Why is Ang Dorje nervous about the summit?

Why is Ang Dorje nervous about the summit?

• A. He had seen ghosts after getting drunk on chhang beer
• B. He fears the oxygen will run out
• C. He worries about cold exposure
• D. He fears crossing a crevasse

Answer: (A)

Ang Dorje’s nerves come from a psychological blow rather than a practical worry. The scene ties his anxiety directly to a past experience: he had seen ghosts after getting drunk on chhang beer. That encounter plants fear and superstition in his mind, making the idea of reaching the summit feel haunted and uncertain. In the extreme, high-altitude environment, such a fear can loom larger than ordinary dangers like lack of oxygen, cold, or crevasses, because it clouds judgment and saps confidence. The story uses this episode to show how a single frightening experience—even a supernatural one—can heighten nerves and change how he faces the climb.

Ang Dorje’s nerves come from a psychological blow rather than a practical worry. The scene ties his anxiety directly to a past experience: he had seen ghosts after getting drunk on chhang beer. That encounter plants fear and superstition in his mind, making the idea of reaching the summit feel haunted and uncertain. In the extreme, high-altitude environment, such a fear can loom larger than ordinary dangers like lack of oxygen, cold, or crevasses, because it clouds judgment and saps confidence. The story uses this episode to show how a single frightening experience—even a supernatural one—can heighten nerves and change how he faces the climb.