Journey Towards Self Realisation

On July 31, 2019March 3, 2020 By beginnersguidekailashyatraIn Kailash, Kailash Kora, Kailash Mansarovar, Kailash Yatra, Kathmandu Pashupathinath, Mansarovar, Pashupatinath to Kailash6 Comments

Travel route from Kathmandu is a 14 days overland trip which includes to and fro journey from Kailash. Apart from Kora there is no walking requirement unless you decide to trek at each stop to acclimatize and practice walking on high altitude.

Day 1 in Kathmandu: This is the day when the group starts arriving in Kathmandu and we take a trip around the city. The Kailash journey starts with Pashupatinath temple and ends here as we offer the water collected from Mansarovar and Gauri Kund here after returning back.

This visit focuses the mind on Shiv and the desire to meet him in his homeland.

विभत्स हूँ… विभोर हूँ…मैं समाधी में ही चूर हूँ…*मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।*घनघोर अँधेरा ओढ़ के…मैं जन जीवन से दूर हूँ…श्मशान में हूँ नाचता…मैं मृत्यु का ग़ुरूर हूँ…*मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।*साम – दाम तुम्हीं रखो…मैं दंड में सम्पूर्ण हूँ…*मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।* *मैं शिव हूँ।*

Day 2 in Kathmandu: This is when the group starts travelling together. We go around Kathmandu in a bus and see many local temples today. The group starts taking shape and you get to know and interact with them. This is the day to take things easy and go with the flow, the onwards journey to Tibet starts tomorrow so make the most of being in the town. Any last minute shopping has to be done today. Ensure to exchange Yuan. Buy Diamox if you plan to take it. Be mindful about yourself, breathing and the surroundings today as this will be the key to successful Yatra.

Ghats of Bagmati River behind Pasupathinadh Temple

Jal Narayan Temple (Budhanilkantha_Temple)

Guhyeshwari Temple https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guhyeshwari_Temple

Day 3: Left Kathmandu towards China border with a overnight stay at Syapru Besi. The heavens opened up and it’s been raining cats n dogs. The journey started with the usual uproar of ‘Om Namah Shivay’ and the echo was saying that rain will not dampen the spirits today. The mountain roads on the Nepal side are not for the faint hearted, but nevertheless the views were breathtaking. Reached SyapruBesi a sleepish village 15 km from China border after 9 hrs of drive. Beautiful people n beautiful village. Internet is available in most of the hotels. Ensure to download VPN on mobile before crossing the China border otherwise internet will be very limited, whatsapp and FB are blocked in China. (Try using Touch VPN)

Day 4: Cleared border and entered China. The first thought that came in mind was that we are now a step closer to Kailash. Due to mess up at pre immigration, half of the group did not make it to the counter. They are clearing the border today. the bags too arrive late, so keep an extra set of clothes and some snacks handy in the backpack for today.
The infrastructure on China side is a lot better than Nepal but internet is limited, we cannot upload pics, videos or voice messages. Cant download songs, so must say pretty basic.
One hour drive from border took us to a small village Kerung. This town is setup just for tourists, surrounded by beautiful mountains at 3500 m above sea level. We will stay here for 2 days till the rest of the group joins us here.
Day 2 at Kerung started with early breakfast and then a bunch of us trekked up the nearest mountain to as far as authorities allowed us. The view from the top was beautiful. A wild Yak showed up, our own Nandi darshan was the Prasad. Way back we walked down to the steam flowing alongside, down the wild path, then cooled off in its water. So peaceful and the overwhelming sound of the water is just calming. Nature’s own chime. Sat on the rock for meditation. Only to be woken up by a Nilkanth who sat nearby n started chirping. Divine.

Day 5: The rest of the group joined us today. Finally they cleared the border and made it to Kerung. We had another hiking in the evening with the group. On the way back we found a procession of Tibetian women who danced and sang with us. Got plenty of hugs from them. Blessed.
We literally hiked the valley east and west in last 2 days. The center of Kerung has a beautiful square with an old Buddhist monastry.
We start acclimatisation in Kerung and we start on Diamol, it’s a medicine to help with AMS.
Forgot to mention there are plenty of Bhang plants all over, literally all over. The smell in the air is very prominent, you cant miss it. Tomorrow morning we head north. Winter is coming!!

