May 2007

An invitation  to join me for a 30 day journey through

Central and Western Tibet to Mount Kailash

Hi,

I am happy to be able to give you the new details for another unique journey into Tibet that I am organising for May 2007.

We will meet in Kathmandu on Thursday May 3^rd 2007, fly into Lhasa on Saturday May 5^th and return overland to Kathmandu on Friday June 1^s. This time the trip lasts for 30 days and is a little longer than before , as we will have the opportunity to travel on the northern route to Mount Kailash across the vast Changtang plateau.

This journey has again been designed for anyone who has long had an interest in Tibet and its people and for anyone who has felt the desire to make the circumambulation or kora of Mount Kailash.

It will take us to Lhasa and the central towns of Tibet and then across the wild and isolated Changtang plateau before heading south into the ancient western kingdom of Guge and the pilgrimage place of Tirthapuri. The climax of the journey will be Lake Manasarovar and the kora of the sacred Mount Kailash before we return to Kathmandu via the magnificent high mountain lake of Pekhu Tso.

Many of you will be aware from recent news reports as well as a letter I sent out earlier this year that the new railway from China into Tibet is now open. By all accounts it is nearly impossible to get a seat on that train for many months to come and the influx of new Chinese settlers and tourists will have a huge effect on Tibet and its people. As with so many beautiful places on the planet that are under various threats, it is very hard to say how much longer the unique culture and character of Tibet and its wonderful people will survive this new onslaught of “progress”.

Many of you receiving this have already expressed a desire to make this journey but were unable to come before. I very much hope you can join us this time.

You will find below information on the following aspects of the trip:

1. Itinerary
2. Accommodation
3. Meals
4. Transport
5. Conditions on the Journey
6. Costs
7. Conclusion

1. ITINERARY

 If you can get hold of a decent map of Tibet, you will be able to easily follow our route that is described below.

DAY 1: Arrive Kathmandu(Thursday May 3^rd 2007

There are several international airlines that fly into Kathmandu including Thai, Gulf, Qatar and Royal Nepal while Jet and Sahara Airways have daily flights from New Delhi.  You will need to make your own arrangements to arrive in Kathmandu where you will be met at the airport on the day of your arrival and transferred to the four star Malla Hotel.

DAY 2: Free day Kathmandu

The Malla Hotel is our base in Kathmandu and is located right on the edge of the tourist district of Thamel. It is possible to buy nearly all the clothing and gear you will need for the journey in Thamel at a fraction of the cost for similar articles in the West. This free day will give everyone a chance to shop, visit the famous Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath, the monkey temple at Swayambhunath or simply rest.

DAY 3: Fly to Lhasa

We leave for Kathmandu airport in the early morning and board our flight to Lhasa. If the weather gods are smiling on us, we will get a fantastic view of Mount Everest as we fly over the Great Himalayan range. Tibet is in the same time zone as China and some two hours ahead of Kathmandu time. After clearing Immigration and Customs at Gongkar airport, we will drive to Lhasa itself and arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon. We will be staying in the old Tibetan quarter of the city.

Lhasa lies at around 3600 metres above sea level: some 2300 metres higher than Kathmandu. This first rest day will give us some time to relax and begin the process of acclimatising to our new height. It is recommended to take it easy to begin with but for those who want to start exploring immediately, the Barkhor Square and the famous Jokhang temple are a few minutes from our hotel.

If you have read Heinrich Harrer’s ‘Seven Years in Tibet’, you will recall that many of his meetings with the young 14^th Dalai Lama took place in the summer palace at Norbulinka. We will visit that same palace as well as the other palaces of previous Dalai Lama’s and walk around the extensive and beautiful grounds.

The Potala palace was the formal residence of the Dalai Lama and the seat of the Tibetan government. It is also one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world and houses many huge chortens or tombs that are the resting places of former Dalai Lamas. The building contains over 1000 rooms and is filled with some exquisite Tibetan art.

DAY 6: Free day Lhasa

DAY 7: Visit Ganden/Sera monasteries

DAY 8: Lhasa - Samye gompa – Tsetang

T

DAY 9: Visit Yumbulagang/Tandruk/Chongye

DAY 10: Tsetang-Gyantse 

DAY 11: Gyantse – drive Shigatse – Tashilunpo

We spend this morning visiting the Pelkor Chode monastery in Gyantse which also contains the huge Kumbum chorten. The chorten stands at 35 metres and has four levels, each one containing chapels symbolising different levels on the Tantric path.

Around midday we make the short two hour drive to Shigatse and visit the Tashilhunpo gompa in the afternoon. This is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama – the second highest religious authority in Tibet. The gompa contains the huge chortens of the previous Panchen Lamas. It also has the world’s largest gilded statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha, that stands at 26 metres tall.

