Physically Demanding Journey to Mt Kailash in Tibet
My wife and I had a recent trip to Tibet, visiting the holy Manasarovar lake and the Mt Kailash circumambulation (called Parikrama in Sanskrit and Kora in Tibetan) in September 2014. With our love of travel and the frequency of our trips (4–5 international trips a year), I generally write a few accounts of any journey. However, we feel compelled to write a detailed account of this trip for a variety of reasons — the major one being that such a trip is arduous for most people, and in our case the stars were so aligned (to borrow the non-existent Star Wars quote, "the force was strong in this one") that the journey became a physical, spiritual, and religious success. We were thrilled with the overall organization by our tour company, as well as the group alignment and dynamics of the fellow travelers. Since we'd had a less-than-pleasant experience on our previous attempt five years ago, we hope this account helps future travelers planning a similar trip.
[IMAGE: First view of Mt Kailash]
Background
Let me start with some background on the region. Mount Kailash (21,778') in the western part of the Tibetan plateau is one of the holiest mountains in the world, worshipped by four major religions — for Hindus it is the abode of Lord Shiva; to Buddhists it is the home of Demchok (Chakrasamvara) and a region frequented by Padmasambhava and Milarepa; to Jains it is the site where the first of their saints attained Nirvana; and to the Böns (the religion predominant prior to Buddhism in Tibet) it is the mountain upon which their founder alighted to heaven, and a major seat of spiritual power. Apart from this, the fresh-water lakes of Manasarovar and Rakshas Taal (at 15,000') and major Asian rivers (Brahmaputra, Sutlej, Indus, and Karnali) are sourced from this region.
Part of the attraction for us was also the ill-fated earlier visit in 2009, when we were "stuck" in Nepal for five nights, forcing us to abandon our hopes of the Kailash Parikrama at that time. We had to return and complete the Parikrama around the holy Kailash. This year was the "year of the horse" according to Tibetan belief — especially auspicious, as it is considered to give 12-fold spiritual merit (karma) if you perform the Kora. In fact, Tibetans don't attempt the "Inner Kora" (which gets closer to Mt Kailash) unless they have completed the outer Kora at least 12 times.
An interesting sidebar, not realized at the time: just a few months prior to this trip we visited Israel, home to four major religious groups — Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Bahá'ís (we were also exposed to the Druze, a minority in Israel). In a span of four months, we were blessed to visit the source of the religious forces of eight different religions.
Back to Mt Kailash and Manasarovar. We traveled from Mumbai to Kathmandu on Sept 14. Here is a rather detailed account of our daily activities.
Day 01 — Sep 14, 2014 — Kathmandu (Nepal)
We reached Kathmandu by noon. For US citizens, a visa is required but available on the spot. We were pleasantly surprised by the modern kiosk — we generated the paper "visa" printout after entering some information and scanning our passports. The entry process wasn't quite finished, though; there was some "manual" processing, and it took a while to get through the line. When we got out, a staff member from Shree Kailash Yatra (the tour organizers, led by Ms Vaishali Patel Shah) greeted us and escorted us to a waiting Jeep. We were driven to our hotel (Hotel Himalaya) and got settled.
In the evening, we had a detailed briefing by the tour director and staff. We were a bit overwhelmed by the size of the group — 60 members. From what we understood, the group had grown beyond its normal size, mainly because of a situation earlier in the year when Chinese authorities had rejected visas, and an August landslide that disrupted road travel between Kathmandu and Kodari, the border town with Tibet.
Right from booking, Shree Kailash Yatra had been in constant communication regarding planning and preparation. During the briefing, we received the list of items to take (and those not needed), along with items provided for us to carry — a large duffle bag, heavy winter jacket, sturdy rain poncho, document organizer, and religious items such as a rosary and muffler. We had a nice buffet dinner at the hotel.
From today, we were all given Diamox (Acetazolamide) to help with the high altitude. Typically, around 12,000', the body starts showing symptoms of altitude sickness. From experience at higher altitudes, we've found Diamox helps if started a couple of days before reaching 12,000'. From this day on, the staff distributed Diamox every morning and evening at meal times. We rearranged our luggage and repacked what was absolutely necessary into the duffle bags.
