Mt. Kailash, at 6714 m also known as Tise, Kailasa &
Kang Rinpoche(Jewel of the Snows), has since time immemorial
been celebrated in many Eastern cosmologies as Mt. Meru,
the axis mundi. And as the center of the physical &
metaphysical universe, Mt. Meru is sacred to the Buddhist,
Jains, the Hindus & the Bonpos. For the Hindus, the
mountain represents the seat of Lord Shiva; for the Buddhists,
a terrestrial projection of the cosmic mandala of Dhyani-Buddhas
& Boddhisatvas….The Wheel of Life; for the Bonpos,
Kailash was the sacred nine storey Swastika Mountain, upon
which the Bonpo founder Sherab alighted from heaven. Four
of the great rivers of the Indian subcontinent originates
from here: the Karnali, which feeds into the Ganges (south);
the Indus (north); the Sutlez (west) & the Brahmaputra
(Yarlung Tsangpo, east).
Tibet Travels & Tours offers special fixed trips to
Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasorovar to facilitate pilgrims
& foreign tourists. We are probably one of the few outfits
that provide Nepali Sherpa staff support for all of our
treks in Tibet so as to ensure similar high quality trek
services that exist in Nepal. All trips are planned to arrive
at Kailash on a full-moon day to obtain total & unhindered
view of the holy mountain.
| Day to Day Itinerary |
| Day
01 |
Fly to Nepalgunj and transfer to your hotel. Nepalgunj
is in the sub-tropical lowlands of the Terai close to
the border with India. |
| Day 02 |
Fly to
Simikot 2960m, and begin trek to Dharapari 2250m.
The flight takes 50mins and offers some fantastic
views of Himalayan peaks. The landing at the tiny
mountain airstrip at Simikot is an unforgettable experience.
There is an initial climb above Simikot before descending
towards the village of Tuling and follow a level trail
through walnut and apricot trees to the village of
Dharapari. |
| Day 03 |
Kermi 2682m.
We follow the Humla Karnali and trek through rice and
wheat fields to a point where the valley narrows and
the river is choked with large boulders. According to
legend, these represent silver fish that swam up from
the Ganges and could make it no further. Above this
point rice is not grown and we trek through small fields
of buckwheat and open pine woodland. Towering above
the surging waters of the Humla Karnali are snow capped
peaks and a series of gentle waterfalls that provide
ideal shower facilities!
|
| Day 04 |
Yalbang
Gompa 2950m.
Today we cross our first pass, the Soli La (2990m),
and descend to cross the Soli Khola on a sturdy suspension
bridge built in 1995. Our trail climbs above the Humla
Karnali to the gompa at Yalbang that makes an excellent
campsite. The views are superb and the friendly monks
speak excellent English. |
| Day 05 |
Tumkot
Khola 2800m.
The trail continues, at times close to the river, on
a path that is built up with rocks and timber. We cross
the Humla Karnali and climb gradually to Muchu (2920m)
where there is a police checkpost. The trail passes
below the gompa and stone houses of the village before
gently descending to our camp by the river. |
| Day 06 |
Thado Dunga
3854m.
After crossing the Tumkot Khola we leave the Humla Karnali
behind and will meet it again in two days time. A two
hour climb brings us to a ridge crest at 3310m marked
by a large cairn. We continue through open juniper woodland
past Palbang to the village of Yari where there is a
small shop and a school. About half an hour beyond Yari
there is a nice camping place in an area of small meadows
known as Dzungjen. As an aid to acclimatisation we can
climb one of the ridges above Dzungjen for some excellent
mountain views of the Saipal Himal. |
| Day 07 |
Hilsa 3720m.
The high pass of the Nara Lagna (4580m) is reached after
a 31/2 to 4 hour climb. The summit is marked by two
large cairns draped with prayer flags. Below, we can
look into Tibet where the arid hillsides are a stark
contrast to the greenery of the Humla region we have
recently trekked through. It looks a long way down to
Sher where our landcruisers await. The descent is steep
and loose in places as the trail crosses scree and debris
slopes. We may meet traders with large herds of sheep
and goats. Each animal carries saddlebags loaded with
rice from the Terai which is bound for Tibet, or if
travelling in the opposite direction loads of salt bound
for Nepal. |
| Day 08 |
Lake Manasarovar
4558m
We climb a short distance to Sher, a Tibetan salt trading
post at 3860m that is a windswept place of government
buildings where passports and daysacks will be inspected.
At Sher we meet our Tibetan guide and board our landcruisers
for the two hour drive to Purang, (Taklakot) at 3930m.
It is a rough fantastic drive that gives a taste of
what lies ahead.
