Tine and the Faraway Mountain
by Shikha Tripathi (Roots)
Start Here
How adventurous are you? Read the given list of activities.
Put a tick next to the ones you would love to try and a cross next to those you would be scared to try.
❐ trekking in the Himalayas. [✓]
❐ mountain biking. [X]
❐ parachuting from an airplane. [✓]
❐ deep sea dividing to see a coral reef. [✓]
❐ camping with ranges in an African safari park. [✓]
❐ going on an exploration of Antarctica. [X]
❐ looking after rare snakes and lizards on a reptile farm. [X]
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Arrange the following events from Tine Mena's life in the right order.
a. Tine applied to be a porter for an army expedition.
= [3].
b. Tine summited the highest mountain in the world.
= [6].
c. Tine was drawn to a call from the distant mountains.
= [1].
d. Tine began her training with her mentor.
= [4].
e. Tine's family moved to a different town.
= [2].
f. Tine watched a film about the first climb of Mount Everest.
= [5].
2. From the lesson, list down the qualities a mountaineer will need to be successful.
= According to the lesson, the qualities a mountaineer will need to be successful are - healthy build, strength, determination and technique.
Reference to context
3. "I completely let go of fear. Rear of norms and fear of society. I was neither afraid of failure, not dying. I believed in my own strength and natural talent. I improved my weaknesses. And above al, I always followed my heart."
a. Who has said these lines?
= Tine Mena, a mountaineer from India, said these lines.
b. What 'norms' is the speaker referring to?
= The speaker is referring to the 'norms' of the society which are actually the discriminations based on caste, creed, religion and gender.
c. What does it mean to 'follow your heart'?
= To 'follow your heart' means to do everything to achieve one's goal.
4. "But did that stop her? Of course is didn't! Tine dressed as a boy and began working. She'd carry nearly 25 kilos every day. It took a week for everyone to realize that she was a girl disguised as a boy!"
a. Why did Tine dress as a boy?
= To be close to her mountains, Tine applied to be a porter for an army expedition. She could carry heavy loads and march for days, shoulder to shoulder with others. But there was one small problem - women were not allowed to be porters. That is why Tine dressed as a boy and began working.
b. Who does 'everyone' refer to in these lines?
= 'Everyone' refers to the members of the army expedition.
5. "By the time Tine and Cherring Sherpa reached the second camp, the weather had worsened. But the musical whooshooing was also growing louder and hypnotic."
a. What does the author mean when she calls the musical whooshooing 'hypnotic'?
= The author means the strong passion and dedication of Tine Mena to conquer the summit of Everest when she calls the musical whooshooing 'hypnotic'.
b. What is the 'second camp'?
= The climb of Tine Mena and Cherring Sherpa was divided into four sections so climbers could rest at different camping points and continue to the top over a few days. The 'second camp' means the camp of second division.
c. What happens next in the story after Tine gets hypnotized by the whooshooing?
= After Tine gets hypnotized by the whooshooing, Cherring asked her if she wanted to go ahead. Tine agreed as she was not going to get another chance to do that. Somehow, they reached their final camp. But the wind blew their tent and supplies away. They found another tent in which they took shelter. No walkie-talkies, no medicines, all Tine and Cherring had was a packet of noodles. They ate half of the noodle and conquered the summit of Everest with lots of hardship at 10:45 a.m. on 9 May, 2011.
Reflect and answer
6. Was the whooshooing sound a real sound? Give reasons for your answer.
Why is it used repeatedly through the text?
= No, the whooshooing sound was not a real sound. It was a sound only Tine could hear. If it was a real sound, everybody could hear it. It is only the excitement and strong passion and determination of Tine Mena to conquer the summit of the Everest.
It is used repeatedly through the text to emphasise on the zeal of Tine Mena relating to scaling of the summit of the Everest.
7. "Tine was scolded for breaking the rules. But she could work as much as the boys and knew the route better than anyone." Are there any professions you see around you in which women are not allowed to participate? Think about why this is and what can be done to educate society about this issue.
= I can see most of the civil transport drivers are men. Most of the building construction labours are men. Only men can be seen in the metal and mining industry.
In our society, it is still believed that women are not physically and mentally strong enough to do every kind of jobs. But it is not true at all. We can draw the references of many successful women to educate and break the orthodox thinkings of the society. It will take time to change the contemporary prejudices of the society about the potentials of women.
8. What would you identify as the theme of the story?
= I think the theme of the story is the zeal and determination to become successful and achieve one's goal. Only strong passion and determination can help one to reach the summit and become successful. There may be things of disheartening and discourage. But one has to stay focused forgetting every pain and misery.
About the Author :
Shikha Tripathi, born and brought up in the Himalayas, is a journalist, writer, avid adventurer and mountain explorer. Her work is highly influenced by her birthplace and passion.