Day 02 — Sep 15, 2014 — Kodari (Altitude 7,500', Nepal)
Got up early; after breakfast we assembled in the lovely garden on the hotel property for morning prayers, some pranayam (breathing exercises), and light exercises. We went to the domestic airport by bus and got ready for the helicopter ride to Kodari. In mid-August the road to Kodari had closed due to a massive landslide, and repairs weren't complete, so it was pre-planned to "hop" everyone to Kodari by helicopter (about 20 minutes). We arrived in batches and were transported by bus to our hotel.
Kodari reminded us of Simikot, where we'd been stuck for five nights in 2009 due to a mismanaged operation. Hot lunch was served. It started pouring heavily — a disturbing reminder of our prior nightmare trip to Manasarovar — but fortunately the second batch made it soon. We met other Kailash groups who had completed their journey and were returning, getting ready to walk around the landslide (many hours of strenuous walking). In the afternoon, we visited a large waterfall near the hotel — beautiful, if dampened by drizzle. Later a few of us walked up a mountain path accompanied by a local (an innocent villager with limited communication but great eagerness to help). We saw a beautiful monastery and a distant view of the same waterfall. As we returned, a rainbow defied the dark clouds, lifting our anxious nerves with hope for a brighter trip ahead.
Day 03 — Sep 16, 2014 — Nyalam (Altitude 12,300', Tibet)
Crossed the border over the friendship bridge. We walked from the Kodari hotel to the border; a porter who'd taken us to the monastery the previous day carried our extra luggage. There was a lot of chaos on the Chinese side. First we were lined up on the bridge in passport order (India, US, UK) to pass through to the real checkpost, where we filled out forms and went one by one through passport checks. It was fairly late by the time we got out and boarded our assigned bus (DL0667) on the narrow roadway. There were three buses with generous space — each had a capacity of 35 but carried only 20.
On the way to Nyalam we saw a long row of stranded trucks stretching for miles, due to the big landslide; apparently the stress of locked inventory and lack of liquidity drove a few truck owners to suicide. Tibet runs on Beijing time, 2.5 hours ahead of India; since we were far west of Beijing, sunset would be well past 8pm. The road to Nyalam was beautiful — valleys carved by fast-flowing rivers, green trees, rocky ridges hugged by low clouds, and Tibetan prayer flags spanning entire valleys at incredible heights. Tibetans believe the flags, picturing deities and prayers, carry positive energy into the cosmos for everyone's spiritual uplift, so it's not unusual to see them in the remotest places. In our buses there was always one Chinese policeman; on whatever whim, he did not allow us to photograph the beautiful scenery.
We reached Nyalam at a recently built guest house, also known as the Shishapangma Hotel — named after the 8,000m peak (14th highest in the world) near the Nyalam pass at 18,500' that we'd cross tomorrow. We had WiFi, so many of us used iPhones and FaceTime effectively. Shree Kailash Yatra's cook and staff took over the cooking from today, so we started enjoying very nice Indian food. The head cook (Hriday-dai from Nepal) was someone we'd met on a previous trip — three years on, he hadn't lost his touch.
Day 04 — Sep 17, 2014 — Nyalam (Altitude 12,300', Tibet)
The acclimatization day at Nyalam. After prayers, we went up the adjoining mountain for a beautiful view and a visit to the Tibetan flag temple, gaining about 1,000' in altitude and returning in a few hours. We relaxed and went to the market for fruits, and tried to get a SIM for use in Tibet — but Chinese rules now required a passport, which made it impossible at the time. (As it turned out, the phone's voice plan was useless, the caller couldn't hear us at all; the data plan worked for some functions but never for Gmail or google.com — perhaps China's issues with Google.) In the evening there was a prayer session with the recital of Hanuman Chalisa and Sunderkand.
Day 05 — Sep 18, 2014 — Saga (Tibet)
Morning routines for the rest of the trip began with "herbal tea" brought to our rooms by staff as a wake-up call — we got so spoiled that many of us still miss it. After breakfast we walked along the highway 2–3 km to a nice viewpoint, then boarded buses for Saga. Chinese authorities impose a 40 km/h speed limit enforced by many checkpoints; since checkpoints enforce timing between passings, buses usually drive to about a km short of a checkpost and wait. This was a long journey.