Day 6: Left Kerung towards New Dongba. 9 hrs journey started with lush green Kerung and in 30 mins we were in desert mountains. The views were breathtaking. Never seen sky so deep blue and scenery so picturesque like a painting. As soon as we stepped out for a photo break we never exactly how dangerous this beauty was. The winds were harsh n little oxygen, so anything we were doing we were doing in slow pace and taking it easy. The whole route with Bhramputra flowing alongside was just too magnificent to describe. We reached Dongba in the evening. We were at 4500m above sea level. Everyone was struggling with breath. This is why it is so difficult n dangerous. A bad judgement can risk life. We decided to go on small hike n do breathing exercise to acclimatize quickly. The walk was very much needed.

Day 7: We left early at 6 am today from the basic dorm in New Dongba where electricity n water was luxury. Thank God for that. We headed towards Mansarovar. The journey and altitude was not a problem today. We felt a lot better. We did Mansarovar parikrama today. And touched the holy water. We are staying overnight by the late today.We went on hike to a hilltop next to Mansarovar to get the paronomic view of the lake. This hill has monastry on the top and has 3 pyramid structures that replicated Kailash peak. Our intention was to get Kailash darshan today. It was raining when we left the hotel and by the time we were on the hill top the sun was out and the clouds cleared. We had our first darshan of Mount Kailash. Thanked God for the darshan and revealing himself. Felt blessed. Tomorrow morning we will take dip in Mansarovar, offer prayers and leave for Darchen. Our day parikrama will start from Darchen. Jai Bhole.

Day 8: We woke up at 2:30 to see stars falling in Mansarovar. A brief walk from hotel took us to the lake. The sight cant be explained in words. We came back after 2 hrs and started preparing for the puja on the banks of Mansarovar. We had bath in the holy water and did splendid Maha Rudraksha Abhishek puja with the group. Phenomenal group work. We started towards Darchen in the afternoon, gaining more altitude. We saw Om mountain and Kailash on the way. It’s been raining here ever since we are here. Tomorrow we start the Mansarovar trek from Yam Dwar.

Day 9: We started Parikrama today from YamDwar. 15 kms done at a slow pace due to lack of oxygen. Luckily the group stuck together. Rain and snow added to the difficulty. Finally we reached Dirapukh. We stayed at the mud house with no fire or electricity.
Luckily Kailash was just in front of us in full glory. The snow brought Kailash to life as many mythological characters started appearing. Overnight temp dropped and so does the oxygen. Many arriving after us came soaking wet and needed medical assistance. Luckily we carried had enough supplies like emergency blankets that helped. In all there was a good community spirit and people shared what they had.

Day 10: The furry of bad weather continued through the night. The group was advised not to continue and ordered emergency evacuation as supplies were running low. I don’t think there was anyone in the group who was surprised with the outcome as nature is far bigger n supreme. Overnight drop of oxygen also caused some miseries. But we knew what to do and survived the night. By the time we were ready to move down the next day, the weather opened up but it was too late to start the onwards journey as we were asked to do 2 days of walk in one due to unavailability of overnight stay in Dolma pass. The decision was made by individuals not group as to what they wanted to do. Still 4 out of the group of 60 decided to go ahead and completed their Kora on 2nd day. Detailed Kora experience is shared separately. In short we all reach back Darchen by the evening with no reported causality. Indeed when the weather opened up, we made the most of the day. The full glory of Kailash is one to be felt and not to be understood. Things happen there that can’t be explained but to be accepted.

Day 11: We started early from Darchen to Saga. The journey was almost 12 hrs on bus. Leaving Darchen we were all quiet, as if no one wanted to leave. We could see Kailash from the city throughout the drive for as long as we could see. The weather was clear and bright in Darchen but it does not guarantee good weather on parikrama route. Coming back I could only think of magical experiences and great trekking routes. The first view of Kailash from Mansarovar after a trek uphill, the night by Mansarovar watching the stars dance, the grand puja at Mansarovar that none of us ever imagined possible, the Kailash in its grandeur and glory right in front of us and many many treks we did to acclimatize to high altitude. The great friends we made in the past 10 days and the experience we shared is second to none.This is one memory I would cherish forever. There has been so many things I m taking away from this trip that were not the part of iternary. The family we created here is just too precious, with ppl from Muscat, Malaysia, US , India , UK all a part of one big support system. We trusted each other n supported each other through thick n thin. When I started the journey, it was with no expectation. We hoped to see Mansarovar and Kailash. We did not expect anything much but what we saw and felt throughout is nothing but a gift. Himalayas on this side is as charming as Himalayas in India. The only difference is the scattered Tibetian monasteries everywhere we went. Tibetian culture is very intense and Tibetian people very happy and helpful. The journey back to Saga filled me with the sense of satisfaction that I received much more than I have asked for. Tomorrow we will start for Kerung and Monday will cross the border towards Nepal. Hopefully coming down will be as good as going up, only difference will be that we will enjoy the places we will stay rather than training every morning.