DAY 12: Shigatse – Sakya

DAY 13: Sakya – Raka (first night of camping)

Today is the first day of our trip that takes us out into the wilderness of Western Tibet. One of the things I was most impressed with on the last trip was the comfort of the Landcruisers. Paved road rapidly becomes a thing of the past but, to my great surprise, I found the vehicles to be very comfortable. Most of the drivers have also made the trip many times before, so they know how to handle the roads and to keep their cars running in tough conditions.

This evening our Nepali camping crew will also join us for the first time near Raka. They drive in from the border with Nepal and will have prepared our first camp for us by the time we arrive. They were some of the sweetest people and everyone really appreciated how well they took care of us. Personally I found it to be the ultimate luxury to be camping in these beautiful and isolated spots on the planet and being fed and looked after by them!

A short distance from Raka lie the hot springs of Tagyel Chutse which we will visit before heading north to the small town of Tsochen. The landscape becomes more and more wild and the only inhabitants are the drokpas or nomads with their flimsy black tents and herds of yak and goat.

DAY 15: Tsochen – Gertse

DAY 17: Gegye – Ali

Today is a much shorter day’s drive to the town of Ali which the Tibetans call Senge Khabab. We follow the river Indus as it winds its way west to the borders of Ladakh and India. Ali is a bustling Chinese town and a civilian airport is under construction to facilitate even greater numbers of tourists to visit Mount Kailash. But a good shower will be most welcome!

DAY 18: Ali – Tholing

DAY 19: Visit Tsaparang/Tholing gompa

If you are familiar with Lama Govinda’s famous book – ‘The Way of the White Clouds’ – you may remember that he and his wife spent six months at Tsaparang before crossing back into India as the Chinese invaded Tibet. I found it amazing to crawl through the tunnel leading to the fortress high on the peak and re-trace the very same steps that Lama Govinda describes with such excitement in his book. It is a spectacular site and we will have ample time to explore all its nooks and crannies. In the afternoon we return to Tholing and visit the gompa there.

DAY 20: Tholing – Titrthapuri

The morning drive will take us through the amazing landscape of eroded cliffs that Lama Govinda also wondered at on his journey. The rocks are like a mini Grand Canyon. Tirthapuri has strong connections with Tibet’s most revered saint – Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche. There is a gompa here and you can walk the kora around it in preparation for the longer one that awaits you at Mount Kailash. Tirthapuri also has hot springs bubbling up from the earth for those who want a bath!

DAY 21: Tirthapuri – Lake Manasarovar/Chiu gompa

It is a short drive to the most sacred lake on the planet. On the way we will get our first view of Mount Kailash towering over the surrounding plains. We will camp on the shores of Lake Manasarovar below Chiu gompa: one of the four gompas around the Lake.

There are hot springs at Chiu gompa and today is a day off from the travelling we have been doing. You can take a welcome bath in the hot springs and do some laundry. You can also explore Chiu gompa or take a walk along the shores of Lake Manasarovar. The Hindu pilgrims traditionally take a holy dip in the Lake while the Tibetans avoid it. They do not like to get the Lake dirty!

DAY 23: Start kora/camp below Chuku gompa

In the morning we drive to Darchen to start our first short day on the kora itself. The walk from Darchen to Chuku gompa takes an easy four hours and gives everyone a good taste of what it is like to walk at 4500 metres and above. We camp that night below Chuku gompa where there is a cave that Milarepa is said to have used for his prolonged meditations.

Today is our first full day of walking and it takes about six hours to reach Dirapuk gompa where we will spend our second night. Just before our campsite the magnificent north face of Mount Kailash comes into view. It has a presence and energy that no lens can capture. Most mountains have gradual foothills that lead slowly to the summit. Mount Kailash looks as though some God deposited this huge pyramidal rock into its current resting place. It feels close enough to touch and for the first time I really get a sense of the power people have invested in it and why it is sometimes referred to as ‘the centre of the world’.

DAY 25: Dirapuk - Drolma La/camp Topchen valley

Today is the hardest day of the kora as we climb from 5050 metres to the top of Drolma La at 5650 metres. The Tibetans believe that crossing this pass washes away the sins of a lifetime. It is a hard walk but personally I found it totally exhilarating in every sense. The trick to walking at altitude is simply to go at a comfortable pace and not exhaust yourself by trying to go too fast.

DAY 26: Finish kora/camp Lake Manasarovar

 Today is just a half day before we finish the kora and we then return to Lake Manasarovar and camp near Seralung gompa on the eastern shore. It is a beautiful spot on the Lake with the huge mountain of Gurla Mandhata rising in the background.

DAY 27: Manasarovar - Drongpa

DAY 28: Drongpa – Pekhu Tso

 Pekhu Tso is the most beautiful high mountain lake that I have ever seen. We arrived there just as the sun was setting on the mountains that surround the lake and the sight was quite magnificent. This will be our last night with our camping crew.

