The story “The Summit Within” narrates the unimaginable experience of Maj. H.P.S. Ahluwalia while standing on the top of Mount Everest. The narrator was a member of the successful Mount Everest expedition in 1965. The story catches the physical and psychological experience of the narrator while being at the highest peak in the world. The author described how he felt joyful and humbled and above all, thankful to God for allowing him to experience this magnificent sight in his life.
The story outlines the obstacles of climbing a mountain perfectly and describes the amount of effort it takes to climb the highest peak in the world. After the author climbed the peak and looked down, he felt all the effort was worth it. The narrator also added that climbing Mount Everest not only changed him in his outer layer but enabled him to climb his internal peak as well.
According to the author, persistence, endurance and willpower are three of the cornerstones that played a major role in his climb to Mount Everest. Since his childhood, mountains have always intrigued the author. Therefore, there was persistent energy in him that kept him motivated throughout his journey. The urge to climb the highest peak in the world enabled the author to develop willpower. Along with willpower, there comes endurance which, allowed the author to achieve his childhood dream of climbing Mount Everest in his lifetime.
Adventure is a trope to feed a wandering soul who is constantly looking forward to extracting the best of life. The urge to pursue adventure comes from having persistence and willpower. This further allows one to take more risks in life to achieve the goal they always wanted to achieve in their lifetime. The same instances can be seen in the author where he found climbing Mount Everest risky yet pleasurable as it was the adventure of his lifetime. Adventures enable one to dream about achieving the best of life and taking risks allows one to be close to the dream of a lifetime. Therefore, despite being risky, adventures are always pleasurable for an adventurous soul.
The author has described Mount Everest as a glimpsing peak that transports him to another world. The changes that Everest offers are simply mystical which draws the author the most to it. He also added that the might, aloofness, ruggedness and difficulties appeals to the author’s adventurous mind the most. Above all, the author found the challenges and difficulties offered by Mount Everest irresistible.
Mount Everest is not only a physical climb but takes it all and someone who has been to the top always becomes conscious of his inferiority in front of the large universe. Therefore, one cannot climb the peak if fame is the only factor he/she considers while climbing the mountain. One mostly does it because of the great urge to rise above’s surroundings. It provides a sense of fulfilment and a satisfaction of achieving something to someone who climbs the peak and that is what matters the most during the climb. Above all, the experience of climbing Mount Everest is merely physical but spiritual and emotional. Therefore, one does it for the eternal love for adventure rather than just fame.
In this line, the author has outlined that the climb of Mount Everest is merely physical and mostly emotional and spiritual. Here, the primary emotion is regarding the deep urge of satisfaction that comes after achieving the dream of one’s life. The same instances took place for the author where he experienced the most joyous and emotional moment when he looked down from the top of the mountain peak. It allowed him to understand his smallness compared to the vastness of the universe. Most importantly, it provided the author with a sense of fulfilment which further allowed them to feel an eternal connection with the adventurous quest to the highest peak in the world. Apart from the emotional side, there was a spiritual side experienced by the author while standing in the peak of Mount Everest.
The author left a picture of Guru Nanak, Phy Dorji left a Buddha relic and Rawal left a picture of Goddess Dura on Everest as a symbol of reverence from the expedition. The author also added that during the first-ever climb of Mount Everest Edmund Hillary buried a cross under a cairn as a symbol of reverence. These things are not placed there for signifying the conquest over the highest peak in the world but they are signifying reverence of a person who has lived the dream of climbing Mount Everest successfully.
According to the writer, the experience of climbing Mount Everest changed him completely for the rest of his life. The author has realized that there is another summit placed right within him which is his own mind. According to him, human beings carry their own summits within themselves which is their own mountain peak and they must climb that mountain first to achieve the knowledge required for climbing Mount Everest.
The author also added that it may be unscalable or fearful to some extent but one must surpass that summit within first in order to climb any summit outside. In addition, the effects of both climbs enable one to become physically, emotionally and spiritually connect with nature.
Q1. Who was Maj. H.P.S. Ahluwalia?
Ans. Maj. Hari Pal Singh Ahluwalia was a retired officer of the Indian Army and an Indian mountaineer, social worker and author. The legend was born on 6 November 1936 and left this world on 14 January, 2022.
Q2. What moral lesson can be extracted from the story The Summit Within?
Ans. The Summit Within teaches that with the help of persistence, endurance and willpower every possible obstacle on this earth can be surpassed. These three qualities can make the biggest dream of one’s life possible successfully.
Q3. Why did the author feel changes within him while standing on the highest peak in the world?
Ans. The author felt changes regarding the mystical energy within him, intrigued by the aloofness, ruggedness, might and difficulties of Mount Everest. He also learnt that climbing Mount Everest is merely physical and mostly spiritual and emotional.
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