Major Hari Pal Singh Ahluwalia , also known as H P S Ahluwalia, was born on 6 November 1936. He is an Indian mountaineer, social worker, author, and retired Indian Army officer. Ahluwalia was brought up in Shimla along with his two sisters and two younger brothers. His father was Sarjit Singh, and his mother was Harbans Kaur. Ahluwalia’s father was employed as a Civil Engineer in the Indian Central Public Works Department.
H P S Ahluwalia did his schooling at St Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun. After completing his schooling, he joined St. George’s College, Mussoorie. There, he developed his interest in photography and rock climbing. Along with his graduation, his interest in rock climbing increased. Ahluwalia did rock climbing in Garhwal, Sikkim, Nepal, Ladakh, and Mount Everest.
After graduation, Ahluwalia joined the Indian Army as an officer. During the Indo-Pakistani War, he received a bullet in his spine, which led him to use a wheelchair. Later he received an early discharge from the Army on 8 January 1968, with the honorary rank of major.
Ahluwalia had made many contributions to adventure, sports, disability, and social work. He was the sixth Indian man and twenty-first man in the world who climbed Mount Everest. He climbed Mount Everest with his friends named Rawat, Edmund Hillary and Phu Dorji.
At present, Ahluwalia is working as the Chairman of the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. He is the author of thirteen books and the creator of the award-winning “Beyond Himalaya” series, which had broadcasted on Discovery and National Geographic channels worldwide.
Some of his notable awards are,
Padma Bhushan
Padma Shri
Arjuna Award
Some of his famous works are,
Higher Than Everest: Memoirs of a Mountaineer (1973)
Faces of Everest (1978)
The Summit Within Summary
HPS Ahluwalia was one of the members of the first ever successful team that reached the top of Mount Everest n 1965. The chapter discusses his emotions and moods on reaching the top of the summit. On reaching the top, HPS Ahluwalia shares his sense of joy and triumph at being among the first ones to reach the top. Besides these two natural emotions, there was also a lot of humility, for they thanked God for making it possible. HPS Ahluwalia was, however, surprised that sadness was also reflected in his sentiments on having accomplished the feat. Even when the joy lasts a lifetime, there was a deep sense of sorrow because the ultimate goal had been attained. There was a certain sense of vaccum and aimlessness that had replaced the earlier objectives. “……and there would be nothing higher to climb and all roads hereafter would lead down?”
HPS Ahluwalia Talks about One the Three Qualities that Learns
HPS Ahluwalia asks himself a number of questions. He examines the enthusiasm behind reaching the top. Why one wishes to reach the top and when one has done so, it becomes an event that happened in the past, whose memory would fade away with every passing day. Then, he realise that reaching the top of the mountain helped him to become aware of the second summit(-) “the summit of the mind”. Climbing the mountains means to overcome the obstacles, obstacles that are both physical and mental. One requires endurance, persistence and will power to do so. Mountains are nature at its best and they force you to acquire all these three qualities. Climbing the Everest, which is the highest and the mightiest, every bit of your personality is challenged. It requires great force and power, but according to Ahuwalia, it is also a way for communion or spiritual unity with God. He discusses how the passage onwards and back words are both equally difficult and during every moment when you risk your life, you remember God and thank him for every breath that you breathe.
The Smallness of Human beings in the Universe and Concerns fellow Climber
According to Ahluwalia, climbing up the top is one of he life changing experiences. From the top, one doesn’t just see the other smaller peaks but also realises his own smallness vis-à- vis the largeness of the universe. It teaches one the lesson to rise above theusual pettiness. Therefore, the experience is not just physical but emotional and spiritual.
In the fact of death every moment one becomes more and more conscious of life. One erroneous move of a climber can also affect his fellow climber or climbers and the vice-versa. You are, therefore always struggling for your and the life of your fellow climber. You become more and more conscious of the needs of your fellow climbers. You climb or descend always, but usually it enables you to mone onwards. “You draw inspiration from each other.”
Obeisance to God for Enabling to Reach the Summit Within
Reaching the top, one experiences the ultimate form of reverence for God. Every climbe left a picture or a symbol of God on the mountain peak. Ahluwalia left the picture of Guru Nanak, while his companion, Rewat placed the picture of Goddess Durga. Others too similarly left relics or symbols of Buddha, Christ and so on.
HPS Ahluwalia talks of the summit of the mind, which is equally important to be climbed. To become more aware of oneself, to gather more knowledge about the interior workings of our mind and nobody but only we on our own could do it. He discusses how the effects of both the climbs are the same. They teach you lessons that last a lifetime.
1.Standing Everest, the writer was
- (i) overjoyed. (ii) verysad (iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.
Ans. (iii) jubilant and sad. - The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles. (ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance. (iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.
Ans. (ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
- “The summit of the mind” refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over wordly pleasure for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the items (s) not relevant.
Ans. The summit of the mind not refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambiton for common welfare.
(v) the triumph of mind over wordly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Very short Answer type Questions
1. In which year did HPS Ahluwalia undertake the expedition to Everest?
HPS Ahluwalia undertook the expedition to Everest in 1965.
2. Which was the most dominant emotion that he experiences on reaching the top?
Humility.
3. According to Ahluwalia, why do people climb mountains.
According to HPS Ahluwalia, people climb mountains because they wish to face challenges and overcome obstacles.
4. During the climb up to the mountains, who inspires the climbers.
While climbing up the mountains, the fellow climbers inspire each other.
5. What does Ahluwalia have to say about the relationship between mountain climbing and life?
According to HPS Ahluwalia, there is a very close connection between these two journeys.
