Kailash is a mountain venerated as the centre point of the manifest universe. It is the ultimate pilgrimage. Mount Kailash or Gang Rinpoche as it is affectionately and reverentially known to Tibetans translates as “Snow Jewel”. It is honoured by the Bön, Buddhists, Hindu and Jain traditions. For the Hindus it is the abode of Siva and for the Tibetans many mystical and miraculous things have occurred there. It is set high on the Tibetan plateau, in the far west of Tibet, in a very remote part of the world. This makes it incredibly appealing to the eye and the senses.

A kora (or devotional circumambulation) of Mount Kailash forms the main part of this journey however we will also explore the major religious and cultural sites of Tibet spending five days in Lhasa and visiting monasteries and sacred sites on the way to Kailash. We will travel to Tibet via the ancient Nepalese capital of Kathmandu and visiting the North Face of Chomolungma (Mount Everest) and Za Monastery on the return journey. The kora of Kailash and travelling on the Tibetan plateau for the first time is both a liberating and taxing experience emotionally, physically and spiritually. To allow for a smoother experience and more time for devotional practice and appreciation of the mountain we take a gentle five day kora.

To cater for varied needs and fitness levels, we also have tents, yaks, excellent guides and cooks and provide high standard four wheel drive vehicles and the best drivers to transport the group.

18 May to 13 June 2009

Led by Jeremy Ball, $AUS6950 ex Kathmandu, twin share
(based on twin share, excluding some meals, guide and porter tips and temple offerings)

Day 1, 18 May: After half a day in the air we will arrive into the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, where the Indian subcontinent meets the Himalayas. We will be escorted from the airport to our guest house beside Bodhanath Stupa for an evening of rest and relaxation. Kathmandu is a fascinating mix of geology and culture, a great place to hangout and explore. Kathmandu will be our staging post for our pilgrimage to the Land of Snow.

Day 2, 19 May: Today is our opportunity to connect with the Ancient Hindu Culture that Shakyamuni Buddha emerged from. In fact the oldest Hindu temples are within the borders of Nepal and Lord Buddha was born within the borders of what is now modern day Nepal. We make an early morning visit to Pashuputinath, on the banks of a tributary of Mother Ganges, respectfully observing the pujas and cremation rites, an earnest reminder of the transitory nature of this precious human life. We will then visit Durbar Square, the heart of the old city and the bustling market. Nepal has seen great change and is now a republic but only a few short years ago it was ruled by a monarchy with King Birendra revered as a living deity, an emanation of Vishnu. In the afternoon we will have a pre Tibet orientation in a restaurant overlooking Bodhanath Stupa, the Holiest site for Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet. Following the orientation we can join the throng of pilgrims and perform circumambulations of the stupa and offer butter lamps to illuminate the way for all sentient beings.

Day 3, 20 May: Whilst our travel documents and other practicalities for the journey are being prepared behind the scenes, we will spend the day preparing ourselves internally for the pilgrimage. We have a visit planned to Kopan with an audience with a Lama to make offerings for a smooth and successful journey and the deepening of our spiritual merit. Final packing and an early night is recommended.

Day 4, 21 May: Prior to the invention of the iron bird, Kathmandu to Lhasa was an arduous journey, now it is a short one hour hop up on to the Tibetan plateau. Our flight will leave early in the morning and by lunch time we will be settled into our hotel in the holy city of Lhasa. Lhasa is 3600-3800 metres above sea level, significantly higher than Kathmandu which is approx. 1200m. From my experience the body adjusts amazingly to altitude change as long as it is given sufficient opportunity through complete rest. Despite the desire to rush out and see the sights of Lhasa we will spend some of the day resting sipping hot drinks, taking room service and best of all sleeping, in order to allow the ultimate wisdom of our bodies to adjust to the climate.

Day 5, 22 May: Our timing is an important part of the acclimatization process, so rather than trying to see all the temples and monasteries we will take a leisurely pace allowing for a deeper connection with the places we visit and for our bodies to adjust to life on the Tibetan Plateau. It is recommended that you pay close attention to your body’s messages during the acclimatization process and if required, spend an afternoon or morning in bed for optimum adjustment prior to the Kailash Pilgrimage. Today we visit the holiest of shrines in Tibet, the Jokhang, the main temple of Lhasa and Tibet, receiving the blessings of Jowo Rinpoche, the oldest and most revered statue or Buddha image in the Land of Snows. The Jokhang holds many delights and will keep us entranced for most of the morning. Afterwards we can take a gentle stroll around the Barkhor (the main market square encircling the Jokhang) and familiarise ourselves with the shops and cafes of Lhasa for those who wish to venture out on their own during our time in Lhasa. After lunch and a siesta at the hotel we then visit the Dalai Lama’s summer palace, the Norbulingka. A gentler stately home compared to the Potala’s impressive but very masculine and austere outlook, Norbulingka is like a sanctuary away from the rigours of state where particularly the Fourteenth Dalai Lama appreciated the more natural environment and nurturing energy. This is the place where the Dalai Lama escaped from dressed as a Tibetan soldier, in 1959 when he fled from Tibet.

