West Tibet's Mount Kailash, Asia's Most Sacred Peak

West Tibet's Mount Kailash, Asia's Most Sacred Peakthey were already halfway through their fourth.
by Tom CarterCarrying only prayer beads and a small pouch of
My path to purification began in the home of Shivanecessities, she relieved me of my burden, a
the Destroyer - or perhaps it was just his rubbish bin.backpack filled with 'non-essentials' - laptop, camera,
The shantytown of Darchen at the foot of Mtfood, clothes and water.
Kailash in western Tibet is populated with half-naked,Embarrassing as it was, a lovely Tibetan woman,
red-cheeked children playing in trash heaps.eight years my junior, carried my pack the rest of
Teahouses running on car battery power, with dirtthe way around Mount Kailash, simply because I could
floors lined with old pillows, serve as bedding fornot. (At the end of our kora, Yang Jing not only
road-weary pilgrims and backpackers before theyrefused payment for her help, but offered me a gift
start on their kora around Asia's most sacred- her decades-old yak bone prayer beads; the only
mountain.recompense I can now offer her is this story).
The word kora means 'pilgrimage circuit', or simply,Though weighed down with my belongings, Yang Jin
'big circle'. It describes the clockwise path followed bysoon outdistanced me, while I struggled along at the
devout followers of Buddhism and Hinduism in theirrear, making my way up the bleak Drolma-La, passing
effort to attain spiritual absolution for the sin of beingthe glacial brooks of Shiva-Tsal and the
alive. Throughout Tibet one can see the faithfulclothing-littered stones and macabre shanks of hair
making koras around temples and other holy places,that pilgrims leave to symbolize the expulsion of their
though none as consecrated as the 52-kilometerold sins. With a light snow frosting the terrain, I finally
circumambulation of Mt Kailash (known in Tibetan ascaught up with Yang Jing atop the scenic pass where
Kang Rinpoche and in Mandarin as Shen Shan).she recited her prayers.
I began my pilgrimage at dawn (after hesitantlyThen with the frozen jade waters of Gauri Kund lake
downing a cup of salty yak butter tea for strength)below, we carefully began our descent. As we
guided by a trail of prayer flags up the mistyreached the lower level, I was able to breathe again
southern ridge to the Gyangdrak and Selungand the remainder of the kora was a delight. We
monasteries, and then following the few stone cairnscrossed snow banks and passed venerable elders
back down to the kora. At one point the koraprostrated in verdant meadows fed by small streams
branched off, leading to a sky burial site, the placetrickling down from the mountain's horizontally-banded
where Buddhists bid farewell to the dead bycrystal face. Later, we arrived at a smoky
dismembering corpses and leaving the remains forencampment, with chanting pilgrims sitting around
the birds of prey that form koras of their own faryak-dung fires.
above. The proximity of a burial site is disturbinglyWe continued past fields of boulders blanketed in
announced in advance by the shredded clothes in thethick green moss before taking a rest in a tea tent
vicinity, and more abruptly, by the occasional humancrowded with jovial Tibetans. Instant noodles and
bone dropped from the sky by said birds.soft drinks were available, but I boldly choose the
I continued my journey, passing a number oftraditional Tibetan staples of yak butter tea and
resplendently dressed pilgrims watering their horses intsampa, an 'instant' bread made from barley flour
a shaded canyon. Before long, I arrived at the Chukukneaded with the tea. Like most Tibetan pilgrims, this
monastery, which hugs the western hillside above thewas all Yang Jing carried in her small satchel during
Lha-Chu River, in clear sight of the enigmatic Mther multiple koras. Tsampa may be flavorless, though
Kailash. Aside from being the most holy Buddhist siteit smells unwashed, but it seems to provide
in Asia, it is also the source of four great rivers: thesustenance and energy aplenty for Tibetans to
Sutlej, which flows to India; the Indus, to Pakistan;complete 13 circuits.
the Karnali, which feeds the Ganges; and Tibet's ownAfter our rest, we pressed on through the lush
Yarlung Tsangpo.hillsides, tracing the Dzong-Chu river until we came to
I arrived at Mt Kalish at dusk, which in summertimethe Zutul-Puk monastery where most of the Hindus
comes at about 10pm; Mt Kailash was bathed infrom India had set up camp. I, too, might have spent
ruby-red hues, a spectacular site, though one soonthe night there, but in spite of the searing pain in my
obscured by drizzling rain clouds. Exhausted, I turnedlegs, I was determined to follow the steely Yang Jing
in for the night at a nearby yurt on the grassy banksback to Darchen to complete the kora on my second
of Damding Donkhang and soon after I set my headday. My resolve was rewarded when we finally
on the filthy pillows, I fell asleep.rounded the last bend and met with a stunning vista
I'd been cautioned by a number of experiencedoverlooking the Barkha plains: the Himalayas to the
pilgrims that the second half of the Mt Kailash korasouth, aglow under the evening sky.
was the most difficult. And, sure enough, as soon asWe walked by a series of mani prayer walls and
I passed Dirapuk monastery and crossed the Lha-Chuinscribed yak skulls, together, into the setting sun. It
river the following morning, the route becameseemed a fitting way to end this epic tale, with the
increasingly treacherous. The steep path eventuallysouthern sapphire face of Kailash behind us - along
thinned out - as did the air - and then disappearedwith our sins.
altogether among the large boulders strewn aboutTravel Pack A number of travel agencies and hotels
the Drolma-Chu valley.around Lhasa can arrange week-long Land Cruiser
I am in my early 30s, but in no time was movingexpeditions along Tibet's southern route past Lake
slower than an old woman. Indeed, 80-year-oldManasarovar to Mt Kailash for approximately RMB
Tibetans spinning their hand-held prayer wheels4,000 per person. Alternatively, budget travelers can
quickly out-paced me. Before I had ascended buttake a three-day sleeper along the northern route,
one-third of the way up the 5,600-meters of evildeparting from Lhasa's north bus station every
that is the Drolma-La Pass, I was doubled over withcouple days to the outpost town of Ali for RMB 700.
exhaustion. It was then, during this moment of truthWater, food and a window seat in the front of the
beneath the luminously golden face of Mt. Kailash,bus is strongly recommended. From Ali's north
there appeared before me a vision. Her name wasjunction you can hitch a ride on a 'gypsy' jeep to
Yang Jing, my own Tibetan goddess of mercy.Darchen/Mt Kailash, or catch a lift on one of the
One day prior, I had met Yang Jing, a Ngari local, intrucks from nearby construction sites, or the
the company of her grandmother. At the time, bothoccasional rogue bus. Permits are no longer required
of them were on their third kora in just three days.for travel in Tibet and as such no agency should
When she spotted me draped over a large boulder,charge you for one.