The chapter “Up You Go” is extracted from Let’s Look Around and Learn Environmental Studies for students of JKBOSE. In the last post,’ you have read about the Question Answers of Chapter Up You Go. This post is precisely about “Up You Go Class 5th Chapter 9 Summary Notes”. Let’s not waste much time and get started:
Up You Go Class 5th Chapter 9 Summary Notes
Introduction
The Chapter “Up You Go” is a description of a Mountaineering Camp organized by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. The chapter is narrated by a female teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya who was the leader of Group No. 7. Group 7 includes girls from J&K, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
A Big Responsibility
The group leader in a Mountaineering Camp has the following responsibilities:
- Help others in carrying their bags.
- Let the group go ahead and keep to the last.
- Help those who cannot climb properly.
- Find a good place to stop and rest.
- Look after those who are not well.
The most important thing is to be ready to be punished even when someone else may have made a mistake.
There was a special kind of discipline in the camp.
Crossing the river… 5 Feb 1984
All the members of the group have to take vitamin C, iron tablets and hot chocolate milk with their breakfast. These were given for strength and to keep their body warm in the cold. Every morning there would be a medical check-up.
After an eight-kilometre trek, they reached a river. There was a thick rope tied across the river, from one bank to the other. The rope was tightly fixed to pegs or “pitons on both sides. She (Sangeeta Madam) was feeling nervous
Our instructor tied a rope around his waist and put a sling (hook) in it. He then put the sling on the thick rope tied across the river. Walking through the icy water, he went to the other side.
No one was to step into the fast-flowing river. Everyone was pushing each other first. She stood last in the line hoping that no one would see me.
The instructor came near her with the sling and rope in his hands. She was ready but did not have the courage. The instructor called out loudly, “Three cheers for Sangeeta madam” And before she knew it, someone had gently pushed her into the water.
The water was too cold that she felt as if her feet were frozen. She started shivering, her teeth were chattering. She caught hold of the rope and started putting my feet firmly on the river bed. In the middle of the river, she lost her balance and started slipping. She was so scared and felt so cold, that the rope slipped from her hands.
The instructor and other group members were shouting “Hold the rope! Hold the rope”, She somehow managed to get hold of the rope and pull herself forward. Finally, with some courage, I reached the river bank. There was a special kind of happiness and confidence in her when came out of the water. This confidence was a result of facing a challenge with courage.
Rock climbing 10 Feb 1984
The group had to climb 15 km to reach Tekla village. It was at a height of 1600 metres. The rucksacks of the group members had all that they may need – food packets, water bottle, rope, hook, plastic sheet, diary, torch, towel, soap, windcheater, whistle, glucose, jaggery, chana and some other snacks. Fruits and vegetables were growing in the step fields. The group saw Colonel Ram Singh standing on a 90 metres high flat rock with pegs and ropes.
The instructor told the group members to first observe the rock and identity holds – places where they can put their hands and feet. Sangeeta madam stood first in the line. The instructor tied a rope around his waist. He put the sling and held the thick rope which was hanging. He started climbing as if he was running up. She also put my sling on.
But as she took her first step, she slipped and she was swinging from the rope.
“Keep your body at an angle of 90° while climbing,” I heard. “Keep your back straight. Do not bend.”
Keeping this in mind, she imagined the rock as flat ground and started to climb up. Again, while coming down they used the rope, in a special way called ‘rapling.’
A Funny Incident 14 Feb 1984
It was evening. Khondonbi was feeling hungry. They did not have anything to eat. She jumped over the fence and got into a field. She quickly plucked two big cucumbers and came back. Just then a woman came from behind and caught hold of her bag. She started saying something to Khondonbi in her language. They could not understand what she was saying. Khondonbi was trying to explain in her Mizo language which they could not understand. Sangeet madam tried to explain in Hindi but neither of them could understand it. Finally, madam folded her hands to say sorry to the woman.
In the meantime, the group had gone far ahead and it was already dark. Khondonbi and madam had lost their way. They were scared as they couldn’t see anything even with their torches. Madam started sweating even though it was cold. She tightly held Khondonbi’s hand and called out loudly, “Where are You all? Can you hear me?” Her voice echoed in the mountains. They both started to whistle loudly and flashed their torches. The group had also noticed that they were missing. The group members also blew whistles at a distance. Khondonbi and madam understood the signal. They held each other’s hands tightly and waited. Khondonbi felt that they should keep talking. She started singing a Mizo song loudly. After some time, the group members came there and both of them joined the group.