Day 6, 23 May: An early morning drive will take us to the outskirts of Lhasa and Drepung Monastery, nestled on the side of a mountain with excellent views of Lhasa. Once one of Tibet’s largest monasteries with about 20,000 monks, Drepung now is home to around 400 who struggle with the upkeep of the old stone buildings. If our time is right we may have the opportunity to sit with the monks in the great hall for the daily chanting. Once again we will return to our hotel for lunch and a siesta followed by an afternoon at Sera, one of the three major Monasteries of Lhasa, where we will witness the spectacle of the monks’ energetic debating.

Day 7, 24 May: In the morning we climb the steps up to the Potala Palace which acted as a castle, monastery, seat of government, cathedral and parliament all rolled into one. We will spend much of the day exploring the home and seat of power of the Dalai Lama’s, soaking up the blessings that seep from the walls and the many relics held within. The late afternoon allows for private time for rest or shopping prior to our journey away from Lhasa.

Day 8, 25 May: Rigorous return trip to Tsurphu Monastery, a few hours out of Lhasa and the seat of the Karmapas, a reincarnate lineage, with the current Karmapa being the seventeenth in a line of successive reincarnations transmigrating back into a body in order to benefit sentient beings. The 17th Karmapa now lives in Dharamsala, India. Some people may elect to visit the sites of Lhasa, or visit the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Centre to rest up before several days in the saddle on the way to Kailash.

Day 9, 26 May: This is the day we meet our drivers and guides for Kailash early in the morning and depart after breakfast in four wheel drives on our journey to the Snow Jewel. With the improving standard of roads in Tibet it is a fairly comfortable and short drive to Gyantse. We should have the afternoon to explore the area. Gyantse is the home to an incredible stupa with one thousand and eight rooms each holding different Buddha statues. Depending on the time of our arrival we may visit the stupa the next morning.

Day 10, 27 May: More driving on towards Kailash, this time taking a slightly different route from the previous two times I’ve been to Kailash as we will visit Sakya. Sakya is the home of the head of the Sakya lineage and it was the former capital of Tibet, the home of His Holiness Sakya Trizin who now lives in Dehra Dun, Northern India. The Sakya Trizin clan is a lineage of Priest-Kings, Lamas who marry and pass on the lineage from father to son. We will arrive in the afternoon and have a quick glance through town prior to visiting the Monastery and sights in the morning.

Day 11, 28 May: After visiting Sakya we begin heading out of the bigger towns and it’s starting to become a wilderness. We are on the plateau where you can get a vista of the distant Himalayas and you are almost looking down on a ripple of these beautiful mountains. The area we’re heading through is a mix of towns that are on the one hand soulless Chinese outposts purely for management and on the other, tiny traditional Tibetan enclaves. We will make our way to Lhatse.

Day 12, 29 May: A full day’s driving to Saga, with beautiful high altitude scenery, taking the day very restfully, keeping warm and well hydrated as we inch our way closer to Kailash.

Day 13, 30 May: Now we head to Paryang the last stop before we actually view Mount Kailash, the main purpose of our journey. Time to reflect before we receive the mountain’s healing darshan.

Day 14, 31 May: This is an exciting day’s journey. Before we actually view Kailash we pass Lake Manasarovar, for many the most sacred lake in Tibet. In terms of sacred sites it is the feminine counterpart to Mount Kailash and in terms of geology, the water that runs off Mount Kailash enters into the basin of this lake and then forms the three great rivers of Asia. Although the summit of Kailash is more than 7000m,and we are driving along the plateau at 4 to 5000m, Mount Kailash remains out of view until we come to a place just past Manasarovar where weather and gods permitting we will view it in all its glory. We can place khatas and prostrate to receive the mountain’s blessing and honour this most sacred site. Then we will journey a short way to Darchen at the foot of Mount Kailash where we will meet our local guide Roger and our cooks for our kora. In the evening Roger, a veteran of more than 80 koras of Kailash,(only two non Tibetans have completed more koras than him), will brief us on both the practical and spiritual aspects of the kora and some of the sacred sites around the kora and places where you perform rituals.

Day 15, 1 June: An early start for the auspicious beginning of our kora. Before we start our kora we will visit Gyendrak Monastery a short drive away. The kora we are completing is an outer kora. Once you have completed 12 outer koras, you may then complete an inner kora. Gyendrak Monastery is situated right at the foot of Kailash, and close to the inner kora. Our guide Roger has two friends who helped restore this monastery and they are the only westerners to have completed more koras than he has. We are doing a slower than usual kora with a full day at the North Face allowing the opportunity for rest, exploration and devotional practice. We also take two days rather than one to reach the north face, allowing plenty of time to visit sites of interest along the way and perform ceremonial rites at each place. A kora of Kailash is considered by Tibetans a spiritual rite of passage where you die to the old self and are reborn to the new self having cleared a lifetime’s worth of karma. One thing is for certain that whether it is the power of place that is determined by geomancy, and the enormous crystal that is Kailash or whether it is the spiritual beings who gather there, a kora of Kailash has a profound effect for cleansing and clearing the mind. It is like a diamond cutting through the layers of beliefs and misconceptions.