We will leave Pekhu Tso around midday and drive through some of the most beautiful wilderness of the whole journey. We cross Nyalam La at 5050 metres and then drop down off the Tibetan plateau and arrive at Zhangmu at 2800 metres and the border with Nepal. Slowly the green begins to return and the browns of the high mountain desert leave us. The valley we travel through is quite exquisite and there is a hotel and shower waiting for us in Zhangmu!!

DAY 30: Zhangmu – Kathmandu

We complete the border formalities in Zhangmu and walk across the Friendship Bridge to Kodari on the Nepali side. Once we have completed the immigration formalities there, jeeps will drive us back to The Malla Hotel in Kathmandu for the last night of our trip.

2. ACCOMMODATION

From arrival in Kathmandu until we leave Sakya on the morning of Day 13 and for the last two nights of our trip on Days 29 and 30, accommodation will be twin share in three or four star hotels. There will also be an option to have your own single room while staying in hotels at an additional charge. Wherever possible I have chosen to stay in traditional Tibetan-style buildings.

From the evening of Day 13 until the morning of Day 29, we will be camping and our Nepali camping crew will join us for the camping part of the trip. The tents will be on a twin share basis with the option to arrange for your own single tent at an additional charge. I have given clear instructions that our Nepali camping crew and Tibetan guide should choose more isolated and beautiful campsites close to running water for our privacy and comfort.

3. MEALS

While staying in hotels, breakfast is included in the total cost. While camping, all meals are included.

4. TRANSPORT

Transport within Kathmandu and Lhasa will be by bus and for the rest of the journey in Tibet will be by Toyota Landcruisers (4500 model). Normally there are four people to a Landcruiser but we will have only three passengers per vehicle for extra comfort – one in the front and two in the middle seat.

5. CONDITIONS ON THE JOURNEY

This journey is essentially meant for those of you who have long had a desire to visit Tibet to experience for yourselves its people, history and culture and to do the kora around Mount Kailash. For some of the journey we will be travelling into very isolated areas of the planet over rough roads. We will also be experiencing the effects of living at much higher altitudes than most of us normally do.

The most common symptoms of altitude sickness can be shortness of breath, headache, a difficulty with sleeping, nausea and subsequent emotional irritability. There is medicine to alleviate these symptoms until the body acclimatizes. We will be carrying Diamox pills and homeopathic medicine for that purpose and also oxygen in case of any emergency.

Each of us should prepare intelligently for the trip by making sure that we are at reasonable fitness levels and by having a general physical check-up with a qualified doctor before leaving.

The itinerary has been designed to allow us the easiest time to acclimatise as we slowly gain height from our landing in Lhasa up to the highest point of our journey on Drolma La around Mount Kailash. During the last trip no one experienced anything more than headaches, a little nausea and some difficulty with sleep and everyone successfully completed the kora.

While not wanting to minimise the importance of your fitness for such a trip, I would also add that many people in their sixties and even seventies have successfully completed this trip and the kora without any problems. At the same time the journey will be a demanding one and each of you should take whatever personal steps you feel is necessary to ensure your physical preparedness for going a long way into the wilderness.

6. COSTS

I have designed this trip to find a balance between comfort and cost. You can do the above itinerary in a shorter time and with more people in each jeep but I wanted to give us as comfortable and enjoyable a trip as possible over a very wild landscape while keeping the duration manageable.

The cost of the 30 day trip (May 3^rd – June 1st 2007) will be US$3850.

You will have to arrive in Kathmandu by making your own arrangements. The above price includes the Kathmandu-Lhasa flight, all airport transfers, all visas and permits for China, an English-speaking guide in Tibet, monastery entrance fees, sight-seeing as per the itinerary, all lodging, breakfast when staying in hotels and all food when camping. It also includes the back-up crew of yaks and yak men for the kora, cooks, helpers, sherpas and drivers for the vehicles. The cars are Toyota Landcruisers (4500 model).

7. CONCLUSION

The Tibetans, Hindus and Jains consider the kora around Mount Kailash to be a journey of tremendous spiritual significance. I do not belong to any of these religions and do not see myself as a particularly esoteric person. But I too can testify to the tangible feeling of receiving a tremendous gift from making this journey and I know the others who have accompanied me have also had a very deep experience.

I hope the above has given you a good initial idea of what this May 2007 trip to Tibet will consist of and I really hope that some of you who read this will be able to come on the journey. It is a very special one.

But whether you are able to come with me or not, I hope that you visit Tibet and meet the amazing people that live there before too long. Change is happening at an alarming rate.

If you are interested in joining us, I will need to receive a confirmed booking from you by no later than MARCH 21st, 2007. Once I have your confirmation, I will then pass on more detailed information that will cover every aspect of the preparation that will be needed for the journey.

If any of you know anyone who you are close to who might be interested in also joining us, please forward this email to them.

I hope this finds you all both very well and happy. It comes with much love from me….. Mutribo