Date: 05/07/2023 Shift: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Q. No: 96

Of all the emotions that surged through me as I stood on the summit of Everest, looking over miles of panorama below us, the dominant one I think was humility. The physical in me seemed to say, “Thank God, it’s all over!” However, instead of being jubilant, there was a tinge of sadness. Was it because I had already done the ‘ultimate’ in climbing and there would be nothing higher to climb and all roads hereafter would lead down?
By climbing the summit of Everest, you are overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and thankfulness. It is a joy that 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.
Even when getting down from the summit, once the physical exhaustion had gone, I began asking myself the question why I had climbed Everest. Why did the act of reaching the summit have such a hold on the imagination? It was already a thing of the past, something done yesterday. With every passing day, it would become more remote. And then what would remain? Would my memories fade slowly away?
All these thoughts led me to question myself as to why people climb mountains. It is not easy to answer the question. The simplest answer would be, as others have said, “Because it is there.” It presents great difficulties. 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.