A Special Guest 15 Feb 1984
After dinner, the group members met a special guest – Bachendri Pal. She had just been selected as a part of the team to climb Mount Everest. She had come to seek the blessings of Brigadier Gyan Singh. It was a happy evening – the group members were all singing. Bachhendri also joined us in singing and dancing to the famous Pahadi song’ Bedu Pako, bara masa, kafal pako chaita, meri chhaila. Later Bachhendri becomes the first Indian woman to reach Mount Everest.
Camp in the snow 21 Feb 1984
The group members were standing at a height of 2134 meters. They had to spend the night there. Everyone was busy trying to put up the tent. They used double-layered plastic sheets for the tent and the ground. The air between the layers would help to keep us warm. We put in the pegs and began to put up the tent. As they tied it from one side, the wind flew the tent from the other side. After quite a lot of pulling and tugging, the group managed to get the tent up. Then they dug a drain around the tent.
They were feeling very hungry. They collected some firewood and stones to make a chulha and cooked some food. After the meal, they collected all the waste in a bag to clean the campsite. Soon they got into their sleeping bags. She was not sure if she would be able to sleep in it. Would it be comfortable? Would I not feel cold? But the bags were filled with soft feathers, which help in keeping us warm. They were all very tired. So very soon they fell asleep.
The next morning, they woke up and found that it was snowing. White soft fluffy snowflakes were gently falling. Wow! It was so beautiful! The plants, the trees, the grass and the mountains – everything looked white. That day they were to climb higher, to 2700 metres. They walked carefully on the snow with the help of sticks. It was difficult because they kept slipping. By afternoon they had reached snow-covered mountains. They enjoyed throwing snowballs at each other and making a big snowman.
Last Day at the Camp 21 Feb 1984
There was a campfire on the last day. Each group presented a programme. All the group members were telling jokes, laughing and singing around the campfire. Madam Sangeeta was awarded the “Best Performance Award” for the camp.
Alone on the mountain top
A twelve-year-old girl living in the mountains was out on a school picnic. She climbed a mountain peak of 4000 metres with her friends. The girls had done this for fun and adventure. Soon it was dark and they could not come down. It was also cold and scary. They were without any food and it was a long night. This happened to Bachhendri Pal when she was a young girl.
Bachhendri grew up in Nakuri village in the Garhwal area of Uttarakhand. When she grew older, she joined Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. Her guide was Brigadier Gyan Singh. Bachhendri did very well in her training. She started to train women in mountaineering courses. In 1984, Bachhendri was selected as a team member to climb Mount Everest.
Snowstorm
There were seven women in that 18-member team. On the night of 15th May, the team was very tired after having reached a height of 7300 metres. The team put up their tents and went to sleep.
Around midnight they heard a loud sound and then a bang. Before they were fully awake, the tent flew off and something very heavy hit them. There was a terrible snowstorm. Bachhendri was almost buried under the snow and was hurt in the head. Many of the team members were also injured. The others used snow-picks and axes to dig out those who had been buried under the snow.
The rest of the team members returned to base camp but Bachhendri went ahead, climbing slowly but steadily towards the peak. It was seven minutes past one o’clock in the afternoon of 23th May when Bachhendri Pal stepped onto the peak of 8900-metre-high Mount Everest. Also called Sagarmatha in Nepal.
There was another team member with her. There was no space for two people to stand on the top at the same time. One slip and they would fall straight down-thousands of feet below! Bachhendri and her teammate dug into the snow and pitched their axe firmly into the ice. Using this as a hook, they tied themselves to it with a rope. Only then two of them could stand there. She was shivering with cold but filled with the warmth of achievement She bowed her head, pitched the national flag and took photographs. She spent 43 minutes on the highest peak in the world.
Bachhendri Pal became the first Indian woman and the fifth woman in the world to reach the peak of Mount Everest.
That’s all about Up You Go Class 5th Chapter 9 Summary Notes. Hope it has helped. Do share your views about this post in the comment section below.
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