| DAY 01 |
Drive from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj by bus which takes about sixteen hours. You stay overnight at hotel in Nepalgunj in the far south west of Nepal. It is a busy crowded city which lies close to the Indian border. You can also fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. |
DAY 02 |
Fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot (2,856 m.) and this day you have to camp at Simikot. This morning you fly north for about 50 minutes to Simikot, the headquarters of Nepal's most remote district, Humla.Fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot (2,856 m.) and this day you have to camp at Simikot. This morning you fly north for about 50 minutes to Simikot, the headquarters of Nepal's most remote district, Humla. |
DAY 03 |
Trek from Simikot to Darapani (2,507m.). 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 Dharapani. |
| DAY 04 |
Trek from Dharapani to Sali Khola (2,650m.). Leaving your campsite, you cross a long scree slope and follow the river to a waterfall near the shepherds' camp at Chachera. You then climb over a ridge and bypass the village of Kermi before entering a big valley with walled fields of potato and buckwheat. After walking through a sparse pine forest you descend from the ridge to the Sali Khola and camp by the river. |
| DAY 05 |
Trek from Sali Khola to Muchu (2,912m.). You cross the river and climb over a rocky ridge before descending to the grey waters of the Humla Karnali. After crossing another ridge you come to a sandy meadow where goat herders often camp by the river. Beyond the meadow the valley narrows and you cross several more ridges, passing the villages of Yalbang and Yangar. The trail then winds its way precariously above the river before you cross a suspension bridge to the village of Muchu. |
| DAY 06 |
Darchen-Dira Phuk Gompa (4909m, 6 hrs trekking) Tarboche, marked by Tibetan flags is the starting point for kora and is the site for Tibet's most important annual Saga Dawa festival. Walk up the Lha Chu Valley through beautiful green meadows and streams with Mt Kailash towering above us. You follow the river, which enters a narrow canyon with high, steep cliffs and spectacular waterfalls. Continuing up the valley, the north face of Kailash comes into view before you reach the 13th century monastery at Dira-phuk. Stay overnight at camp. |
| DAY 07 |
| Drira Phuk Monastery-Zuthul-Phuk (4790m, 7 hrs trekking) Bid farewell to Lha Chu Valley and prepare to fight the toughest part of the kora. You will enter the Drolma Chu Valley, heading up towards a high pass, the Drolma La [5630m] that is marked Tibetan prayer flags. The rest of the day's walk is mostly downhill and flat land. On descent, you will pass by one of the highest lakes in the world, Thukpe Dzingbu Lake, known as the Lake of Compassion. Zuthulphuk monastery is built at the site of a famous cave, which is believed to have been created as a result of contest between Milareppa (Buddhist Teacher) and Naro Bonchung (Bon Saint). Stay overnight in a camp. |
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| DAY 08 |
Trek to Darchen (4560m, 3 hrs trekking) the final day of the Kora is rather shorter and easier. It takes merely 2 ½ to 3 hours that involves crossing of several streams and also follows an impressive gorge from where you would like to look back for fabulous views. Stay overnight in a guesthouse. |
| DAY 09 |
Drive from Hilsa to Purang. |
| DAY 10 |
Drive from Purang to Lake Manasarovar (4,558m.). From Paryang to Lake Mansorovar is a long drive of 10 hrs or more. There will be several river crossings and you drive past Mayum la pass (4600m.). The scenery is stunningly beautiful with panoramic views of the Himalayas. |
| DAY 11 |
Excursion at Lake Manasarovar. You climb a short distance to Sher, a Tibetan salt trading post at 3860m that is a windswept place of government buildings where passports and day sacks will be inspected. At Sher you 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. You pass through Tibetan villages where prayer flags flutter from the roofs of the whitewashed houses. You 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 its 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.
