Kailash

It takes about five days; we may make some stops along the way, to get to Kailash, the mountain sacred to Tibetan Buddhists, Hindus, Bonpos, the original religion of Tibet, and Jains.

Kailash is the Hindu name for the mountain, to Tibetans it is Kang Rinpoche. To Tibetans it represents Mount Meru; to Bonpos and Jains it is associated with the founders of their religions; to Hindus it is the home of Shiva and Paravati. The Buddhists became the primary proprietors of Kang Rinpoche because their poet/saint, Milarepa, won the rights to the mountain through a series of magical contests against the Bon practitioner Naro Bonchong. Because of an agreement between India and China Hindus and Jains are now allowed to circumambulate. Hindus, Buddhists, Bonpos, Jains and tourists circumambulate Kang Rinpoche, but only Bonpos do it counter clockwise.

We will take four days to walk the circuit (khora) stopping at as many of the sights along the way as possible—the sky burial area, Chuku Gompa, Drira Phuk and Zutrual Phuk. The trail, which is easy, leads from the town of Darchen at 15,000 to 16,000 feet to the pass of Dolma La, where all sins are erased among the prayer flags binding the stone where dakinis, who had been leading the first circumambulator, Gotshangpa, changed into wolves and vanished into the rock at 18,600 feet. It is the third day that is most difficult. In Darchen we will have to stay at one of the Spartan guesthouses—no private bath—but during the circumambulation we will camp out. Yaks will carry our equipment After sleeping in Darchen on our completion of our circuit (khora) we will head further West.