:

I must say that the climb up was not as difficult and dangerous as the climb down.

ii. When we left, we took only our sleeping bags.

(Rewrite as a Compound sentence)

Ans: We left and took only our sleeping bags.

2. Write the adverb form of the following:

i.determination

ii.sure

iii. dangerous

iv. accident

Ans:

i.determinedly

ii.surely

iii.dangerously

iv.accidentally