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Mount Kailash Photo Gallery - 1. To Kailash

In July and August 2006, we traveled to Dubai, Mount Kailash and Guge Kingdom in Tibet, Muscat, Iceland and a brief stop in London.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 01 Kathmandu Guesthouse Entrance We stayed at the famous Kathmandu landmark, the Kathmandu Guesthouse, arriving in the evening. Here is the entrance driveway.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 01 Kathmandu Guesthouse Entrance

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 02 Kathmandu Guesthouse Garden The Kathmandu Guesthouse has some beautiful gardens.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 02 Kathmandu Guesthouse Garden

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 03 Kathmandu Guesthouse Room The Kathmandu Guesthouse used to be a Rana mansion, and was converted into a hotel in 1967. Starting with just 13 rooms, it has been slowly nurtured into a sprawling 121-room hotel. Here is our very comfortable triple room.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 03 Kathmandu Guesthouse Room

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 04 Loading The Bus In Kathmandu In the early light of morning, we loaded a mini-bus with our food, camping and cooking gear, and headed off towards the Tibet border.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 04 Loading The Bus In Kathmandu

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 05 Breakfast Stop We stopped briefly for some drinks and a snack on our way from Kathmandu to the border town of Kodari. The foothills along the road had stepped terraces which are used to cultivate crops. Even though in mid-2006 the Maoists were getting representation in the new Nepalese government, we were stopped and had to pay a 1000R tax to the Maoists. Gyan asked for a receipt so that we wouldn't have to pay on the way back, which worked!

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 05 Breakfast Stop

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 06 Landslide About 8km before the Nepalese border town of Kodari, the same landslide we had last year stopped us again. This time, the local porters were very organized, and after about an hour we were on our way again for the final few kilometres, Me-thinks this landslide is good for the local economy.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 06 Landslide

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 07 Waiting at Landslide While we waited for the porters to carry our stuff across the landslide, Peter walked part way across a bridge over the Bhote Kosi river.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 07 Waiting at Landslide

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 08 Waiting at Landslide While we waited for the porters to carry our stuff across the landslide, Peter enjoyed a cold refreshing Pepsi … in a glass bottle, simply the best tasting way.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 08 Waiting at Landslide

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 09 Kodari Kodari (1665m) is a small Nepalese village perched on the side of a hill, bustling with the border traffic with Tibet. We had lunch with an Indian group who are also doing the Kailash Kora (Hindus call it Parikrama), completed our exit forms and headed for Tibet.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 09 Kodari

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 10 Bhote Kosi towards Zhangmu The thundering Bhote Kosi (“River From Tibet”) flows under the Friendship Bridge joining Nepal and Tibet, with Zhangmu visible much higher up

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 10 Bhote Kosi towards Zhangmu

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 11 Friendship Bridge We walked across the Friendship Bridge between Nepal and Tibet and quickly went through the first Chinese checkpoint. We met our guide Konjo and our driver Sadim and drove uphill for 8km to the Zhangmu (Khasa) and Chinese customs and immigration, which took a few hours. We changed our watches ahead 2 ¼ hours, as all of China is one time zone, Beijing time.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 11 Friendship Bridge

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 12 Zhangmu Zhangmu (Tib. Dram, Nep. Khasa, 2300m) is the Tibet border town just across from Kodari and is a major trading post between Tibet and Nepal. Zhangmu is built on a steep uphill street that twists through town in a series of tight switchbacks, lined with private homes, shops, restaurants and government buildings.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 12 Zhangmu

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 13 Road from Zhangmu to Nyalam From Zhangmu, the Friendship Highway climbs 400m into a mossy gorge of waterfalls, cascades and landslides during the treacherous 30km of dirt road to Nyalam (3750m). During the summer monsoons, the road is submerged in a sea of cloud - no doubt one of the reasons why Nyalam means 'gateway to hell'.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 13 Road from Zhangmu to Nyalam

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 14 Our Team Here is our full crew. From left to right, Tibetan truck driver Lhaktse, Tibetan Land cruiser driver Sadim, Tibetan guide Konjo, Nepalese guide Gyan, Nepalese cook Paldi, and Nepalese porter Pemba Rinji.