His experience as an Everester gave him the inspiration to face life’s ordeals with great confidence.
6.How does the author view himself in the light of his surroundings, as he reaches the summit?
The author becomes more and more conscious of his smallness as he sees the universe from the mountain peak.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. Why does the author become sad on reaching the top of the mountain?
On reaching the top of the mountain, the author becomes sad because their goal had been attained and now a certain vacuum had overcome in the absence of an aim. Also, the highest that from here on the journey would only lead downwards.
2. Why does HPS Ahluwalia compare climbing the mountain to a battle?
While climbing the mountain, one faces many obstacles and hindrances which consume every bit of the climber’s energy.
The passage back is also as difficult as the passage forward and it exhausts you entirely.
Just like in a battle it is a matter of life and death similarly in mountain climbing, the climbers are always putting their life at sake with every single movement that they make.
3. Why does the author not abandon the climb halfway?
Even in moments of sheer exhaustion, the author refuses to abandon the climb because climbing the mountain is all about team work and the companions are always a source of inspiration.
They keep pushing the limits, “another fifty feet or hundred may be.” Also, there is something unexplainable that does not allow the author to reach the top, perhaps because they were the first ones who would have done it.
4. Was reaching the top of the Everest the last challenge that the author wished to face?
No, the author is inspired by the beauty of nature and mountains being the best example of that.
On reaching the top of the Everest, the author sees another silvery peak, which the author felt was drawing his attention and calling him. So, having had climbed the highest did not put an end to the author’s expeditions.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Why is important to climb the ‘summit within’?
According to the author, just like the physical mountains have lessons to teach, similarly the mountain peaks within have lessons to teach too.
They teach us life changing and everlasting experiences. Both the climbs are equally difficult, but once attained they change us forever.
They enable us to become more humble, gentler and more grateful and also help us to get closer to God. These lessons also instil us to face life’s challenges with great confidence.
2. Describe the scene that offers delight to the author as he reached the top of the Everest.
From the summit, the author could see other silvery peaks, which gave him a lots of pleasure. He could also see other peaks through the clouds giving the eye glimpses of great picturesque beauty. The sun rays created an illusion of a jewelled necklace around the neck of the summit. A little below the mountains were various sloping valleys that added to the beauty on the place. Also, as one looked down, it appeared as if the ultimate work ship to God was being offered.
Value Based Questions
1. Discuss the importance of the records left by famous climbers.
The records left by famous climbers primarily discuss and share their experiences and difficulties at having made it to the top. These records equip the future climbers with knowledge to deal with similar difficulties and overcome those obstacles.
These records are also stories of inspiration. They inspire the future climbers to not abandon their climb midway, nor get depressed because of the difficulties.
They, on the other hand, and enthused with optimism on remembering these stories.
2. Discuss the significance of leaving religious or spiritual symbols on mountain tops.
Firstly, leaving the pictures or symbols of God on the mountain top is a way of expressing gratitude for having attained that point and being safe and healthy. The author also discusses how reaching the mountain top is symbolic of attaining God; this act makes attaining God on reaching the top both literally and metaphorically true.
Extract Based Questions
Directions (Q.NoS.1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
“The experience of having climbed to the summit changes you completely. There is another summit. It is within yourself. It is in your own mind. Each man carries within himself his own mountain peak. He must climb it to reach a fuller knowledge of himself. It is fearful and unscable.”
1. Name the mountain that the writer had climbed.
- Mount Everest (b) Kanchenjunga (c) Nanda Devi (d) Kamet
Ans. (a) Mount Everest
- Which is the other?
- The summit of the Mount Everest (b) The summit of the Mind
(c) The summit of Kanchenjunga (d) The summit of Desires
Ans. (b) The other summit is the summit of the mind.
- How does the experience of the summit change one completely?
- It makes the writer more conscious and aware
- It makes the write proud
- It makes the writer jubilant
- It makes the writer compassionate
Ans. (a) Attaining the second summit makes the writer more conscious and aware.
- Chose two adjectives from the passage.
Fearful and un scalable.
5. Identify the recurrent metaphor used in the chapter.
The mountain peak is both literally and metaphorically used in the chapter.
6. Why is the summit fearful and un scalable?
The other summit is fearful and un scalable because one may never emerge from the depths of the mind. The mind is complex and layered.
Directions (Q.Nos.1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
“Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles. The obstacles in climbing a mountain are physical. A climb to a summit means endurance, persistence and will power. The demonstration of these physical qualities is no doubt exhilarating, as it was for me also”.
1. What are the three necessary qualities to reach the summit?
- Endurance, persistence and will power
- Endurance, persistence and obstacles
- Hindrance, obstacles and blockage
- Courage, jubilation and hard work
Ans. (a) Endurance, persistence and will power are the three necessary qualities to reach the summit.
- The obstacles in climbing a mountain are…………………
- Mental (b) Physical (c) Financial (d) Psychological
Ans. (b) physical
- Give the synonym of
- Hindrance (b) summit (c) Peak (d) Endurance
Ans. (a) Hindurance
- Why does man tale delight in overcoming obstacles?
Man takes delight in overcoming the obstacles because it isfulfilling and gives him a sense of confidence.
5. What could be the obstacles in climbing the secong summit?
The obstacles in climbing the second summit could be many, like a busy schedule, lack of awareness and so on.
6. What all emotions does the author experience on realising both the summit?
The author experiences a number of emotion on realising both the summits. He feels jubilant and triumphant; at the same time he also experiences humility and sorrow. He gains confidence and becomes more conscious the second summit.
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