There are more things to do in Ngari around Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar than you might think. Traveler to the region go there for more than just viewing the outstanding beauty of the lake and mountain. This area of Ngari is one of the most popular sacred pilgrimage destinations in Tibet, and the kora routes around both Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are a hugely spiritual experience, not to mention the stunning views.
Mount Kailash Kora
The Mount Kailash Kora Trek is rated as the most arduous trek in Tibet, and is one of the best ways to spend three days of your Tibet tour. Stretching out over 52 kilometers around the sacred mountain, the kora trek is a three-day hike along the valleys and over the high pass that extends around the mountain itself.
Mount Kailash actually has two kora routes, inner and outer. However, tourists generally only take on the outer kora, as it makes for a better trek than the inner one, which is much harder to hike and reaches much higher elevations. The outer kora route, which covers 52 kilometers, takes three days for tourists to complete, though some Tibetan pilgrims will complete the whole kora in just one day.
The trek is split between the two main monasteries of the kora, stopping at each monastery for the night. The first trek takes you 22km from Darchen, to the south of the mountain, to the monastery of Drirapuk, at 5,080 meters above sea level. The second day is a hike of another 22km that takes you up over the high pass of Dolma La, 5,648 meters above sea level, and on to the campsite at Dzultripuk Monastery, at 4,835 meters. From there, it is just a 12km hike to the end of the kora, at Darchen.
Completing one circuit of the kora is believed to absolve you of the sins of a lifetime, while completing 108 circumambulations of the kora is said to bring you to immediate enlightenment. And in the Year of the Horse in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, it is believed that one completion of the kora route is the equivalent of 13 circuits in a normal year. In Tibet, this is the most important time to do any ritual pilgrimage to sites such as Mount Kailash.
Lake Manasarovar Kora
Located 20km to the south of Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar is one of the most beautiful kora routes in Tibet, passing around the sun-shaped lake in a clockwise direction through some of the most outstanding scenery in the world. The kora route, which stretches for around 110 kilometers around this great lake, takes around five days to complete, starting and ending at the Chiu Monastery, on the northwest corner of the lake.
From the Chiu Monastery, the route heads around the lake clockwise, passing through Langbona Monastery, Hor Qu town, Seralung Monastery, Trugo Monastery, and Gossul Monastery. An outstanding hike that has great views of Mount Kailash to the north and the range of the Himalayas to the west and south, this awesome trek is a lot easier than the kora route around the sacred mountain.
For Tibetan Buddhists, the act of completing the kora in the Year of the Goat in the Tibetan calendar is the equivalent of completing 13 circuits in any normal year. The lake is also said to have spiritually cleansing waters, and Tibetans believes that to drink from or bathe in the lake can cleanse the soul of a lifetime of sins.
Attend Saga Dawa Festival
Held on the 15th day of the fourth month in the Tibetan calendar (May of June in the Gregorian calendar), the Saga Dawa festival is one of the most important festivals in Tibet. Held in many places, the most spiritual festival is held at the foot of Mount Kailash, and is a day of special spiritual significance that celebrates the birth, death, and enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
The festival includes several rituals in Tibetan Buddhism, and is attended by thousands of pilgrim and tourists every year. After the ritual ceremonies around Tarboche, the flagpole is taken down and the prayer flags replaced, before pilgrims begin their treks around the outer kora route of Mount Kailash.
What to Pack for the Trip to Kailash Manasarovar?
Packing for a Kailash Kora Trekking tour is important, and you really do not want to include anything in your trekking pack that will weigh you down too much. The trek is rough and rocky, and an arduous hike, and unnecessary gear will make it even harder. The standard trekking gear is required, including good hiking boots and warm woolen socks, weatherproof trekking pants, several layers of trekking shirts to help you stay warm and regulate your own temperature when trekking, and a good waterproof jackets and warm fleece or down jacket for the colder evenings.
You will need to make sure that you have all your permits in order for the trekking tour in the Ngari Prefecture, which includes the Tibet Travel Permit, the Alien’s Travel Permit for travel outside Lhasa, the Restricted Areas Permit for travel to Ngari itself, and the Frontier Pass for traveling in the border areas of China in Tibet.
Your day pack should be light enough to manage, but able to carry all of the gear you need for the trek, as there is no support vehicle meeting you at each campsite. Sleeping bags are a necessity, as the weather can still get cold and guesthouses may not have enough blankets to keep you warm. Trekking poles are also useful, as the climbs can be rough and uneven. You should also bring sun block, moisturizers, and lip balm for the intense sunlight and cold winds, and a good hat to keep the sun off your head. Sunglasses are also recommended for the bright sunny days.