You stop briefly at Purang where the crew can purchase any supplies needed for the remainder of our journey. You 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 you 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. You cross the dividing ridge between the lakes to camp at Chiu Gompa on the shores of Manasarovar, 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 12 |
Drive to Darchen (4700m.). Get prepared for Mt. Kailash Parikrama. About 30 km north of Lake Manasarovar is Darchen, the main gateway and the village. The monastery at Darchen, Darchen Gon, is a part of the Drukpa sect. The two-story monastery structure in the center of the town serves as a trading post and shelter for pilgrims. Within the Dukhang assembly hall are new and old thangka paintings and some statues, the main image being Sakyamuni. West of the gompa is the Mani Lhakhang that has a large, new mani prayer wheel. This is the site where the original old flagpole (a darchen is a flagpole for prayer flags) of Darchen was located. When beginning their kora pilgrimage around Kailash, many pilgrims often circumambulate the Darchen Gon monastery and the Mani Lhakhang before setting out. |
| DAY 13 |
Start Kailash Parikrama. Trek to Dira Puk (4909m.). This Kailash circuit covers 53 km and can be done in 3 days. You head west in clockwise direction and after a few kilometers the trail climbs up to a cairn at 4730 m from where the southern face of Mt. Kailash comes to view. En route you visit Tarboche where annual flagpole raising ceremony takes place during Saga Dawa. |
| DAY 14 |
Continue Kailash Parikrama over Dromala Pass (5650m.) to Zuthul Puk. Yamasthal should be crossed to reach the Shiva-sthal while your steps go closer to the pass. Once you reach the top, just do the holiest offering and sit down for meditation to forget you. Once your steps go down, Parvati-stal and Gauri Kunda are on the way. By the late afternoon you will reach Zuthul Puk (the cave of Miracles. The great ascetic Milerappa is supposed to have performed miracles here). |
| DAY 15 |
End Kailash Parikrama near Darchen (4700m.). Your final day on the Kora is an easy three hours walking as you exit the Zhong Chu Valley on a trail that contours high above a narrow gorge. The hills become less vegetated and more desert like as you approach the Bharka Plain with seemingly limitless views towards the Indian Himalaya. At one point pilgrims stop and scoop out of the hillside the precious white clay called Ghang Rimpoche ku-sha or the flesh of Kailash. It is believed to have medicinal properties and is spread on foreheads to ease headaches and colds. |
| DAY 16 |
Drive from Darchen to Paryang (4540m.). 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 you 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 17 |
Drive from Paryang to Saga (4840m.). You continue driving for another 255km to Saga passing through dusty town of Zhongba and a few smaller passes. |
| DAY 18 |
Drive from Saga to Paigutso (4850m.). Leaving Saga, you cross the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) by ferry and continue our journey for 110km across the vast open plains. Stunning Himalayan views, particularly of Shishapangma, accompany us as you head towards a huge lake, the Paigutso. |
| DAY 19 |
Drive from Paigutso to Nyalam (3800m.). Today you drive 180km south towards the Nepalese border, joining the Friendship Highway. You cross a high pass, the Lalung La [5200m], and come to the small town of Nyalam |
| DAY 20 |
Drive from Nyalam to Kathmandu. From Nyalam, you drive down to the border town of Zhangmu. From Zhangmu, it’s a short drive to the Friendship Bridge which spans the Bhote Kosi River and marks the Chinese - Nepalese border where you part with your Tibetan guide and driver and walk to Nepalese Immigration Control in Kodari where you will be met by your Nepalese staff. After completing the re-entry formalities you continue the drive to Kathmandu which depending on road and weather conditions, should take about 5-6 hours. |
Mount Kailash located in far west corner of Tibet ,is the most sacred peak of Asia. Nam Tso LakeThe beauty of the 6700 meter high Mount Kailash, that looks like a symmetrical cone shaped rock capped by pure crystalline ice all the time, is echoed in various mythological and literary works. Hindu pilgrims consider the mountain to be the home of their God-Lord Shiva. For Buddhists, Mount Kailash is said to be the Center of the Universe-the axis mundi in Asian cosmology. Every year hundreds of pilgrims travel from all over the Indian sub continent and Tibet to make the ritual circumambulation around the mountain in their quest for enlightenment and this trek will join them on their journey.