We pass through Tibetan villages where prayer flags
flutter from the roofs of the whitewashed houses. We
will stop briefly at the village of Khojarnath where
there is a large red gompa of the Sakya sect of Buddhism.
This impressive building is flanked by whitewashed chortens
and at it's base is a large wall made up of mani stones
and yak skulls. Inside there are many ornate paintings
and statues that escaped the destruction of the Cultural
Revolution. Inside the gompa are stuffed carcasses of
a snow leopard and wolf.
We stop briefly at Purang where the crew can purchase
any supplies needed for the remainder of our journey.
We then begin a four hour drive to Chiu Gompa on the
shores of Lake Manasaravar. It is an incredible drive
past the snow capped peak of Gurla Mandata (7728m)
as the road climbs higher onto the Tibetan Plateau.
In places the road is no more than the tracks of vehicles
that have passed this way before.
From the Gurla La at 4590m we get our first glimpse
of Mt Kailas or Gang Rimpoche in Tibetan, (meaning
‘Precious Jewel of Snow’). The dark waters
of Rakshas Tal can be whipped up by the afternoon
winds and dust devils dance along the shoreline. We
cross the dividing ridge between the lakes to camp
at Chiu Gompa on the shores of Manasaravar, looking
out at the Sacred Mountain. The sunset views from
our camp are spectacular and many pilgrims come to
this spot to bathe and camp before beginning their
kora. Below the gompa there is a small hot spring
and tea shop where it is possible to wash the dirt
of the trail from our clothes and bodies. |
| Day 09 |
Rest day.
We spend a morning here to aid acclimatisation. We can
explore the meditation caves along the lake shore and
bathe in the sacred waters. Chiu Gompa is situated on
a craggy cliff overlooking the lake and has commanding
views over the plain to Mt Kailash. Inside is a small
Guru Rinpoche cave that forms the most sacred part of
the gompa. |
| Day 10 |
Darchen
It is a short 11/2 to 2 hour drive to Darchen, a cluster
of buildings within a walled compound that marks the
pilgrim’s gateway to Mt Kailas. |
| Day 11 |
Dri Ra Phuk
gompa 5010m
We head north up the Lha Chu Valley and enter the ‘Valley
of the Gods’ through the ‘two legged chorten’
known as Chorten Kangnyi. It is a gentle walk on a well
defined path that remains on the right bank of the river.
The towering cliffs each have a name and are believed
to be the abode of supernatural protectors. There are
many nomads herding yak and sheep to grazing areas west
of the mountain. We cross the Lha Chu to camp below
Dri Ra Phuk gompa at 5010m. The views of Kailas’
north face are particularly impressive from above the
gompa. |
| Day 12 |
Zutul Phuk
gompa 4820m –
Today we cross the Dolma La 5630m. The day begins with
a steep climb on a winding path over a moraine ridge
to a level meadow area. Our route climbs to the Shiwa
Tsal cemetary where Tibetans leave part of their clothing
or a drop of blood to symbolise leaving part of their
past life behind them. It is a slow steady climb to
the Dolma La which is marked by streamers of prayer
flags and the huge Dolma Stone that represents the goddess
Dolma. The trail descends by a series of rocky switchbacks
above the frozen waters of the holy lake of Gourikund
to reach the valley of the Zhong Chu. We follow the
river to camp in the vicinity of Zutul Phuk gompa at
4820m after 6 to 8 hrs of walking. A truly memorable
day. |
| Day 13 |
Tirdapuri
Our final day on the kora is an easy three hours walking
as we exit the Zhong Chu Valley on a trail that contours
high above a narrow gorge. From Darchen we drive for
3 hrs to Tirdapuri, one of the holiest pilgrimage sites
besides Kailash & Lake Manasorovar. There is a hot
spring where one can bathe. |
| Day 14 |
Horchu 4550m.
From Tirdapuri we drive across the Tibetan plateau to
camp by the northern tip of Lake Manasarovar. |
| Day 15 |
Paryang
4050 m.
The road is rough and there are some rivers to cross.
Wild antelope and kiang (the Tibetan wild ass) are a
common sight. This is the land of the drogpa nomads
and we will pass many encampments with large herds of
sheep and goats. The drives are long, bumpy and often
dusty but the scenery is magnificent. Photo stops are
a must! |
| Day 16 |
Saga 4600.
Drive on to Saga Camp 4600m. |
| Day 17 |
Nylam
We rejoin the main Lhasa to Kathmandu Highway where
we get to see Everest as the road climbs to the Lalung
La (5124m) before descending and climbing again to the
Tong La at 5120m. We finally reach Nyalam and overnights
at a basic hotel. |
| Day 18 |
Drive via
Zhangmu to Kathmandu. |
