The Summit (Prose)

Unit 4 – Prose

The Summit

by Edmund Hillary

Warm Up

Adventures, expeditions and explorations are always exciting. Especially when they are real and if it is the first of its kind, it is even more thrilling. The only question that comes to one’s mind is what makes one to take up such tasks that involve high risks. It is the spirit of formidable adventure and certain qualities which make them achieve such feats.

Tick the qualities that are required to achieve such a feat.
- passion determination physical fitness faith courage drive inspiration self-satisfaction vision undying spirit inner-urge perseverance

The Summit – Prose Text

This prose unit is a slightly adapted excerpt from ‘The Ascent of Everest’ by John Hunt. Sir Edmund Hillary’s own words tell how the summit of the Everest was reached.

1. Preparing for the Final Climb

On May 28 there were six men at Camp 8 on the South Col: Edmund Hillary, Tenzing, George Lowe, Alfred Gregory, and the two Sherpas, Pemba and Ang Nyima. But Pemba was too ill to climb. The others, heavily laden, climbed that day to a height of 27,900 feet. Here, Hillary and Tenzing put up a little tent, and watched their three companions go down the ridge, back towards the South Col.

As the sun set, Hillary and Tenzing crawled into the tent, put on all their warm clothing, and wriggled into their sleeping bags. Next morning, at 4 a.m. on May 29, they began to get ready for the climb.

1. We started up our cooker and drank large quantities of lemon juice and sugar, and followed this with our last tin of sardines on biscuits. I dragged our oxygen sets into the tent, cleaned the ice off them, and then rechecked and tested them.

2. I had removed my boots, which had become wet the day before, and they were now frozen solid. So I cooked them over the fierce flame of the Primus and managed to soften them up. Over our down clothing we donned our windproof and on to our hands we pulled three pairs of gloves – silk, woollen, and windproof.

3. At 6.30 a.m. we crawled out of that tent into the snow, hoisted our 30 lb. of oxygen gear on to our backs, connected up our masks and turned on the valves to bring life-giving oxygen into our lungs. A few good deep breaths and we were ready to go. Still a little worried about my cold feet, I asked Tenzing to move off.

2. The Ascent

1. Tenzing kicked steps in a long traverse back towards the ridge, and we reached its crest where it forms a great snow bump at about 28,000 feet. From here the ridge narrowed to a knife-edge and, as my feet were now warm, I took over the lead.

2. The soft snow made a route on top of the ridge both difficult and dangerous, which sometimes held my weight but often gave way suddenly. After several hundred feet, we came to a tiny hollow, and found there the two oxygen bottles left on the earlier attempt by Evans and Bourdillon. I scraped the ice off the gauges and was relieved to find that they still contained several hundred litres of oxygen – enough to get us down to the South Col if used sparingly.

3. I continued making the trail on up the ridge, leading up for the last 400 feet to the southern summit. The snow on this face was dangerous, but we persisted in our efforts to beat a trail up it.

4. We made frequent changes of lead. As I was stamping a trail in the deep snow, a section around me gave way and I slipped back through three or four of my steps. I discussed with Tenzing the advisability of going on, and he, although admitting that he felt unhappy about the snow conditions, finished with his familiar phrase “Just as you wish”.

5. I decided to go on; and we finally reached firmer snow higher up, and then chipped steps up the last steep slopes and cramponed on to the South Peak. It was now 9 a.m.

3. The Final Ridge

1. We cut a seat for ourselves just below the South Summit and removed our oxygen apparatus. As our first partly-full bottle of oxygen was now exhausted, we had only one full bottle left. Our apparatus was now much lighter, weighing just over 20 lb., and as I cut steps down off the South Summit I felt a sense of freedom and well-being.

2. As my ice-axe bit into the first steep slope of the ridge, my high hopes were realized. The snow was crystalline and firm. Two or three blows of the ice-axe produced a step large enough even for our over-sized High Altitude boots, and a firm thrust of the ice-axe would sink it half-way up the shaft, giving a solid and comfortable belay.

3. We moved one at a time. I would cut a forty foot line of steps, Tenzing belaying me while I worked. Then in turn I would sink my shaft and put a few loops of the rope around it, and Tenzing, protected against a breaking step, would move up to me. Then once again as he belayed me I would go on cutting.

4. In a number of places the overhanging ice cornices were very large indeed, and in order to escape them I cut a line of steps down to where the snow met the rocks on the west. It was a great thrill to look straight down this enormous rock face and to see, 8,000 feet below us, the tiny tents of Camp 4 in the Western Cwm. Scrambling on the rocks and cutting handholds on the snow, we were able to shuffle past these difficult portions.

