NCERT Solutions for Class 5 EVS Chapter 9

The activities which we do for our recreation which add thrill and excitement in our lives and at the same time involve a high risk of danger while we perform those sports activities or events are called adventure sports.

Some adventure sports are-
• Paragliding
• Scuba diving
• Gliding
• River rafting
• Parasailing
• Trekking
• Mountaineering

Mountaineering is considered an adventure sport because it involves a lot of thrill, adventure, excitement of watching the landscapes as well as exploring new things around while climbing. It also gives a sense of victory to the climbers.

The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), mountaineering training institute located in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

Bachendri Pal, born on 24 May 1954 was an Indian mountaineer, who in 1984 became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

We need extra energy on the mountains because:
• when we are climbing up, we are going against the gravitational force which generally pulls us down
• moreover, we also need to walk on the rough surface of the mountain, so to balance all these we need extra energy.

The correct way of rock climbing is to keep the body at an angle of 90⁰ while climbing and keeping your back straight. Always climb with your feet and keep your weight on your skeleton. While hanging on holds, keep your arms straight, rather than bent and sucked in close to wall.

When we are walking there is friction between our feet and the ground. This friction helps us from slipping off the surface and helps us to grip to the surface on which we walk. But when we try to walk on ice then it is difficult as the ice has very less friction. As a result, it is difficult to apply force thus it becomes difficult to walk on the ice.

The reasons for using double layered plastic sheet for the tents on the ground are:
• Thick, double layered plastic sheets may be used to provide a base for a tent
• to stop dampness and wetness from seeping in,
• for protection from the cold and to keep the camps warm
• to provide some cushioning effect for the occupants inside the tent.

Various factors that should be kept in mind for mountaineering are:
1. Training- to increase the stamina and get mentally prepared to face the adverse conditions
2. Preparedness- to carry protective clothes, goggles, sleeping bags, nutritive food etc in their rucksack.
3. Acclimatization-to cope up and adjust to new atmosphere, climate and conditions there.

A mountaineer would need –
i. Helmet-to protect the skull from the falling objects
ii. Rope/ladder- nylon ropes for climbing and ladder for crossing wide gaps or ice.
iii. Ice Axe- for breaking ice or for self -rescue.
iv. Snow goggles- to protect the eyes from sunlight reflected from ice
v. Climbing harness- It has loops to support the body parts for safety
vi. Climbing boots- which help in making a good grip to prevent falling or slipping
vii. Oxygen cylinders-to breathe in oxygen for extra energy required for climbing
viii. Tent, map, compass, sling, first aid kit, flash lights are also required
ix. Pitons or pegs to support a climber or a rope.

Rappelling is an act of moving down a rope passed around the body.

The mountaineers dig a drain around the tents to save themselves from the rainwater as melting snow that is sloping down the tents. It also done to keep away the insects, scorpions, snake etc.

The mountaineers get a medical check-up done before trekking or mountaineering as these are tough adventurous activities. A climber needs to be mentally as well as physically fit to overcome hurdles or problems. A good mental check-up guides and helps the climber and tests the climber to avoid any emergency situation.

The mountaineers suffer from altitude sickness because when they go higher, the air becomes thin because there is less oxygen and pressure. Mountaineers feel dizzy, breathless and tired due to the lack of oxygen. This results in a condition called altitude sickness.

Mountains are rocky and slanting so one needs extra energy as climbing a mountain means going against gravity. Thus, nutritious food is required for strength and to keep us warm in cold. If we do not take in such food, our efforts will be unsuccessful.

The mountaineers were given vitamin C, iron tablets and hot chocolate milk in the breakfast. These were given to the mountaineers to give them strength and to keep them warm in the cold.

If someone loses his or her way during trekking then that person would feel scared and lose all hope but instead of getting scared, one should br courageous and whistle loudly, flashing the torch. This will help in sending a signal to the other members who can then reach out for help.

To cross a river in the mountains we need a thick rope, sling and pitons.

The things kept in the rucksacks are the things which a climber may need while his sport activity like food packets, water bottle, rope, hook, plastic sheet, diary, torch, towel, soap, windcheater, whistle, glucose, jaggery, chana and some other snacks, fruits and vegetables.

Mountaineers are first told to observe the rock carefully and identify the holds or cracks, all the places where they can put their hands and feet while doing the activity.

Bachendri Pal had been selected as a part of the team to climb Mount Everest. She had come to seek the blessings of Brigadier Gyan Singh. And she became the first Indian woman to reach Mount Everest and create a history.

As we increase in height, there air becomes lesser above us and thus the pressure also decreases. As the pressure decreases, the air molecules spread out further, they expand and thus the temperature decreases.

Sleeping bags are filled with soft feathers as they have smooth surface which has less friction. And due to less friction and smoothness, the sleeping bags are very comfortable to sleep in and that is why are taken by the climbers or campers.

Khondonbi had lost her way so she started singing loudly so that the other group could listen and find them again easily.

Khondonbi was hungry that time. They had nothing to eat so she jumped over the fence and got into a field. She quickly plucked two big cucumbers and came back.

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 and their tent flew off and something very heavy hit them. There was a terrible snow storm.
Bachhendri was almost buried under the snow and was hurt on her 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 no space for two people to stand on the top at the same time. If one would slip then they would fall straight down-thousands of feet below. Bachhendri and her team-mate dug into the snow and pitched their axe firmly in the ice.
Using this as a hook, they tied themselves to it with a rope. Only then two of them could stand there. Bachhendri was shivering with cold but filled with the sense of achievement. She bowed her head, pitched the national flag and took photographs. She spent 43 minutes on the highest peak in the world.

Bachendri Pal was the first Indian lady to climb Mount Everest. So when she reached the peak,it was a matter of pride for her as well as our country because she was the first women to climb it. It was an honour for our country and thus she put up the Indian flag on the peak so that our country would feel proud.

Piton is a metal spike or peg that is put into a rock or cracks to support a climber or a rope. It assists the climber in climbing the mountain or rocks by acting as an anchor to protect the person who is climbing.

The mountaineers get into the sleeping bags for sleeping in high mountains because the air up in the mountains is very cold. So they need something to keep them covered and warm.

Everyone was pushing each other to go first for crossing the river because no one was interested in entering the river first. They were hesitant in stepping in the fast flowing river.

The National Flag of India may be hoisted in:
• the educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps
• government buildings and offices
• public buildings such as High Courts, Secretariats, Commissioners’ Offices, Collectorates, Jails and
• offices of the District Boards, Municipalities and Zilla Parishads and Departmental/Public Sector