We reached the high Nyalam Pass (16,880'). Normally Shishapangma (26,289') is visible, but clouds hid it. The pass had very high winds — our first taste of the cold and wind chill of the Tibetan plateau at 15,000'+. Later we passed the incredibly blue-green Paiku Tso (the "Emerald Lake"), stopping for plenty of pictures. We reached Saga late and settled into the Saga Hotel (the same one from five years ago, now showing wear). Dinner in our rooms.
Day 06 — Sep 19, 2014 — Manasarovar (Tibet)
After a long drive from Saga interrupted by checkpoints, we had lunch (puri/sabji) at a nice spot and walked up for a great view of the expansive Tibetan landscape — with some sadness at the ever-expanding Chinese military presence. As soon as we reached the Kailash Mandala region, we had a very satisfying first view of Mt Kailash under clear blue sky.
We transferred to the government-provided environmental bus to go around the lake (no private vehicles allowed). The "Holy Dip" in the sacred Manasarovar was organized toward the southwest corner, everyone in ponchos. The water was extremely cold, but the sunny warmth of the day made the dip rewarding and fulfilling. The bus took us to the southern part of the lake and toward Rakshas Taal, with a close view of the imposing Gurla Mandhata (25,243') in fading sunset light. We reached our resting place by 9pm for a wonderful dinner of khichadi, kadhi, and sabji.
Day 07 — Sep 20, 2014 — Manasarovar (Tibet)
In the morning the staff pitched tents and hauled holy water from Manasarovar in large drums so we could take a hot-water bath. Another tent was pitched for the Havan (Hindu ritual ceremony); everyone received puja samagri, and Maheshbhai and Vaishali conducted a 1.5-hour Havan with a full view of Kailash throughout. Just before the Havan, a strip of thin cloud hovered above Kailash, like a garland adorning the deity. As the chanting began, the cloud rose slowly and stayed well above the peak — as if it were a crown on Shree Kailash.
After lunch we went up to Chiu Gompa (Chiu means sparrow), where the early Tibetan Buddhist guru Padmasambhava meditated. Since we'd visit it the next day, we instead walked to the Jiwusi Temple on a smaller hill across the way and took pictures. We hadn't carried water and it grew very windy, so we returned to camp fairly dehydrated (it is very important to drink lots of water well before the trek). Some left by jeep toward Darchen for the mini Parikrama before heading to Taklakot for helicopter evacuation the next day.
Day 08 — Sep 21, 2014 — Darchen (Tibet)
In the morning, after prayers, we went up toward Chiu Gompa. We took pictures along the way and witnessed a religious ceremony by monks in the newly built monastery on top (the older one was closed). After lunch we were transported to Darchen, where the bus took us to a heavily guarded entry point to ensure only those with a Parikrama permit could enter. In Darchen we shopped, primarily for mineral water — and ended up with two Dorjes we'd hunted for in Bhutan and couldn't find. We took many pictures of local Tibetans near the market, out in full force window-shopping and buying from roadside merchants. There were beautiful views of Kailash (just the top) and Gurla Mandhata at either end of the north–south road.
Day 09 — Sep 22, 2014 — Derapuk (Tibet)
Day 1 of Parikrama
Started from Darchen around 9am — first by bus to the walk's starting point near Yamdwar (Chorten Kangyi). We passed through a highly secured checkpost with x-ray and frisking; the Chinese have greatly increased their military presence in the region annexed since the 1950s. This being an auspicious year, thousands of Hindus and Tibetans wanted to come, yet for reasons unknown the Chinese had denied permission to many Indians and even some Tibetans.
We reached Darpoche, where a prayer pole marks the spot Buddha and his 500 devotees circumambulated. The starting point had the drama of matching pilgrims with their horse and horseman/woman. Most of us, including my wife and I, had opted for a horse and a porter, plus an additional porter for my large camera bag. The "Tibetan porter union" uses a lottery to match horse and patron. We stood in line with our luggage on display; everyone picked a name from a hat and sealed their fate (for three days) with a horse and porter. Vaishali had briefed us well, so it wasn't a surprise — but it was fun to witness, with a few porters clowning and engaging in horseplay. One porter saw me with my camera bag and pointed at himself, "me… me," which started a chant of "mera," "era" (mine, in Hindi). They must have thought they'd carry only that small camera bag. Little did they know I also had a rucksack weighing 30 pounds, and the camera bag itself weighed about 25.
