I KEEP MY TRYST WITH EVEREST

I KEEP MY TRYST WITH EVEREST
-Bachendri Pal

29-year-old Bachendri Pal becomes first Indian
woman to scale Mt Everest

Mt. Everest is literally located at the top of the
world, rising 8,848 metres above sea level. It was
formed about 60 million years ago and is located in
the Mahalangur mountain range in Nepal and Tibet.
Mount Everest is also known in Nepal as
Sagarmatha (Goddess of the sky) and in Tibet as
Chomolungma( mother Goddess of the universe)

1. What qualities do you think one requires to climb
a peak?

1. The desire.
2. Unwavering self belief.
3. Ability to visualize success.
4. Ability to accept and deal with fear.
5. Ability to manage doubt.
6. Bulletproof positivity.
7. The enjoyment of suffering.
8. Mental Endurance.
9. Sharp Focus.
10. Confidence in your ability.
11. Risk management skills.

So why climb Mount Everest?

The most famous answer to this question came

from climber George Mallory - ‘because it is there’.

While more than 2200 people have succeeded in

reaching and returning from the Summit nearly 200

people have lost their life

attempting the climb.

During the 1​ 924 expedition,​

Malory and his climbing partner,

Andrew "Sandy" Irvine​,

disappeared on the north-east

ridge of the Everest. The pair were

last seen when they were about 800 vertical ft (245

m) from the summit. Mallory's ultimate fate was

unknown for 75 years, until his body was discovered

on 1 May 1999 by an expedition that had set out to

search for the climbers' remains.

Key words:

​Expedition:​ a journey undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose.

Summit: t​ he highest point of a hill or mountain.

Let us read an account by
Bachendri Pal, a single minded
and spirited girl born in a rural
family of moderate means
who became the first Indian
woman to reach the Summit of Mount Everest in
May 1984.

“My​   heart  stood  still.  It  dawned  on  me  that 
success was within reach. And at 1.07 pm on 23 
May  1984,  I  stood  on  top  of  Everest,  and  I  was 
the  first  Indian  woman to have done so,” writes 
Bachendri  Pal​,  recollecting  her  tryst  in  the  book 
Everest: My Journey to the Top.​  
 
I got up at 4 a.m. melted snow and brewed tea after

a light breakfast of a few biscuits and half a slab of

chocolate. I left my tent at around 5:30 a.m. Ang

Dorjee, my rope leader, was standing outside, no

one else was about.

Key Words:

1. Single minded -​ ​ ​concentrating on only one aim.
2. Brewed tea- Brewing is the extraction of the goodness nature has induced in the

black, oolong, green or white tea leaves. ... Preheat the teapot and cups by swirling
around some hot water in them and pouring it out before brewing.
3. Rope Leaders -function as assistant leaders on rock climbs that are within their
technical abilities. Rope leaders are typically in charge of a rope team on climbs.

Ang Dorjee was going to climb
without oxygen but because of this his
feet would get very cold. He thus
wanted to avoid long exposure at
Heights and the night at the Summit camp. He had
therefore to either get to the peak and back to the
South Col the same day or abandon the attempt.
He was keen to start immediately and asked if I
would like to go with him going to the top from the
South Pole and back in a day would be strenuous
and tough and there was the risk off and turning
back if his feet got to hold I have ever had full
confidence in Ang Dorjee as well as in my stamina
and climbing capability. Besides, no one else was
ready to move at that time.

abandon​-give up completely

stamina​-the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort
strenuous​-requiring great energy and effort

● The South Col is a sharp-edged col between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the highest
and fourth-highest mountains in the world, respectively.

At 6:20 when Ang Dorjee and I stepped out from
the South Col, it was a perfect day. There was a
gentle breeze but the cold was intense. I was
however, warm in my well-insulated climbing gear.
We climbed unroped. Ang Dorjee set a steady pace
but I had no difficulty keeping up with him.

insulated​-to protect someone or something from harmful experiences or influences
pace-a​ single step taken when walking or running
steady-​ not shaking or moving

The steep frozen slopes were as hard and brittle as
sheets of glass. We had to use the ice axe and I had
to kick really hard to get the front teeth of the
crampons to bite Into the frozen surface. I took
every step very deliberately on the dangerous
stretches.

brittle-​ hard and easily broken
deliberately-​ consciously and intentionally

A crampon is a traction device that is
attached to footwear to improve
mobility on snow and ice during ice
climbing. Besides ice climbing,
crampons are also used for secure
travel on snow and ice, such as
crossing glaciers, snowfields and icefields, ascending snow slopes, and
scaling ice-covered rock.

In less than 2 hours, we reached the Summit Camp.
Ang Dorjee looked back and asked if I was tired. I
replied, “No” to his surprise and delight. He told me
that the earlier summit party had taken 4 hours to
reach the Summit Camp and added that if we could
keep our present pace we would be on the Summit
by 1 p.m.

Lhatoo Dorjee, my rope

mate was following and

caught up with us when

we rested below the South

Summit. After drinking

some tea, we moved on.

Lhatoo had brought a

nylon rope so Ang Dorjee

and I roped up while Lhatoo walked in the middle

holding the rope with one hand more for balance

then security.

Dorjee Lhatoo

Scaled Mt. Everest, Nanda Devi, Chomulhari, Mont Blanc,
Matterhorn
Awards: IMF Gold Medal, Tenzing Norgay Award
Dorjee Lhatoo served in the Indian Army before joining as an
instructor at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. He was the
Deputy Director of Field Training. His achievements in the
field of Mountaineering include, – Nanda Devi, Chomolhari.
Mount Everest and other major peaks in Himalaya and Mont
Blanc, Matterhorn, Mont Rosa, etc. in the Alps. Dorjee Lhatoo
has been awarded Silver and Gold Medal (Indian
Mountaineering Foundation), Tenzing Norgay Award, Sports
medal of the French sports federation.



● ​Bachendri Pal ,Ang Dorjee and Lhatoo Dorjee

● They are making an attempt to climb Mt Everest without rope and oxygen.

● 6:20 AM -23rd May 1984

● Base camp at South Col to the summit of Everest.
● Because it was Bachendri’s passion and desire to climb Everest.​ She was courageous,

determined, capable, self confident and had an urge to achieve success.
● ​Bachendri Pal,​ recollecting her tryst in the book E​ verest: My Journey to the Top.​
abandon-​ give up completely
brittle​-hard and easily broken
crampons​-a traction device that is attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and
ice
deliberately​-consciously and intentionally
insulated​-to protect someone or something from harmful experiences or influences
pace-a​ single step taken when walking or running
stamina-​ the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort
steady​-not shaking or moving
strenuous-​ requiring great energy and effort
summit-​ the highest point

FOLLOW UP TASK:

● Complete the Vocabulary test attached in the Google Classroom.
● Read the lesson -I Keep My Tryst with Everest.