Day 12: Today we crossed the Nepal-China border and made onwards journey towards Kathmandu. Almost after the whole day’s travel we reached back Kathmandu in the night.

Day 13: We visited Pashupatinath temple back in Kathmandu and offered water collected from Mansarovar and Gaurikund. This concluded our Kailash yatra in its entirety. To add to the mix, we decided to take Everest return flight in the morning to see the giant while in Nepal. The flight was offered by Buddha air and the weather was clear, we had an awesome Everest experience. the view from the flight cockpit takes the breath away. To add to it, they give Mount Everest certificate that rightly says ” I have touched Mount Everest with my soul” , Priceless.

Day 14: Back to Delhi. Today we collected the memories and packed them, never to be missed. This journey will stay with us forever. We made some great family and the Kailash pilgrimage has offered us the magic we never hoped to witness. This has been a life enriching experience.

FAQ: The Head Spinners – whom to ask?

On July 30, 2019July 31, 2019 By beginnersguidekailashyatraIn Kailash, Kailash Kora, Kailash Mansarovar, Kailash Yatra, Kathmandu Pashupathinath, Mansarovar, Pashupatinath to KailashLeave a comment

Is the Manasarovar Yatra trek difficult?

Yes, the Yatra trek is difficult but for two different reasons

Lack of oxygen at altitude 4000 mtrs and above.
Severe cold temperature complemented by snow and rain adds to the difficulty quotient.

Solution:

One has to practice and train him/herself (explained in later part) as mere morning walks won’t suffice.
The choice of clothing, footwear and other trekking gear assures one of successful/unsuccessful Parikrama.

2. Why is clothing important

Rain Coat. Most people tend to wear track suit/sweater for warmth and local rain coats for cover against snow and rain. These local rain coats gives (tear off/split due multi layer clothing inside) away in a few kilometre of trek.
Winter Wear. The inner layer then gets wet and snow/rain only freezes the wetness adding to the severity of cold.
Trekking Shoes Vs Snickers. The normal snickers/sport shoes do not protect your feet or socks from getting wet whilst walking in rain/snow. These then further can result in frost bite or blisters due to walking with wet socks. In addition, the terrain is rocky/slushy/snow covered. These can result in ankle twist and sprains due to slippery track. A good trekking shoes (upto ankle and one size bigger) guard you not only from wetness but also guard your ankle from twists/sprains.
Quick Drying Trousers. These, as the name suggests repel water snow to some extent and dry relatively quicker if wet.
Trekking Jackets. These are generally waterproof and with sufficient pockets and pouches for one to carry essential items (explained later) in them.
Balaclava. These are a must piece for every trekkers. It protects your neck, ears and nose from cold and dust. The added advantage is visiting the smelly toilets becomes a bit easy with the balaclava guarding one from foul smell to a great extent.
Snow/Trekking Goggles. A must gear, either in your jacket pocket or around the neck.
Gloves. A pair of waterproof gloves for trekking needs and a normal woollen one for local/ use during sleep.
Inner Wear. Brief may be preferred over frenchie to avoid cut/rashes because of friction during long treks. Vest/Sports wear is recommended for upper torso.
Socks. As recommended mode is layered clothing, the inner socks is always woollen whilst the outer one could be cotton one. This is the reason for buying the trekking shoes one size bigger that what one wears.
Torch. A head mounted torch is a must in the area of no electricity. It should be either on the forehead when being used or around one’s neck (readily available) when not in use. Handheld are difficult to use.
Swiss Knife. A must have pocket content for an adventurist.
Lighter. A gas lighter (preferred over matchbox for obvious reasons) is a life saving tool at times of need.
Vicks/Petroleum Jelly/Sunscreen Cream. Small tube/containers in the jacket pocket is essential for effective guard against UV rays, cracked lips and blocked nose because of constantly changing weather.
Wet Wipes/Small Sanitiser. A must in jacket/trekking trousers pocket for ready use.
Sweet & Salty Lozens. These are energy giving, safeguarding against acidity and protection against muscle cramps.
Chikki/Energy Bars. Quick munch to charge one up to move on.
ORS. A small amount mixed in water works as magic potion. One should never drink water during trek but take a sip roll it in mouth and swallow it as late as possible. Opt for this tactics so as to let the content last full trek.

3. What should one wear at 4000 mtrs and above?

As regards Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, apart from multi layered thin clothing (inner most cotton followed by woollen and synthetic T-shirt), gloves and balaclava are a must.

4. What is the best way to prepare for the trek?

Everyone has an individual style but small change can add to enhancing stamina and avoid high altitude sickness.

