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Mountain Guide is a Russian expedition and climbing guiding company operating all over the world. We offer expeditions to the Seven Summits, 8000 meter peaks, the Snow Leopard program, the Second seven summits, climbing schools and courses, ski-tour, treking and bicycle tours.

Kaylash

Mountain System, country – Himalayas, China.

Season – March-November

Dates, duration – 7- 23 October 2012, 17 days

Difficulty of the route – very easy

Itinerary of Tibet Kaylash expedition

Day 1 – Arrive to Kathmandu. Free day.

Day 2 – Receiving Tibet visa in China embassy, sightseeing. A walk to Svayambhunatkh (that means a flower of  lotus appeared from nothing) or Monkey Temple (named because of a great number of monkeys living there. We will also visit Bouddanath stupa – one of the biggest and oldest buddist stupas in the world and induist complex Pashupatinath, the active place of cremation. Accomodation in a hotel. Free time.

Day 3 – Kathmandu (1375m) – Kodari (Nepal) – Zhangmu (2500m, Tibet) – Nyalam (3800m). Early departure from the hotel, ride about 165km to China border, border control. On tibetian side the group is met by Tibet local guide and local jeeps. It is only one hour from the border to Nyalam. Guest house or lodge.

Day 04: Acclimatization day in Nyalam (3800m). After the breakfast we go for acclimatization hike to the summit 4300m high. From here you can see the gletcher, flowing down from the slopes of mt. Shisha-Pangma (8046m)

Day 05: Nyalam (3800m) – Tkhong La pass (5124m) – Dzongba (4600m). Small walk on the pass for better acclimatization, 7-8 hours of ride. Overnight in Guest House

Day 06: Dzongba (4600m) – Maum La pass (5370m) – Thirtappuri (4500m) – Menshi. This day we will enjoy amazing panorams: whitesnow mountains and grey-green hills, sand dunes of Tsang Po valley and Manasarovar lake. On the way it will be nesseccary to visit Darchen village to make a permit for visiting Garuda valley. Arrive to Thirtappuri at late evening. There are some thermal mineral springs in this village. Guest House.

Important! The visit of Garuda valley depends on the political situation in the region and may be closed by Chinese militaries. In case of Garuda valley is closed we gonna spend this day on Kora or on Manasarovar lake after Kora.

Day 07: Garuda valley and Kyunlung – Darchen (4520m). Early morning we take the trip to Garuda valley. Its name this place received from followers of Bonpoism. The path to Garuda valley starts from the bridge across Satledge Here are also thermal baths in which it will be possible to swim. Garuda valley is the rest of ansient state Shang-Shung (existed until the VII century) – Kyunlung. The place of pilgrimage Bonpo followers. There is a big rock about 200m high in the center of the valley. There are many human-made caves and paths beetween them in the rock. Later we come back to Thirtappuri and ride to Darchen village. Guest House

Day 08: The first day of Kora. Darchen (4520m) – Kaylash West face panorama – Driraphuk monastery. After early breakfast we ride about 7km to Kangni gates. Kora starts from Darpoche meadow, on which the ritual Kangni gates are situated. Here we can reach by two hours walk from Darchen or ride by jeeps. Usually you should walk three times around Kangni clockwise and get through after that. All the time of Kora there will be a european and Tibet guides with you with medicine and emergency oxygen. The order of passing Kora is set up before we move. The path slowly goes up. On the left on 4800m we can see Chuku monastery which is built in the rocks. You can go to the cave of Elephant and to the cave of Lion. In these caves Milarepa and Rinpoche were meditating. The visit of the monastery and caves is not planned by our program. But if you feel good you may discuss it with your guide. This will take you at least three hours. There is a big shell – Dungar – that may tell you your destiny and a marble statue of Buddha. In 3-4km after Chuku monastery the West face of Kaylash is opened. Monolithic rocks are forming mirrors which can increase or decrease the speed of the time. Overnight in guest house or in tent camp near Driraphuk monastery (4950m). The North face of Kaylash is seen from here as well as the path going there.

Day 09: The second day of Kora. Driraphuk monastery – Death valley – Drolma La pass (5750m) – Zuthrulphuk. After early breakfast and packing we start to Drolma La pass. On the right from the main Kora path there is a famous Death valley. There is a stone mirror belonging to the zar of the death – Yama. From here we will enjoy the panorama of Kaylash East face. Visiting of the valley itself is strongly not recommended by tibetans. Before the pass there is a place where everybody leaves the past behind in order to retrieve new on the other side of the pass. Everybody decides by himself what to leave. Symbolically it is usualy old clothes, cutting the hair and so on. There is big rock and enormous buddhist flags on the pass. It is believed that if you will leave on the pass your own flags with the wishes written on them – these wishes will come true for sure. It might be the reason why there are so many flags there. In about an hour of walking down the valley of Lham Chu              river appears. There some big tents by the river where you can have some food aand tea. 2-3 hours more and we get to Zuthrulphuk monastery. It is built on the place where the cave of Milarepa meditation was situated, where he’d left the print of his hand on the wall. Guest House or a tent camp.

Day 10: The third day of Kora. Lham-Chu  valley – Darchen –Manasarovar lake (4500m) – Chiu Gompa. The way to Darchen will take about three hours. Not far from Darchen we get in jeeps again. The end of Kora. After lunch we start to Manasarovar lake (4500m). On the way to Manasarovar lake (a lake with living water) we’ll make a stop on the shore of the demonic lake Rashas-Tal (4515m) in which the water is dead. Manasarovar lake is one of the most high-altitude lakes in the world – its depth is about 80m and the surface is about 400 square meters. The Gurla-Mandat ridge, from which you can see Kaylash summit, is very picturesq reflecting in its waters. There will be thermal springs close to our camp. Overnight in guest house near Chiu monastery on the shore of the lake.

Day 11: Manasarovar lake (4500m) – Saga (4640m). 550km. In the morning we’ll visit Chiu monastery. Guest house.

Day 12: Saga (4640m) – Shigatze – Gyantse. About 500km. Early start in order to arrive to Shigatze before afternoon. Visit of Tashilungpo monastery – the current residence of Panchen-Lama, second significant after Dalai-Lama. The name of the monastery means “all the happyness and well-being are concentrated here” Than we drive to Gyantse – the third biggest city in Tibet. Overnight in hotel.

Day 13: Gyantse – Pelkhor Chode – Lhasa. 250km. In the morning we visit Khumbu stupa and Pelkhor Chode monastery. After lunch – long ride to Lhasa. On the way we stop on panorama point with a wonderful view of Yamdrok Tso. Arriving to Lhasa, accomodation in hotel late in the evening.

Day 14: Lhasa. Early morning we visit a rite in a famous Jokhang monastery. After that we take an excursion to Patalu palace of Dalai-Lama. In the evening – Sara monastery – the center of Gelugpa followers (one of the buddhist schools recognizable by yellow hats). If we are lucky, we will watch evening clorful evening dispute of scolars-lamas about the сущность различных flowings of buddhism. We will also visit the tibet medical center and publishing house of the monastery (books are printed from cutted wooden plates). Some free time in the evening.

Day 15: Lhasa – Lao Tingri. Drive to Lao Tingri. Guest house.

Day 16: Lao Tingri – Zhangmu – Kathmandu. Long ride, cross the border after immigration formalities and drive to Kathmandu. Overnight in hotel.

Day 17: Departure to airport for flight to onward journey

 

The land cost of Kaylash trip in 2012 is 2900 USD