Mt. Kailash & Humla Valley

Located north of the Himalayas, in one of the remotest parts of western Tibet, lies the fabled Mount Kailash (6714m.). No one has ever been permitted to climb this sacred mountain and its virgin summit remains undisturbed by man. To both Buddhists and Hindus alike, this is the most revered peak in the Himalayas.

Hindu pilgrims consider the mountain to be the home of their God - Lord Shiva. For Buddhists, Mount Kailash is said to be the Center of the Universe - the axis mundi in Asian cosmology. Every year hundreds of pilgrims travel from all over the Indian sub-continent and Tibet to make the ritual circumambulation around the mountain in their quest for enlightenment and this trek will join them on their journey. With the border between Nepal and Tibet now reopened, a great new trek is now possible which travels to Kailash on foot rather than the long and arduous drive through Tibet. Beginning in Katmandu you will fly to Simikot in the far western corner of Nepal and from there trek north through Humla district to Taklakot. We follow an ancient trading route used by Tibetans who sold valuable salt to Nepal and returned with grain.

Even today a remnant of this early commerce still continues and we may see the occasional caravan plying its trade. After an enjoyable week of trekking you reach the border at Taklakot where you are met by our Tibetan team and transferred by jeep to the foot of Mount Kailash. From here we follow the Kora, the 35-mile trek around Mount Kailash. Most pilgrims complete the circuit in a single lengthy day, whilst western trekkers usually take a more leisurely four days for the trip.

After this trek we visit the shores of Lake Manasarovar, an important place of pilgrimage for the many Hindus who make the difficult journey from India. This magical lake is said to be the source of several major rivers including the Indus, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges, whose waters flow southwards to the Indian plain bringing life to millions.

Only the most intrepid trekkers will make this fascinating journey to the far west of Nepal and Tibet. Those who will be rewarded with the beautiful unspoilt valleys and villages of Nepal's Humla and Simikot Valley, the spectacular circuit arround Mount Kailash, and the tremendus panorama of the Himalaya seen from the north, stretching from the Indian Garwal range across to northen Kashmir.