Chapter 9: Up You Go!
डायरी: कमर सीधी, ऊपर चढ़ो! (बछेंद्री पाल एवं पर्वतारोहण)
Don't Let a 20-Minute Bubbling Delay Cost You CTET Qualification
In offline CTET exams, bubbling 150 bubbles takes 18 to 22 minutes of mechanical time. A single misaligned row can trigger an 8-question domino error. Practice bubble-filling this chapter's solved MCQs inside Mentora's official OMR simulator.
- Bachendri Pal (बछेंद्री पाल): Born in Nakuri village in Garhwal (Uttarakhand). Trained at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi under director Brigadier Gyan Singh.
- Historic Everest Summit: On 23rd May 1984 at 1:07 PM, Bachendri Pal stepped on the peak of Mount Everest (height: approx 8,848m / 8,900m, known as Sagarmatha / सागरमाथा in Nepal).
- First Indian Woman: Bachendri Pal spent 43 minutes on the summit, planted the Indian tricolor flag, and became the 1st Indian woman (and 5th woman in the world) to climb Mount Everest.
- Mountaineering Group Leader Responsibilities: Help others carry heavy rucksacks; allow team to walk ahead and stay last; support those who cannot climb; find safe shelters; arrange food; take responsibility even when others err.
- Khondonbi (खोंडोंबी): Teammate from Mizoram who spoke only the Mizo language; sang Mizo cultural songs loudly to guide lost teammates back to camp in the dark.
- Mountaineering equipment: Pitons, climbing rope, carabiner (sling), ice axe, crampons, hunter shoes, oxygen cylinders, glucose, jaggery, and chana for emergency energy.
- Trap: CBSE claims Bachendri Pal summitted Everest in 1994 or 2004. Correct: She summitted on 23rd May 1984 at 1:07 PM.
- Trap: CBSE states Khondonbi was from Nagaland or Manipur. Correct: Khondonbi was from Mizoram and spoke Mizo.
- Trap: CBSE claims the leader walks at the front of the line. Correct: In mountaineering ethics, the leader walks at the very back (last) to supervise everyone.
NCERT Core Facts: Bachendri Pal & Mountaineering Leadership
Chapter 9 is excerpted from the real expedition diary of Sangeeta Arora, a Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher attending a training camp at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi.
1. Responsibilities of a Mountaineering Group Leader
CBSE frequently presents candidates with a four-option checklist asking which qualities define a genuine group leader:
- 1.Help others carry their luggage: If a member struggles with a heavy rucksack, the leader takes on extra load.
- 2.Walk at the very end: Let the entire group walk ahead and keep to the last to ensure nobody falls behind.
- 3.Assist struggling climbers: Hold hands and scaffold those who cannot climb steep slopes easily.
- 4.Scout safe halting spots: Find good locations to rest and pitch tents.
- 5.Care for the sick: Monitor dehydration, mountain sickness, and assign medical supplies.
- 6.Arrange nutritious hot meals: Ensure team members receive balanced calories, vitamin C, iron tablets, and hot chocolate milk for cold mornings.
- 7.Accept accountability: Be ready to be punished even when another teammate made the mistake!
2. Khondonbi & The Mizo Culture
- Sangeeta Arora was paired with Khondonbi, a teacher from Mizoram.
- Khondonbi could speak only the Mizo language, while Sangeeta could speak Hindi. Despite having no common spoken language, they communicated through smiles, mutual care, and heart.
- When they got separated from the group in freezing darkness on a mountain trail, Khondonbi began singing loud Mizo songs so their teammates could track them using acoustic sound direction.
3. Bachendri Pal: The Conqueror of Mount Everest (Sagarmatha)
Test Your Mastery: Up You Go!
Authentic CBSE exam questions tested directly from this NCERT chapter.
Consider the following statements about Bachendri Pal: (A) She is the first Indian woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. (B) She stepped on the peak on 23rd May 1984 at 1:07 PM. (C) Mount Everest is called 'Sagarmatha' in Nepal. Which of the statements given above are correct?
बछेंद्री पाल के बारे में नीचे दिए गए कथनों पर विचार कीजिए: (A) वह माउंट एवरेस्ट के शिखर पर कदम रखने वाली पहली भारतीय महिला हैं। (B) उन्होंने 23 मई 1984 को दोपहर 1:07 बजे शिखर पर कदम रखा। (C) नेपाल में माउंट एवरेस्ट को 'सागरमाथा' कहा जाता है। सही कथन हैं:
Which of the following is considered a correct responsibility of a group leader in mountaineering according to NCERT?
एनसीईआरटी के अनुसार पर्वतारोहण में एक ग्रुप लीडर की सही जिम्मेदारी कौन सी है?
Bachendri Pal belongs to which Indian state?
बछेंद्री पाल भारत के किस राज्य से संबंधित हैं?
On what date and time did Bachendri Pal step on the summit of Mount Everest in CTET?
Bachendri Pal reached the summit of Mount Everest on 23rd May 1984 at exactly 1:07 PM. She spent 43 minutes on the peak, hoisting the Indian tricolor flag.
What is Mount Everest called in Nepal according to NCERT Class 5 EVS?
Mount Everest is called Sagarmatha (सागरमाथा) in Nepal. Its height is cited as approximately 8,848 to 8,900 meters in NCERT Class 5 EVS.
What are the responsibilities of a group leader in mountaineering per NCERT?
A mountaineering group leader must walk at the very end of the line, help members carry rucksacks, support struggling climbers, find safe camps, look after the sick, and accept responsibility even if someone else errs.