5. On its east side was another great cornice; and running up the full forty feet of the step was a narrow crack between the cornice and the rock. Leaving Tenzing to belay me as best he could, I jammed my way into this crack. Then, kicking backwards, I sank the spikes of my crampons deep into the frozen snow behind me and levered myself off the ground.

6. Taking advantage of every little rock hold, and all the force of knee, shoulder, and arms I could muster, I literally cramponed backwards up the crack, praying that the cornice would remain attached to the rock. My progress although slow was steady. As Tenzing paid out the rope, I inched my way upwards until I could reach over the top of the rock and drag myself out of the crack on to a wide ledge.

7. For a few moments I lay regaining my breath, and for the first time really felt the fierce determination that nothing now could stop us reaching the top. I took a firm stance on the ledge and signalled to Tenzing to come on up. As I heaved hard on the rope, Tenzing wriggled his way up the crack, and finally collapsed at the top like a giant fish when it has just been hauled from the sea after a terrible struggle.

4. The Summit

1. The ridge continued as before: giant cornices on the right; steep rock sloped on the left. The ridge curved away to the right and we have no idea where the top was. As I cut around the back of one hump, another higher one would swing into view. Time was passing and the ridge seemed never-ending.

2. Our original zest had now quite gone, and it was turning more into a grim struggle. I then realized that the ridge ahead, instead of rising, now dropped sharply away. I looked upwards to see a narrow snow ridge running up to a snowy summit. A few more whacks of the ice-axe in the firm snow and we stood on top.

3. My first feelings were of relief – relief that there were no more steps to cut, no more ridges to traverse, and no more humps to tantalize us with hopes of success. I looked at Tenzing. In spite of the balaclava helmet, goggles, and oxygen mask – all encrusted with long icicles – that concealed his face, there was no disguising his grin of delight as he looked all around him. We shook hands, and then Tenzing threw his arm around my shoulders and we thumped each other on the back until we were almost breathless. It was 11.30 a.m. The ridge had taken us two and a half hours, but it seemed like a lifetime.

5. The View from the Top

1. To the east was our giant neighbour Makalu, unexplored and unclimbed. Far away across the clouds, the great bulk of Kanchenjunga loomed on the horizon. To the west, we could see the great unexplored ranges of Nepal stretching off into the distance.

2. The most important photograph, I felt, was a shot down the North Ridge, showing the North Col and the old route which had been made famous by the struggles of those great climbers of the 1920’s and 1930’s. After ten minutes, I realized that I was becoming rather clumsy-fingered and slow-moving. So I quickly replaced my oxygen set.

6. Offerings at the Summit

1. Meanwhile, Tenzing had made a little hole in the snow, and in it he placed various small articles of food – a bar of chocolate, a packet of biscuits, and a handful of lollies. Small offerings, indeed, but at least a token gift to the Gods that all devout Buddhists believe have their home on this lofty summit.

2. While we were together on the South Col two days before, Colonel Hunt had given me a small crucifix which he had asked me to take to the top. I, too, made a hole in the snow and placed the crucifix beside Tenzing’s gifts.

7. The Descent

1. After fifteen minutes, I moved down off the summit on to our steps. Wasting no time, we cramponed along our tracks, spurred by the urgency of diminishing oxygen. We scrambled cautiously over the rock traverse, moved one at a time over shaky snow sections and finally cramponed up our steps and back on to the South Peak.

2. We were now very tired, but moved down to the two reserve cylinders on the ridge. As we were only a short distance from camp, and had a few litres of oxygen left in our own bottles, we carried the extra cylinders down, and reached our tent on its crazy platform at 2 p.m.

3. With a last look at the camp that had served us so well, we turned downwards with dragging feet and set ourselves to the task of safely descending the ridge to the South Col.

4. The time passed as in a dream. Two figures came towards us and met us a couple of hundred feet above the camp. They were George Lowe and Wilfrid Noyce, laden with hot soup and emergency oxygen. Just short of the tent my oxygen ran out. We had had enough to do the job, but by no means too much.

5. We crawled into the tent and, with a sigh of delight, collapsed into our sleeping-bags, while the tents flapped and shook under the perpetual South Col gale.

Reflection

Not all adventures are exciting. Nor is adventure to be found only upon a mountain. There are “Everests” to be climbed in our everyday life. Given the selflessness and resolve which enabled men to climb Everest, there is no height, no depth, that the spirit of man, guided by a higher Spirit, cannot attain.