When our turn came, we had two women, one smaller than the other. The horse keepers doubled as porters, and my sack was a concern for the petite woman assigned to my horse. As an extra porter I got the horseman for Dr Amrish Gor, who had opted to hire just the horse. After some discussion, the extra porter (Sangay) took my backpack and the woman with my horse (Romma) carried the camera bag. My wife's horse owner was Sesank; our horses were named Mambu and Khambu. We were urged to ride briefly to bond with the horse team; we stayed on for about 10 minutes, then got down and walked the rest of the way.
As it turned out, Sangay swapped the rucksack for the camera bag, and I retrieved my camera since it was nearly impossible to keep Sangay with us. We had an excellent horse team in Romma and Sesank, who kept us entertained (perhaps themselves more than us) and stayed close, repeatedly asking "Ghoda?" (horse?). Along the way we saw the majestic Kailash — now the west face — and tried to make out the faces of Ganesha and other family members on the rocky flanks. We saw some musk deer. About halfway, we stopped for lunch and shared apples, Frooti, and candies with our porters. When we reached our home for the night, we had another fantastic darshan of the north face.
Our room was on the second floor, up a precarious iron staircase — definitely something to watch at night during the Diamox-induced nature calls. After tea and popcorn, we strolled up about 500' toward the north face to a Tibetan flagpole and "Shakti" point. The crisp air, colorful flags, and view of Kailash's south face were invigorating. We met a Chinese duo returning from the glacier near the mountain. We returned at night to dinner served in our room.
Day 10 — Sep 23, 2014 — Zuthulpuk (Tibet)
Day 2 of Parikrama — Dolma Pass, 18,585' (the highest point of the trip)
Started early while it was still dark. Though the first part of this leg was a very hard ascent to 18,500', we chose not to use the horse. Slow and steady, we made the pass; since we walked and photographed, we were among the last to arrive. We found our Chinese guide and Nepali staff member sitting atop. The atmosphere was colorful with prayer flags and mantra-carved stones; Tibetans threw paper prayer stacks into the air like confetti and left food offerings. I found a relatively flat stone to perform Shirshasana (headstand) — and the obligatory photo.
Urged on by the altitude and winds, we left quickly, descending a steep slope and crossing many fellow yatris being assisted down (the horses can't be used on steep descents). Some seniors had a rough time on the slippery, loose dirt. After passing Gauri Kund on our right and reaching about 16,000', we stopped for lunch, then continued on a relatively flat path toward the Zuthulpuk base. Along the way we saw part of the east face of Kailash; I climbed the flank on our left for a better view. We reached the base, settled in, and bought water. The cabins were basic but reasonably airtight against the heavy wind. Dinner of dal, sabji, and rice, brought to our rooms by the ever-smiling staff.
Day 11 — Sep 24, 2014 — Manasarovar (Tibet)
Last day of the Parikrama
Started in the morning and walked less than two hours to our pickup point — a relatively easy, gradual descent of under 500' over 6 km. Picked up by bus to Darchen, where our luggage was stored. Had a great lunch of chhole bhature. Those of us with non-Indian passports proceeded to Teerthpuri, west of Manasarovar (about 1.5 hours by bus). On the way we had another fine viewing of Mt Kailash (yet another day of red-carpet weather), stopping for a photo of the "Nandi" mountain on Kailash's south side. We saw a complete south and southwest face, along with the Ashtapada, which is very special to the Jain religion.
Teerthpuri is known for the legend of Bhasmasur — the demon who worshipped Lord Shiva and received the power to turn anyone to ashes ("bhasma") by placing his hand on their head. After he misused the power and many gods failed to subdue him, Goddess Parvati lured him into a classical dance, performing a step whose mudra involved placing her own hand on her head. Engrossed, Bhasmasur mirrored her and turned himself to ashes — in a way, one of the first "selfies" in mythological history. We took pictures on the ash hill said to be the remnants of Bhasmasur and collected some as a souvenir.