Walk. If one walks at speed X in normal course, he/she should trek at X/2 (half) that speed.
Breath Control. Breath through your nose as it has two advantages. One, your breath is warmer as compared to when inhaled through mouth. Two, when you breath through your nose and synchronise walking speed, you are in your comfort zone. The moment you have to open your mouth to breathe, its an indication that you are exerting and gasping for more air. Stop and relax to come back to normal breathing through your nose.
The above two techniques are definitely going to overcome the hardship of less oxygen and breathing in of cold air. Aim to achieve your goal of completing the trek like a mountain goat – slow with small steps and steady climb.

5. What is the best time for planning the Yatra?

The Yatra is open from June till Oct. The factors that could be borne in mind for choice of window apart from personal reasons could be as follows: –
July is monsoon season when roads in Nepal/Sikkim are in bad state. Also there is high chance of snow and rain during the trek.
By October, the temperature could reach uncomfortable lower level with onset of winter for most of the travellers.
June, Aug and September may be considered relatively better for the Yatra.

6. Communication

Most of the places one gets Wifi, maybe for limited duration due availability of electric supply. However, as Whatsapp is banned in China, one cannot upload/download photos/videos. The best solution is to download a Virtual Protocol Network in order to, so called, hack the system and use Whatsapp/such sites.

7. Dealing with Chinese Guides and Porters.

Once in China, the tour Guide and Porters are on their free will and cheat the tourist royally. The tour operator back in India, wash off their hands off and refuse to take note. Case in example, Porters charge INR 10,000 equivalent per day in advance but not necessarily found around when one requires help. Pony charges are INR 40,000 equivalent but only till no-snow zone. As soon as one enters snow-zone, he/she has to dismount the pony and trek thereon without guide/pony.

8. Diamox for AMS?

Certainly, if you have not done altitude training or have no exposure to high altitudes before then please start Diamox the day you leave Kathmandu towards Tibet. Please ensure you are hydrated and kept warm while on Diamox.

Kailash Parikrama

On July 30, 2019March 3, 2020 By beginnersguidekailashyatraIn Kailash, Kailash Kora, Kailash Mansarovar, Kailash YatraLeave a comment

Kailash has 2 koras- Inner and outer. Mostly pilgrims do the outer kora parikrama which is longer. Permits for inner kora are rare. Inner kora is done in a day and takes around 14 hrs.

Outer kora parikrama is usually done in 3 days with lodging along the route at the end of each day.

Outer Kora parikrama starts from Darchen, the drop off vehicle drops you to Yam Dwar, this is where the parikrama begins. Those who don’t want to do parikrama can do Kailash Darshan from here too.

Start of parikrama from Yam Dwar (4910m) – 13 -14 kms / 6-7 hours trek

In the morning we drove towards Yamdwar and started our parikrama. Before the start of trekking all the yatris get the opportunity get Kailash darshan from Yam Dwar.

We continued trek to Dirapukh by foot. Pony and porters are hired at this point for the whole journey. Porter charge 1000 yuan and Pony charges are 3500 Yuan. Ensure to keep minimum 600 Yuan handy for emergency evacuation.

Terrain is not very tough but the lack of oxygen and travel fatigue starts showing its toll now. Ensure you keep yourself hydrated and keep energy food handy. You can see Kailash throughout the first day. the views are outstanding so don’t miss the chance to capture some great shots. A lot of wildlife can be seen through the route. A couple of food tents can be seen on the way but everything comes on a price. The passing clouds are a big problem during Kora as they can make you wet anytime, so water proofing is very important. Make sure there is a spare set in the backpack that is also water proof else you cannot continue day 2 journey without spare clothes.

We reached Dirapukh in the evening and the rains converted to snow. It was wet and cold. But Kalash never fails to surprise. The Kailash view from our mudhouse was outstanding in the snow. We had brilliant Kailash darshan with a cup of tea.

The mud house is very basic with no electricity or heating (but they give you bedding). There is no way to dry the wet clothes. Those who reached soaking wet with no spares had to ask around for the dry clothes (which suddenly becomes a novelty) Once we reached Dirapukh we had great opportunity to take several memorable picture of Kailash from here.The nights get very cold here and oxygen drops in the night. Make sure you pack in warm in the bed; When you struggle to breathe, sit up and concentrate on breathing but don’t open door and windows in the room as whatever oxygen is in there will escape too. Deep breaths and keep warm is the key to survive here. Sleep with kit on apart from the trekking shoes.

Day 2 of Parikrama from Dirapukh to Zuthulphuk (4760m) 22 kms trek/10 hours via Dolma La Pass (5600m)

Not everyone from Day 1 continue onwards on Day 2 and day 3. Many return back from here as Day 2 is not as easy as Day 1. Due to weather condition we were warned of the dangers ahead so most of the group decided to not pursue onwards.

