NCERT Book Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter 5 The School Boy; The Summit Within

Before you read
Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia was a member of the first
successful Indian expedition to Mount Everest in 1965.
How did he feel when he stood on the highest point in
the world? Let us hear his story in his words —
climbing the summit and, then, the more difficult task
of climbing the summit within.
surged:
arose Of all the emotions which surged through me as I stood
suddenly and on the summit of Everest, looking over miles of
intensely
panorama below us, the dominant one I think was
panorama: humility. The physical in me seemed to say, ‘Thank
view of a wide
area God, it’s all over!” However, instead of being jubilant,
jubilant:
there was a tinge of sadness. Was it because I had already
very happy done the ‘ultimate’ in climbing and there would be
because of nothing higher to climb and all roads hereafter would
success lead down?
tinge: By climbing the summit of Everest you are
trace/shade overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and thankfulness.
It is a joy which lasts a lifetime. The experience changes
you completely. The man who has been to the mountains
is never the same again.
As I look back at life after climbing Everest I cannot
help remarking about the other summit — the summit
of the mind — no less formidable and no easier to climb.
72 Honeydew