About the Author

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II. Following his ascent of Everest, Hillary devoted himself to assisting the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he established.
Famous works: High Adventure, No Latitude for Error, Nothing Venture, Nothing Win, View from the Summit: The Remarkable Memoir by the First Person to Conquer Everest.

Glossary

• lb – pound (a unit for measuring weight, equal to 0.454 of a kilogram)
• rope – links members of climbing party for safety; a party may be referred to as “a rope”
• cornice – overhanging mass of snow or ice along a ridge, shaped like the curling crest of a wave
• col – depression in a mountain chain; a pass
• cwm – an enclosed arm-chair-shaped hollow situated at the head of a valley
• scrambling – climbing hurriedly on hands and knees
• wriggle – to move with a twist or turn
• traverse – to cross a mountain slope horizontally or diagonally; the name given to such a crossing
• tantalize – tease or taunt
• cramponed – climbing on ice wearing spike shoes

Comprehension Questions

1. Based on your reading of the text, answer the following questions in one or two sentences each.

a) What did Hillary do with his wet boots?
He cooked them over the fierce flame of the Primus to soften the frozen leather.

b) Name an equipment and a tool carried by the climbers during their expedition.
Equipment: Oxygen sets. Tool: Ice-axe.

c) Why did Hillary become clumsy-fingered and slow-moving?
The thin air and exhaustion at high altitude reduced his coordination.

d) What did Hillary find in a tiny hollow?
Two partly-full oxygen bottles left by Evans and Bourdillon on an earlier attempt.

e) When did Hillary feel a sense of freedom and well-being?
After swapping to the lighter, single oxygen bottle below the South Summit.

f) What did Hillary mean by saying “We had had enough to do the job, but by no means too much”?
They possessed just sufficient oxygen to complete the climb and descent—no surplus remained.

2. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences each.

a) How did the mountaineers belay?
One climber sank his ice-axe, wrapped the rope around it, and held the rope while the other moved; they alternated this process for safety.

b) Why was the original zest fading away?
The endless succession of cornices and humps made the ridge appear never-ending, turning excitement into grim perseverance.

c) What did Edmund Hillary do to escape the large overhanging ice cornices?
He cut steps down to the rock edge on the west, then scrambled along the rocks to bypass the cornices.

d) What did Tenzing and Edmund Hillary gift to the Gods of lofty Summit? How did they do it?
Tenzing offered sweets and biscuits; Hillary placed a crucifix. Both buried their gifts in small snow holes.

e) What did the photograph portray?
It showed the North Ridge, the North Col, and the historic route pioneered by climbers of the 1920s and 1930s.

f) Why was the soft snow difficult and dangerous?
It often gave way suddenly, making footing unreliable and increasing the risk of falls.

g) How did the firm snow at the higher regions fill them with hope?
It allowed secure step-cutting and promised stable progress toward the summit.

3. Based on the text, answer the following questions in a paragraph in about 100–150 words each.

a) How did Hillary and Tenzing prepare themselves before they set off to the summit?
They began at 4 a.m. with hot lemon juice, sugar, and sardines on biscuits. Hillary thawed his frozen boots over the Primus stove, then tested and cleaned both oxygen sets. They layered silk, woollen, and wind-proof gloves over down clothing, hoisted 30 lb. oxygen apparatus, connected masks, and breathed deeply to ensure equipment function before stepping into the snow at 6.30 a.m.

b) Give an account of the journey to the South Col from 28,000 feet.
Tenzing kicked traversing steps back to the knife-edge ridge at 28,000 ft. Hillary took over, cutting through soft, treacherous snow that intermittently collapsed. They recovered two spare oxygen cylinders in a hollow, continued upward, alternated leads, slipped once, debated retreat, but pressed on until firmer snow allowed them to reach the South Peak by 9 a.m.

c) Describe the feelings of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing as they reached the top of the Summit.
Overwhelming relief replaced exhaustion; no more steps or ridges remained. Despite icicle-laden masks, Tenzing’s delighted grin was unmistakable. They shook hands, thumped backs, and embraced breathlessly, realizing their lifelong dream had been fulfilled at 11.30 a.m.

d) “The ridge had taken us two and a half hours, but it seemed like a lifetime.” Why?
Each cornice concealed another hump, the route curved endlessly, oxygen dwindled, and anxiety mounted, stretching every minute into an eternity of effort.

e) Describe the view from the top. What was the most important photograph?
Makalu rose to the east, Kanchenjunga floated on the far horizon, and unexplored Nepalese ranges stretched westward. Hillary prized the northward shot capturing the historic North Ridge and North Col, homage to earlier pioneers.

f) “There is no height, no depth that the spirit of man, guided by higher Spirit, cannot attain.” Discuss.
Hillary and Tenzing’s conquest illustrates human determination transcending physical limits. Their teamwork, faith, and altruism exemplify how resolve and selflessness enable ordinary individuals to achieve extraordinary goals, inspiring others to scale personal “Everests” in daily life.

