Kailash Mansarovar Trek

Unique Experiences

To guide you through an understanding of the 13 - Fold Merit (Year of the Horse), the Tibetan Year of the Fire Horse is a once in a decade event and will produce 13 Kora's if you complete an entire 50 km Kora during that time. (Kora is a circuit)

• The Duality of the Two Lakes: The fresh water Lake Mansarovar (Sun/Light) and the salt water Rakshas Tal (Moon/Ego) are located on either side of the narrow Isthmus of Jiu. When standing between them, you can physically feel the shift in energy, or the difference of divine and demonic water.
• The Self-Death Ceremony at Shiva Tsal: Before ascending to the summit at the 5,636 m Dolma La Pass, you will pass by a plateau filled with naked bodies. Many pilgrims have a ritual of dying of their old selves (identity) and leaving something behind to allow for spiritual new birth when arriving at the summit.
• The Descent into Gauri Kund: At the Dolma La Pass you will descend to Gauri Kund (5407 m), or the Lake of Compassion, that is jade green. After the long and difficult ascent with lower oxygen levels when you first see the emerald lake you will feel an immediate increase of spiritual lightness and relief from journeying so far.

Adventure and Difficulty Level

The Kailash Mansarovar Trek is not a trekking expedition but an incredibly strenuous trek physically and mentally due to its consistently high altitude and sustained elevation that exceeds 14,760 feet (4,500 m).

• A grade 5 trek: It is opposed to most other treks in the Himalayas, where you first ascend, then quickly descend to a lower base, involves continuous progression above 14,760 feet (4,500 m) over a period of several days, exerting pressure on the cardiovascular system and requiring excellent fitness levels.
• The Dolma La Pass is at 18,491 ft: The pass is where the trek and journey become most difficult. At around 18,491 feet (5,636 m), you have to ascend steeply into an oxygen-poor area, with air containing approximately 50% of the oxygen available at sea level. Climatic conditions are highly variable, making it possible to experience all types of weather within one hour (sun, wind, or snowstorm) over a distance of approximately ten miles.
• A Battle for Breath: The distance of every 5 steps at elevation (14,760 feet (4,500 m) is the equivalent of a marathon. The experience is in the meditative movement as you push beyond the will of your body to stop through determination alone as you move from one step to another on the jagged, ice/rock-laden terrain of the North Face.

Flora & Fauna

Encompassing both an extremely high elevation and low oxygen density, the Kailash Mansarovar region constitutes both a high altitude sanctuary for rare species that can withstand harsh conditions and have deep spiritual meaning.

• The Sacred Hamsa (Bar-headed Geese): Known as the world's highest-flying bird, Bar-headed Geese can migrate across the Himalayas during their annual cycle. In Hindu/Buddhist mythology, the Hamsas (Bar-headed Geese) represent the enlightened and spiritually discerning; witnessing the flight of these magnificent birds as they glide over Lake Mansarovar is viewed as an auspicious sign of one's purity.
• Plateau Survivors (The Barkha Plains): The great Tibetan plateau is home to the Kyang (Tibetan wild ass) known for its rich chestnut coloured coat and the Bharal (Blue Sheep) that can blend into the rocky terrain of the Kora so well; both of these species rely upon the unique geographical features of this site for their ability to survive as species on this sacred ground.
• Brahma Kamal (Lotus of the Gods): The rare Brahma Kamal flower grows only in the freezing crevices of rocks within approximately 5,636 meters above sea level in the Dolma La Pass and survives through the development of its own greenhouse structure. The flower received its name after Creator Brahma; and it is believed to bloom only for those who have been spiritually called by the mountain.
• High Altitude Sentinels: Watch for the Himalayan Marmots sunning themselves in the sun on the rocks and the massive Lammergeiers (Bearded Vultures) soaring over North Face Mountain reminding you of the abundant natural entertainment that awaits you in this sacred wilderness.

Cultural & Village Life

• Darchen – Where It All Begins: You can find a variety of cultures in the small village of Darchen, which is filled with pilgrims from India wearing large outerwear, nomads from Tibet dressed in long, heavy coats made of sheepskin, and trekkers from all around the world, who share cups of tea and prepare for their trek.
• Pilgrims Who Prostrate Themselves as Devotion: One of the most powerful things to see is the many pilgrims who prostrate themselves during their entire journey. They lay down on their stomachs, place their hands on the earth and stand up, repeating this process for the whole 50 kilometers. They will take roughly four weeks to complete a journey that most of us will take only as long as three days.
• Milarepa's Cave: On you will find the 11th century meditation cave of Milarepa, located within a modern monastery called the Zutulpuk Gompa (Cave of Miracles).

Best Season & Seasonal Beauty

• The Sagadawa Full Moon: It  will be the most desirable peak period to be in the area. The full moon will occur on or around May/June, which is when Buddha was born, became enlightened and died; and is when the giant pole of Tarboche is raised straightly upright; there will be a symbolic representation of the year's prosperity as a result of the pole remaining straight throughout the coming year, indicating continued peace on Earth.
• Mirror Effect Autumn: The autumn months of September/October are good months to see the beauty of the reflections of Kailash on Lake Mansarovar's surface in the morning as there will have been enough rain and the air will be fresh, thus allowing for excellent reflections of all surrounding mountains. The peak of Kailash is reflected perfectly in this mountain mirror.

Summit Experience

Mount Kailash is considered to be a very important mountain by nearly two billion people who regard it as a holy place and hence, the summit has never been reached by the foot of a human being. Therefore, the summit experience is something that is about being attracted from the outside and experiencing the mountain in an observational or spiritual way. The summit is an achieved experience by the person in that they are spiritually/a spiritually attained person.

• Charan Sparsh (Touching the Feet): If you are trekking to visit the base of the North Face, then you can do this from Diraphuk (4,890m). While there, it's easy to understand why trekkers describe standing under the 2,000 m vertical wall of ice and rock as an experience of humility that humbly aligns with our shared existence; this is where I can hear/feel the heart beat of the earth.
• Nandi Inner Kora: If you have been allowed to enter the Inner Kora, you will have the opportunity to do a Kora circling Nandi Parvat and be able to see the Kailash Staircase, which consists of natural horizontal steps of earth that are all aligned from the base and appear to have a purposeful pattern of some kind leading up to god.

Scenic Beauty & Landscapes

The trek moves from the lush green, deep gorges of the Kyirong or Karnali valleys to the dramatic earth meeting sky scapes of the dry and other worldly Tibetan Plateau high desert area.

• Kailash's Four Faces: As you make your way around Mount Kailash you will see all four sides of it. Each of the sides has its own composition of minerals Kailash: The South side has lapis lazuli, West side rubies, and North is gold, the East side is crystal.
• The Other-Worldly Nature of the Plateau: The entire area is painted in different colors with purple, sienna and ochre clay being painted into the sky and heaven and the sky being so thin and so blue at the peak that it appears black at the peak.
• Trekking Along the World's Frozen Breath: The journey is done alongside the world's frozen breath. The four most important rivers in Asia come from the massive ice sheets that are suspended off the sides of these massive glaciers.