Tuesday, 21st August 2012.  This is another milestone in our lives as we started our long awaited Kailash Parikram and the Parikram continued for the next two more days (i.e. Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd August 2012)

OM NAMA SHIVAYAH!  OM NAMA SHIVAYAH! OM NAMA SHIVAYAH!

The previous day we packed and kept minimum required dresses and other essential items.  Our duffle bags were stored in the guest house where we stayed.  Though you had to and would hire a porter to carry your shoulder or hand bag with essentials carry only the least minimum weight.  This was truly the day we were waiting for.

Incidentally some of the pilgrims may prefer to stay at Darchen which is only a short drive from Manasa Sarovaram but we preferred to stay at Manasa Sarovaram so that we could perform the Havan there.

On Tuesday we drove from Manasa Sarovaram to Darchen which is about fifteen miles and then from Darchen to Tarboche which is around four miles.  Tarboche is the last spot where jeeps can reach during Kailash trip.  From here the trekking starts.  Those who are unable to make the Parikram can perform a symbolic Parikram around the flags here.  It is believed that those who are physically handicapped and unable to perform Kailash Parikram will attain the same benefit by performing a Parikram here around the flags.  This is around three hundred and twenty five feet in circumference Parikram.  Of course those who go for Kailash Parikram also will do some three rounds of circumambulations here before proceeding for the Kailash Parikram.  We did three rounds of Parikram here.

Please see the picture below to get an idea.

We are on the way to Darchen  From Mansarovar -1

We are on the way to Darchen  From Mansarovar - 2

We have assembled for brief ride from Manasarovar to Darchen - 1

We have assembled for brief ride from Manasarovar to Darchen - 2

We are at Darchen.  See the Flags Tied where you can take a symbolic Parikram if you are unable to trek to Kailash

We are all ready for our Kailash Parikram after symbolic Parikram around the flags here at Darchen - 1

We are all ready for our Kailash Parikram after symbolic Parikram around the flags here at Darchen - 2

At Darchen where you can hire Horse with Horseman or Yak with Yak-man and Porter - 1

A view of the place where we are going to trek 

At Darchen where you can hire Horse with Horseman or Yak with Yak-man and Porter - 2

A view of the hills where we are going to trek  - 2

A view of the hills where we are going to trek  - 3

Then we assembled to hire the horse with horseman and the porter.  It is advisable to hire horse with horseman and the porter even if you decide to trek without any help because after this point you can never get them in the middle.

At this height I found even hard to hold the handbag and water bottle.  Horse with horseman and porter are hired on lot basis in order to avoid any conflict of interest.  List of horseman and porters names were kept in two separate boxes and I picked one from each.  Of course all others did exactly the same.  The porters and horsemen had a Union leader controlling the whole process.  Our Tibetan guide was the one who negotiated with them regarding the pricing and all.  Hire charges for horse was USD 175 and for the porter it was USD 75 per person.  My horseman was Chottu and porter was Chokru.  They were with me for the entire Parikram of all the three days.

Some of the Yathris preferred to ride the horse from the very beginning

I am still trekking.  May be we are above eighteen thousand feet

My porter Chokru – Horse and Horseman Chottu - 1

My porter Chokru – Horse and Horseman Chottu - 2

Most of the Yathris, with the exception of a couple of ladies, wanted to trek and see their stamina.  I also trekked for about an hour or so.  We were at around eighteen thousand feet above sea level.  And it was very hard to breath.  After each ten or twelve steps I had to wait and take a deep breath.  But when I reached a very steep climb it was harder and I had to stop after each one or two steps to take a deep breath.  I decided it was not worth it and mounted on the horse.  

See some of the pictures below.

I am amazed to see the close similarity Grand Canyon of US with this Kailash Region

We are above twenty thousand feet now

I am amazed to see the close similarity Grand Canyon of US with this Kailash Region -1

I am amazed to see the close similarity Grand Canyon of US with this Kailash Region and We are now trekking at an altitude of twenty two thousand feet.

We are now above twenty two thousand feet and close to Kailash - Om Nama Shivayah

We are trekking on the banks of Indus River

We are trekking on the banks of Indus River - See the vegetation at this height due the River

Though it does not look very steep trekking is very tricky here

Om Nama Shivayah! We are so close to Kailash.  What a lucky day!  Om Nama Shivayah!

I have to mention that Dharmishta Patel (Dhani), a lady member of our team, trekked for almost for the whole day of the first day i.e. for more than four hours.  At the end of the day she had to mount on her horse only because it was raining/sleeting. Of course, she was gasping. Pankaj, a male team member, also trekked for two to three hours of the first day.  But on the last day Pankaj trekked the whole morning till the end point.  

Please be careful while riding the horse.  The horseman/horsewoman did not have any interest in your security and safety.  If you fall down they will simply laugh at you.  On single path trekking it is relatively safe no horses can go side by side and fight each other.  But the story is different when trekking path was wider where couple of horses can go side by side.  Horses would try to overtake each other and also enjoy some competitive fighting.  To a greater extend we can control them with proper handling of the bridle.  Please note that ninety five percent of the time the horseman/horsewoman would not and could not hold on to the bridle due to narrow trekking path.  We could also see some wide marshy grassland at some areas.  If the horses get an opportunity they would go there for grazing.  Actually there was incident that one of our lady members fell from the horse as another horse was pushing it and the horsemen were just laughing (we had been warned by Badri and team that we should always be careful as most of the Tibetans are like that).  Thank God she did not have any injuries. 

So on this day we trekked up to Deraphuk Gompa.  We had packed lunch on the way.  Of course Diamox and more than three liters of water is mandatory daily throughout the trip.  At Deraphuk Gompa we had a lodge.  The dinner prepared by our crews was not only delicious but divine too.  As it was a very strenuous day we slept well disregarding the facilities and amenities we had.  It was serene.  It was divine.  

OM NAMA SHIVAYAH!  OM NAMA SHIVAYAH! OM NAMA SHIVAYAH!