Humla Simikot Trek

Kailash Saga Dawa Simikot Trek

Project Himalaya

www.project-himalaya.com

In the far west of Tibet, in the province of Ngari and the land of the ‘drokpas’ or nomads of the high plateaus, sits the legendary Mount Kailash, or Kang Rimpoche (‘precious snow-peak’, as known by the Tibetans). Kailash, on 'the roof of the world', is the most sacred mountain in Asia, venerated by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, and followers of the ancient Bon religion. Tibetan and Hindu pilgrims have been making the 53km kora, or circuit, of Kailash for centuries. This circumambulation, clockwise for Buddhists and Hindus, and anti-clockwise followers of the ancient Bon religion, is said to erase the sins of a lifetime. To complete the Kailash pilgrimage one should bath in the sacred Lake Manasarovar, stunningly set on the Tibetan plateau bordered by the majestic Gurla Mandata. Mount Kailash itself is 6714m high, and with its four sheer walls, distinctive snow-capped peak, and valleys peppered with brightly-clad Tibetan pilgrims, is an awe-inspiring sight. From it flow four great rivers of Asia: the Karnali, the Indus, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra, all of which drain the vast Tibetan Plateau.

The journey to Kailash begins with a seven-day trek to the Tibetan border from Simikot, in the fabled region of Humla in far west Nepal, where the people are Bhotias of Tibetan descent. This wild trek through Humla takes us deep into the most remote region of Nepal where the culture is still distinct and traditional (we will see old men with weathered, Central Asian faces, sitting smoking a hooka), the scenery spectacular, and the ancient trade routes still in use. And the flight out to Simikot, just meters above soaring snow peaks laid out as far as the eye can see, is one of the most exciting flights in the Himalaya.

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