THE SUMMIT WITHIN - Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia

Summary: 

The author reflects on his experience of climbing to the summit of Everest, and is thoughtful on why people climb mountains. The author suggests that mountains present great challenges, and that climbing them is a means of demonstrating endurance, persistence, and will power. Climbing Everest, in particular, requires the last ounce of one's energy, and demands an emotional and spiritual commitment, as well as physical toughness. The author ultimately concludes that climbing Everest provides a sense of fulfillment, a deep urge to rise above one's surroundings, and an experience that changes one's perspective on life.

Vocabulary

1. humility - a modest or low view of one's importance; humbleness

2. jubilant - feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph

3. tinge - a slight trace of something

4. formidable - inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or                capable

5. endurance - the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without            giving way

6. persistence - firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition

7. willpower - control exerted to do something or restrain impulses

8. communion - the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the                exchange is on a mental or spiritual level

9. aloofness - a state of being distant, remote, or withdrawn

10. mystical - inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination

11. conquest - the subjugation and assumption of control of a place or people by military force

12. satisfaction - fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this

13. ennobling - elevating to a higher degree; dignifying

14. obeisance - deferential respect

QUIZ

1. What is the dominant emotion the author feels on the summit of Everest?

A. Jubilation B. Sadness C. Satisfaction D. Fear

2. Why does the author question why people climb mountains?

A. He cannot understand the physical challenges of climbing.

B. He is curious about the mental and emotional reasons for climbing.

C. He has never climbed a mountain himself.

D. He thinks climbing mountains is a waste of time.

3. Why does the author believe that mountains are a means of communion with God?

A. Mountains are beautiful and majestic.

B. They present great difficulties.

C. Mountains are a challenge.

D. Mountains are a means of experiencing something mystical.

4. Why did the author choose to climb Everest specifically?

A. It is the highest mountain.

B. It is the mightiest mountain.

C. It had defied many previous attempts.

D. All of the above.

5. What is the author's explanation for why he climbed Everest?

A. It is like answering why you breathe.

B. He needed to prove something to himself.

C. It was a physical challenge he wanted to overcome.

D. He wanted to show off to others.

6. What is the man who has been to the mountain-top conscious of in a special manner?

A. His own smallness in this large universe.

B. His own greatness in this large universe.

C. His physical strength and endurance.

D. His emotional depth and spirituality.

7. What is the physical conquest of a mountain only one part of?

A. The achievement.

B. The satisfaction.

C. The joy.

D. The sense of victory.

8. What is the experience of climbing a mountain not merely?

A. Physical. B. Emotional. C. Spiritual. D. Intellectual.

9. What do climbers share as they climb towards the summit on the last heights?

A. A rope. B. A water bottle. C. A jacket. D. A hat.

10. What do climbers do to help each other during a climb?

A. Cut the steps in the hard ice. B. Take turns belaying.

C. Carry each other up the mountain. D. None of the above.

11. What do climbers do at the summit of a mountain?

A. Make their way back down immediately.

B. Look for other mountains to climb.

C. Bow down and make their obeisance to whichever God they worship.

D. Celebrate with a glass of champagne.

12. What does the author leave on Everest?

A. A picture of Guru Nanak.         B. A picture of himself.

C. A relic of the Buddha. D. None of the above.

13. What does Rawat leave on Everest?

A. A picture of himself.         B. A picture of Goddess Durga.

C. A relic of the Buddha. D. None of the above.

14. What does Phu Dorji leave on Everest?

A. A picture of himself.         B. A picture of Goddess Durga.

C. A relic of the Buddha. D. None of the above.

15. What does Edmund Hillary bury under a cairn in the snow?

A. A picture of himself.         B. A picture of Guru Nanak.

C. A relic of the Buddha. D. A cross.

16. What are the symbols left on Everest by the climbers?

A. Symbols of conquest. B. Symbols of reverence.

C. Symbols of victory. D. Symbols of fear.

17. What does the author mean by "it is like answering a question why you breathe"?

A. The answer is so obvious that it is difficult to put into words.

B. The question is so complex that it cannot be answered definitively

18. Why did the author feel a tinge of sadness after reaching the summit of Everest?

a) Because he was physically exhausted

b) Because he had already achieved the ultimate in climbing and there would be nothing higher to climb

c) Because he didn't feel a sense of accomplishment

19. How does climbing a mountain change a person?

a) It makes them physically stronger

b) It changes their perspective on life

c) It gives them a sense of accomplishment

20. What is the main reason why people climb mountains, according to the author?

a) Because they enjoy physical challenges

b) Because they want to commune with God

c) Because they want to prove themselves

21. Why did the author choose to climb Everest specifically?

a) Because it is the highest mountain in the world

b) Because it is the most difficult mountain to climb

c) Because it is the most beautiful mountain

22. What does the author say is the most difficult part of climbing Everest?

a) The physical challenge of climbing

b) The mental challenge of climbing

c) The journey back down from the summit

23. What is the author's opinion on the final reason why people climb mountains?

a) They want to prove themselves

b) They want to commune with God

c) There is no final reason possible

24. How does the author describe the experience of climbing a mountain emotionally?

a) Physical only

b) Spiritual only

c) Emotional, spiritual, and physical

25. What do climbers leave at the summit of Everest?

a) Symbols of conquest

b) Symbols of reverence

c) Symbols of their accomplishment

Textbook Solutions

1. What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?

Ans: The three qualities that played a major role in the author's climb are persistence, determination, and a deep sense of adventure.

2. Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?

Ans: Adventure is pleasurable because it provides a sense of excitement, accomplishment, and the opportunity to push oneself beyond one's limits, which can be deeply satisfying.

3. What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?

Ans: The author found Mount Everest irresistible because of its imposing size and the challenge it presented. Climbing it would require him to push his limits and test his abilities in a way that few other challenges could.

4. One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?

Ans: One does not climb a high peak for fame alone. Rather, one does it to challenge oneself, to test one's limits, and to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving a difficult goal.

5. “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?

Ans: The emotion mentioned in the first paragraph is humlity.

6. What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest?

Ans: Answer: The symbols of reverence left by members of the team on Everest include a picture of Guru Nanak left by the author, a picture of Goddess Durga left by Rawat, a relic of the Buddha left by Phu Dorji, and a cross buried under a cairn in the snow by Edmund Hillary.

7. What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him?

Ans: The author's experience as an Everester taught him the value of persistence, determination, and teamwork, as well as the importance of humility and respect for nature.