Day 16, 2 June: Communing with this beautiful place we will continue with our kora and visit the caves and then head to the North Face. Many famous Buddhist masters have visited and meditated in these caves, it is even said that Shakyamuni Buddha flew there taking some of his disciples with him.

Day 17, 3 June: Today is a rest day enjoying the North Face. Throughout the kora we walk though a valley and inside the inner ring of the valley is Mount Kailash. For most of the time Kailash is shielded by snow but at the North Face there is a small break in the valley and you can clamber over rocks and actually touch the crystal face of the rock. Even while you are camping there this is the face that doesn’t have snow on it, so you’re being bathed in the pure light of Kailash. It’s like the Dalai Lama looking at you with his sunglasses on and then gazing at you without them. There is also a small monastery there where many masters have stayed and received enlightenment. This is one of the most powerful places for you to gather and transmit merit. So we will have time for people to perform their spiritual practices and soak up this place and also rest up for what will be for most people one of the most arduous emotional, spiritual and physical exertions of their life. Whilst a degree of physical fitness is required, from my experience the ease and grace for people performing and completing the kora depends to a large extent on their peace of mind and heart. I have seen mountain goats struggle and battle with this and I have seen a 65 year old four foot retired nurse literally skip round the mountain. We have yaks and excellent guides and porters to assist you with the journey.

Day 18, 4 June: You can’t really say this is a big day because the whole kora and pilgrimage is incredible, but this is maybe the apex of the journey, the pass is about 5400metres though having said that we’d have spent most of the past ten days at around 4000 and above so our lungs will be well accustomed to the rarefied air. We cross a mountain stream that at this time of the year will probably no longer be frozen so we’re hopping from rock to rock with the assistance of our guides and sherpas and then we go up into some of the most amazing scenery in the world with rock faces carved like a natural temple. We rest at the high place Droma-La, perhaps hanging prayer flags and saying prayers for loved ones before descending through the point of rebirth. It’s a steep descent and the release of mental and emotional baggage is palpable. Some people feel euphoria. This is the more shaded side of the mountain and we walk along a river for several kilometres where we reach our campsite possibly as dark is descending to be welcomed by our guides and porters with a hot drink and probably the best night’s sleep of your life.

Day 19, 5 June: Today is the shortest walk of the kora, but it’s still several hours and we pass a very significant place where Milarepa, famous Tibetan yogi, was said to have meditated for many years around Kailash and purified his karma here gaining enlightenment. Then he had a spiritual battle, you could say, with a Bon practitioner and he was victorious and this allowed Buddhism to gain complete ascendancy in Tibet. There is a small monastery where this event took place. Then we will arrive back in Darchen, head by jeep to the hot springs of Chiu Gompa on the shores of Lake Manasarovar where there will be the opportunity to bathe in the springs. We will spend two nights on the shores of this lake, an incredibly soothing, nurturing and healing place to be after the exertion of our kora.

Day 20, 6 June: Day of rest soaking up the nurturing energy of the lake and an excursion to Gosul Gompa.

Day 21, 7 June: We drive back to Darchen for the Wesak festival of Saga Dawa. They raise a great pole for Wesak at the navel of the world according to Tibetans. The theosophical society say that this is the time when all the ascended masters come and congregate around Mount Kailash, so it’s really a time when the physical and spiritual worlds unite around Kailash.

Day 22-23, 8 & 9 June: We re-trace our steps back home with perhaps a physical tiredness but a real lightness of being. We head to Tingri for the night on a detour.

Day 24, 10 June: From Tingri we take a detour so we can visit the North Face of Chomolungma (Mount Everest) to connect with the two sacred mountains of the Himalayan region. We also hope to have the time to visit Za (Rombuk) Monastery. We head back to Tingri for the night.

Day 25, 11 June: We head to Nyalkam, an interesting border town between Tibet and Nepal. The next day we have an incredible drive down from the Himalayas as we descend from a calm, icy stillness into the warmth, forest and hustle and bustle of the Indian valley where as we drive lower, navigating some amazing roads, the colours get brighter, the behaviour more expressive, and the air lighter.

Day 26, 12 June: Then it’s back to Kathmandu for a final look around and a farewell dinner that night before we all fly back to our homes with the warmth of shared experiences and an amazing journey.

The nature of the journey requires flexibility and the itinerary may be subject to change prior to commencing or whilst on the road.