Then we saw the monastery, crowned with a golden globe flanked by two sitting deer facing inward; the vestibule had colorful paintings of the circle of life, Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), and other frescoes typical of Buddhist monasteries. The inner sanctum was serene and soothing, with a powerful meditative force. We stepped out toward a complex of stupas and 12 Jyotirlings (natural reddish structures resembling large anthills), and walked down to a rock form said to be Parvati. There, a large rock overhang housed a tiny room with a small kitchen, sleeping quarters, and prayer corner; as we peeked in, a Buddhist monk rotated the mani wheel chanting "Om mani padme hum." We saw a hot spring and stone carvers — using both manual implements and electric grinders — carving the mantra onto rounded river stones about a foot in size. Such stones, with prayer flags in tent formations, are strewn across Tibet's landscapes, often spanning rivers or peaks. We returned to Manasarovar and settled into the same place as before.
Day 12 — Sep 25, 2014 — Tingri (Tibet)
Got up at 5:30 and left by bus at 7:00 for a long ride; some of us were headed for Everest Base Camp, and the trip to Tingri was long. The bus had no heater and everyone froze for the first 3–4 hours until the sun warmed things up around 8:30am. Reached at 7:30pm after multitudes of checkpoints enforcing the 40 km/h limit. Stayed at the Lhasa Hotel in cozy rooms. Dinner of khichadi and kadhi.
Day 13 — Sep 26, 2014 — Nyalam (Tibet)
Everest Base Camp day
Got up at 6am. After a breakfast of porridge and toast, left for EBC at 7am, picking up the permit en route. Everest is called Qomolangma in Tibetan (and Sagarmatha in Nepali). There were clouds on the Tingri-valley side but away from Everest. We reached the base-camp motor route head (the "Tourist Base Camp") at 11am — the north face of Everest beautifully clear in full glory. Along the route we also passed Cho Oyu, another majestic 8,000er. We visited Rongbuk Monastery and took pictures, including another Shirshasana. Returned to Tingri by 3pm, had pav bhaji, and started for Nyalam, arriving at 7:15pm to rejoin the rest of the group.
Day 14 — Sep 27, 2014 — Kathmandu (Tibet → Nepal)
Got up at 6am with herbal tea and a quick breakfast of tea and puri; we'd already submitted the duffle bags the night before. After a short prayer session, we boarded buses for the border, everyone anxious to leave now that the trip was ending. We left by 7:30am to beat the closure of a bridge slated for repair just before Zhangmu. We reached the border around 9:30am and found ourselves at the end of a long queue to the narrow street leading to the bridge. Immigration was slow and chaotic, beginning around 10am. We found the Nepali kids and porters who'd helped us on the way out; our porter Ganesh latched on again, and I handed him my backpacks.
After immigration, the staff collected our passports for Nepali stamping. We were picked for the first helicopter batch but, at the helipad, opted for a smaller chopper to give way to the seniors; ours arrived a couple of hours later. We had a 20-minute ride to Kathmandu in the front, enabling some constrained clicking of aerial views. At the hotel, lunch was waiting. After a shave and shower, we went to Thamel for sun hats, books, posters, and maps. Back at the hotel, there was a session of prayers and thanks for all the staff — very touching, with words added by various group members. We had a wonderful dinner topped with jalebi and ice cream.
Day 15 — Sep 28, 2014 — Return to Mumbai
Got up at 6am, packed, had breakfast, and said our goodbyes in the common hall designated for the Manasarovar group.
Final Words
We hope this lengthy account is useful for anyone planning to visit Mt Kailash and Manasarovar. One of the most significant memories of the trip is the amazing group of fellow travelers — a real positive alignment and energy despite the diversity of ages (22 to 72), backgrounds, careers, and nationalities (all of Indian origin). Everyone became family.
The second reason this trip was special was the tour organizer. Since Kailash–Manasarovar is a spiritual and religious undertaking at high altitude, the operator must handle both the logistics of remote Tibet and the religious expectations. Shree Kailash Yatra proved a perfect choice. Most operators mean well, but one must anticipate the inevitable surprises — weather, natural disasters (landslides), and health changes. A couple of travelers needed treatment for altitude sickness (including pulmonary edema) and had to be evacuated; luckily there was a competent doctor, plus oxygen, medications, and experience to handle it. We'd also faced a nasty August landslide in Nepal that ruined many trips, but we were prepared and set up for the helicopter rides that made this possible.
Good luck and Om Namah Shivay to all who wish to visit this "heaven on earth." May the force be with you.