Vocabulary

a) Idioms

Idiom	Meaning
wait for the dust to settle	to wait for a situation to become clear or certain
get/have all your ducks in a row	to have made all the preparations needed; to be well organized
fetch and carry (for somebody)	to do little jobs for someone like a servant
do the math	to think carefully about facts/figures before acting
round the corner	very near

Fill in the blanks:

a) The Sherpas are cheerful, gallant men, who fetch and carry tents, oxygen, and food etc., for climbers.
b) The team did the math carefully so as to reach the summit successfully.
c) When they had to climb through deep new snow the party sometimes had to wait for the dust to settle.
d) Each member of the team had all their ducks in a row.
e) We could not believe that with a few more whacks of the ice axe we were round the corner to the top.

Choose the right idiom:

a) The chairman introduced an interactive session to break the ice.
b) Our headmistress promised an excursion plus a holiday; it was the icing on the cake.

b) Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb	Meaning
turn on	to open/start
took over	take lead
set off	start a journey
put off	postpone

Travel-related phrasal verbs:

• see off – go to station/airport to say goodbye
• stop over – stay briefly while travelling to another destination
• set off – begin a journey
• get in – arrive inside train/bus
• get off – leave a bus/train
• get on – enter a bus/train/plane
• get away – go away for vacation
• check in – arrive/register at airport/hotel
• check out – pay bill and leave hotel

c) Compound Words

From the text:
ice-fall, knife-edge, wind-proof, sleeping-bags, half-way, never-ending, partly-full, ice-axe

More examples:
- ice-berg – large floating ice mass
- ice-cap – permanent ice layer at poles
- ice-floe – large area of floating sea-ice
- ice-sheet – extensive land ice cover
- ice-rink – prepared surface for ice-skating

d) Semantic Network

Match snow-compounds to fields:

Word	Field
snow-board	Sports
snow-mobile	Transportation
snow-chains	Machinery
snow-storm	Weather
snow-bird	Travel
snow-belt	Geography

Speaking Activities

Group: Share an adventurous trip success story.
Individual: Two-minute speech on proverbs:
- Nothing is impossible.
- Where there is a will there is a way.
- Together we can achieve more.

Listening

Complete after listening:

a) Three aspects that contributed to success:
i. meticulous planning ii. teamwork iii. adequate oxygen supply

b) Without the help of Sherpas nothing would have been possible.

c) Main idea: Teamwork, planning and courage lead to success.

d) The biggest thing of all is the spirit of man.

e) Sherpas were cheerful and gallant men.

Giving Instructions

Health Inspector – Malaria/Dengue prevention:

1. Do not allow water to stagnate.
2. Keep surroundings clean.
3. Wear long-sleeved clothing.
4. Use mosquito nets/screens.
5. Apply repellent.
6. Cooperate with fogging teams.

Write 8–10 instructions for:

1. Doctor to post-surgery patient – diet, rest, medication, check-ups.
2. Traffic police to public – follow lane discipline, avoid rush, report suspicious items.
3. Mother to children – lock doors, carry ID, emergency numbers, stay together.

Reading – Sherpas

(Notes and summary to be made after second reading.)

Grammar

Kinds of Sentences

Simple – one finite verb, one independent clause.
Complex – one main clause + one/subordinate clauses.
Compound – two main clauses joined by coordinating conjunction.

Tasks – Identify, circle, underline, rewrite sentences provided in textbook pages 121-123.

Conditional Clauses

Type I – possible: If it rains, we will cancel.
Type II – unlikely: If it rained, we would cancel.
Type III – impossible: If it had rained, we would have cancelled.

Task 1 & 2 – Fill blanks and rewrite with ‘if’ without changing meaning (textbook p. 124).

Writing

Summarizing

Condense the Sherpa passage to one-third length, retaining key facts: migration, Hillary’s aid, commercial guiding, risks, rewards.

Interpreting Non-Verbal Presentation – Map Reading

Steps:

1. Identify title, legend, scale, direction.
2. Note camps’ heights and locations.
3. Trace route: Base Camp → Camp 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → South Col → South Summit → Summit.
4. Write 100-word paragraph describing the ascent route using map details.

End of Unit 4 – The Summit