Tibet Kailash 01 To Nyalam 14 Our Team

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 01 Very Basic Room We arrived in Nyalam in the late afternoon, and all the hotel rooms were booked by the large Indian groups. Konjo found us a fairly dirty room in a local Tibetan house. It will have to do - we're tired, and starting to feel the effects of altitude.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 01 Very Basic Room

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 02 Snowlands Hotel Outside The altitude hit us a bit, so we decided to stay another day in Nyalam, and moved to the much better Snow Land Hotel.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 02 Snowlands Hotel Outside

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 03 Snowlands Hotel Our Room Here is our comfortable room at the Snow Land Hotel in Nyalam.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 03 Snowlands Hotel Our Room

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 04 View of Town I passed the checkpoint at the eastern edge of Nyalam and climbed briefly up the ridge to a small pass festooned with prayer flags. From there, I had a good view of Nyalam with the clouds billowing up from Zhangmu.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 04 View of Town

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 05 Soldiers Tilling Fields When I woke up at 7am Beijing Time (4:45am Nepalese time), I noticed what looked like soldiers walking up the main street in Nyalam, holding shovels and hoes, instead of guns. When I hiked above Nyalam later in the morning, there they were, tending their vegetable plots.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 05 Soldiers Tilling Fields

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 06 Mani Stone And Cows Above Nyalam, some young children herded their cows to pasture, past a large rock with Om Mani Padme Hum painted on it.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 06 Mani Stone And Cows

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 07 Gompa Outside The Nyalam Gompa is certainly worth a visit. The main hall was locked.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 07 Gompa Outside

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 08 Gompa Mani Stones and Horns Various mani stones and horns decorate the courtyard of the Nyalam gompa.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 08 Gompa Mani Stones and Horns

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 09 Gompa Pilgrim with Baby A few devout Buddhist women circumambulated the Nyalam gompa, spinning the prayer wheels and saying mantras. Here is a mother carrying her baby on her back. Notice the nicely painted stone among the mani wheels.

Tibet Kailash 02 Nyalam 09 Gompa Pilgrim with Baby

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 01 Shishapangma The next morning we felt better and, lo and behold, it was sunny - yes the sun does shine in the monsoon months. After driving about 30km from Nyalam, I looked back and saw a beautiful view of the east face of Shishapangma come partly visible. The summits of both Shishapangma and Phola Gangchen are in the clouds. The ridge visible on the right of the photo is to the right of Phola Gangchen.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 01 Shishapangma

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 02 Tong La Shishapangma From the Tong La (5124m), Shishapangma's summit remained in the clouds.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 02 Tong La Shishapangma

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 03 Tong La Mountains As we ascended towards the Tong La (also called Yarle Shang La) from Nyalam, a beautiful mountain panorama unfolded. The Labuche Kang massif is part of the Himalayan range in Tibet, located North-West of Cho Oyu, and half-way between Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. This massif has several summits over 7000m, including the highest Labuche Kang at 7367m (also called Lobuche Kang I or Choksiam) and Labuche Kang II (7072m), both behind the mountain to the left. The broad mountain to the left is 6718m while the mountain partially poking out from behind is 6952m. Note that several websites and Michael Palin’s book Himalaya mistakenly call these mountains Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar – they’re not.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 03 Tong La Mountains

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 04 Tong La Here is our Landcruiser at the Tong La with the Lobuche Kang massif behind.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 04 Tong La

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 05 Shishapangma From Just before Checkpoint Just before the Shishapanga Checkpoint, a brief break in the intervening ridge revealed another cloudy view of Shishapangma.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 05 Shishapangma From Just before Checkpoint

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 06 Shishapangma Checkpoint We rested briefly at the Shishapangma Checkpoint. After rounding the ridge to the right, you can drive to Shishapangma North base camp. The village of Siling is visible hugging the ridge just behind the Landcruiser on the right.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 06 Shishapangma Checkpoint

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 07 Shishapangma Checkpoint Peter and Dawa The same caretaker was at the Shishapangma Checkpoint as in 2005. We were pleased to again meet their son Dawa, who is now 2 ½ years old.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 07 Shishapangma Checkpoint Peter and Dawa

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 08 Shishapangma Lunch near Lake Peiku We had lunch on the banks of a small stream near Peiku Tso.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 08 Shishapangma Lunch near Lake Peiku

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 09 Road Crew Near Lake Peiku While we were having our lunch near Peiku Tso, a Tibetan road crew came dusting down the road.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 09 Road Crew Near Lake Peiku

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 10 Shishapangma From Lake Peiku As we had our lunch near Peiku Tso, Shishapangma remained in the clouds.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 10 Shishapangma From Lake Peiku

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 11 Peiku Tso After our lunch stop, we had a beautiful view of the huge turquoise lake, Peiku Tso (4591m). Peiku is also also spelled Paiku, Pelku, and Pelkhu among other spellings.