Early in the morning after breakfast we started trekking towards Zuthulpukh, enroute we will get the opportunity to pass Gauri Kund before we reach Gauri Kund our trek goes steep climb up continuously upto Dolma-La high pass (5600 m). The lying snow on Day 2 trek adds to the difficulty but keep walking at a slow pace. One basic rule on mountains is to keep moving and continue onwards. By the evening we reached Zuthulpukh. Accomodation here is dorm style but unfortunately, the dorm was full when we reached there and we were asked to continue day 3 parikrama to Darchen on the same day. This is where the evacuation has to be called in to drive us back to Darchen. Otherwise it was another 5 hrs trek the same day. Our 3 day parikrama got completed in 2 days. Adding details of 3rd day for reference only.

Day 3 trek to Darchen and drive to Dongba – 5 hours trek

Ideally today it should have been the last day of the parikrama. After breakfast we should have made a short trek about 4-5 hours towards Darchen.

This is where we met with the rest of the group we left behind in the morning of Day 2. We stayed overnight in Darchen and next morning after breakfast continued our drive to New Dongba by completing the remaining course (approx. 30%) of parikrama of Lake Manasarovar.

Once you reach Darchen post parikrama, there are plenty of options to indulge in shopping spree. There are a lot of shops selling mementos of Kailash and other Tibetian items. Do bargain here. But this is the only place where you get good Kailash mementos.

Darchen is also the last stop, before Kora starts to ensure that the kit is complete and any last minute kit shopping can be done here before you set off for Kora. Keep Yuan handy here as Nepalese and INR currencies might not be accepted everywhere.

About the authors:

On July 30, 2019July 31, 2019 By beginnersguidekailashyatraIn Kailash, Kailash Kora, Kailash Mansarovar, Kailash Yatra, Kathmandu Pashupathinath, Mansarovar, Pashupatinath to KailashLeave a comment

The blog is an attempt to document and share Kailash Kora experience with the beginners. We took this journey in July 2019 from Kathmandu. The group is diverse as no two of us come from the same background, still we share one common goal and we got what each of us wanted from this epic journey.

Manoj Choubey (Delhi): Manoj 52, is an adventurist and a biker with overall good physical fitness. He is the mind of this group. He believes that with good home work and preparation anyone can do the Parikrama. The Blog is his idea, to attempt, educate and motivate maximum enthusiasts in order to enable them complete the Parikrama overcoming the difficulties of high altitude related issues with relative ease. His detailed documentation of preparation required in various fronts (physical, mental, kitting up etc) alongwith the two co-bloggers is an attmept to clear the basic queries of lesser experienced enthusiasts.

Satish Kumar Yellajosyula (Muscat): Satish is Business Operations Manager in Muscat. Satish is very spiritual and his reason for the journey was to experience Kailash in its entirety. Satish is 38 years old and he is the heart of this group. He is emotionally sensitive which came in handy when you are on high altitude and the mind stops reasoning due to lack of oxygen.

Monika Upadhyay (UK): Monika is Delivery Manager in an IT firm in UK. Monika is 41 and is trekking enthusiast who brought life to the group. She has done quiet a few treks in UK and in India. Her desk job dont allow to train for this journey so she will throw in the importance of physical and mental fitness for this journey alongside tips on kit and preparedness.

Introduction

On July 25, 2019July 31, 2019 By beginnersguidekailashyatraIn Kailash, Kailash Kora, Kailash Mansarovar, Kailash Yatra, Kathmandu Pashupathinath, Mansarovar, Pashupatinath to Kailash1 Comment

This is an attempt to share personal experience by 3 travelers to Mount Kailash to document their experience and also to help future travelers prepare for this life changing experience. The blog is compiled by Satish, Manoj and Monika, 3 very different trekkers with different experience level, one common goal and one journey to share.
Background: Kailash Mansarovar yatra from Kathmandu usually starts in early April till late September. Weather in the mountains are always unsettled but according to the locals, the best time to do it is either in June or in September. The possibility of clear weather is more in September and one gets clear Kailash view during Kora, the only downside is that the nights gets very cold in September.
We did Kora in mid July, it was raining in Kathmandu but onward journey was pleasant. One must always be mindful of waterproofing weather its the luggage or yourself as passing clouds on higher altitude can make you wet in no time, so raincoats should always stay handy. We will discuss kit and preparation in the later sections.

Kailash (Journey Towards Self Realisation)

Author: beginnersguidekailashyatra