Tibet Kailash 03 Nyalam to Peiku Tso 11 Peiku Tso

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 01 Mountain Near Saga As we headed north on the road from Peiko Tso to Saga, the mountains just north of Saga came into view.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 01 Mountain Near Saga

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 02 Saga Across Yarlung Tsangpo As we reached the Yarlung Tsangpo, we had a clear view of Saga (4600m) across the river.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 02 Saga Across Yarlung Tsangpo

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 03 Bridge Across Yarlung Tsangpo We crossed the Yarlung Tsangpo via the new bridge, just 3km from Saga (4600m). The old double-pontooned ferry used to run along a cable fixed in the crotch of two crossed timbers on either side of the river.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 03 Bridge Across Yarlung Tsangpo

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 04 Ferry Lying Next to Bridge Across Yarlung Tsangpo The retired double-pontooned ferry sits idly on the north shore of the Yarlung Tsangpo. It used to hold two Land cruisers and one truck. The new bridge makes the river crossing, well, fast, but far less interesting.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 04 Ferry Lying Next to Bridge Across Yarlung Tsangpo

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 05 Saga Main Street The town of Saga (4600m, also called Kyakyaru), located at the intersection of the roads connecting western Tibet with Lhasa and Nepal, has grown in recent years to service an important Chinese military garrison. There is Internet access and some good hotels. Here is a view of the main street.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 05 Saga Main Street

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 06 Our Camp At Saga We camped just a few km past Saga in a beautiful idyllic spot.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 06 Our Camp At Saga

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 07 Ruins of Gompa Near Saga Here are the ruins of a large gompa 54km from Saga.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 07 Ruins of Gompa Near Saga

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 08 Old Drongpa Nepal Mountains and Nomad Camp Just before Old Drongpa, I took this photo of a nomad camp with mountains to the west of Mustang on the Nepal border in the background.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 08 Old Drongpa Nepal Mountains and Nomad Camp

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 09 Old Drongpa Old Drongpa (4570m, also spelled Zhongba) is a dusty town on the main road with a couple of guesthouses and a small Sakya-order gompa.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 09 Old Drongpa

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 10 Old Drongpa Gompa Prayer Wheel In Old Drongpa, I visited the Sakya-order gompa. Here is a chorten and a large prayer wheel.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 10 Old Drongpa Gompa Prayer Wheel

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 11 Old Drongpa Gompa Entrance Here is the entrance to the Sakya-order gompa in Old Drongpa, Note the walls are the same dark ash grey colour as the walls at Sakya Gompa.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 11 Old Drongpa Gompa Entrance

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 12 Old Drongpa Gompa Main Hall Here is the courtyard and main temple at the Sakya-sect gompa in Old Drongpa.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 12 Old Drongpa Gompa Main Hall

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 13 Sand Dunes between Old Drongpa and Paryang About 60km after Old Drongpa, we entered a photogenic section of sand dunes, with a lake and mountains in the background.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 13 Sand Dunes between Old Drongpa and Paryang

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 14 Peter climbs Sand Dunes between Old Drongpa and Paryang We jumped out of the Landcruiser and scampered up the biggest sand dune we could find. Good fun.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 14 Peter climbs Sand Dunes between Old Drongpa and Paryang

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 15 Paryang Paryang (4590m) is a spread-out Tibetan town with a great view of the mountains on the Nepalese border.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 15 Paryang

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 16 Paryang Nomad Tent with Nepal Mountains To the south of the Tibetan town of Paryang (4590m), a nomad tent has a great view of the peaks of Nepal’s Shey Phoksumdo National Park in the area called Dolpo. Kanjiroba (6883m) is the highest peak in the park.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 16 Paryang Nomad Tent with Nepal Mountains

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 17 Our Campsite about 40km after Paryang In deteriorating weather, we camped 43km past Paryang, near several roadside Khampa tents. We were warned to watch our stuff carefully as thefts have occurred here.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 17 Our Campsite about 40km after Paryang

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 18 Inside our tent But inside our tent, life was cozy and comfortable. We had our afternoon tea and biscuits and played around and read.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 18 Inside our tent

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 19 Nepal Mountains from past Paryang Just after we left our campsite 43km past Paryang, we had a fairly clear view of the mountains on the Nepalese border.

Tibet Kailash 04 Saga to Kailash 19 Nepal Mountains from past Paryang


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