18-19 June β China (Tibet) β ~500 miles
Tibet is high. And cold. Very very cold.
Left Ali/Gar/assorted-other-possible-names fairly late, for a relatively short day. Immediately hit a checkpoint, and stuck waiting for the last riders who’d taken a wrong turn immediately out of the hotel carpark.
Most of the checkpoints which we’d been told to expect, have disappeared in the two years since the last trip – so… that was about three pleasant surprises.
Got to a recommended point for viewing Mount Kailash in the afternoon. Apparently Kailash is the world’s “most venerated holy place” – presumably as 4 religions consider it to be pretty awesome, including Buddhism & Hindu – which have got to contribute a fair few people towards the “most venerated” metric.
Never been climbed (apparently), death penalty if you try.
In the 12th century, there was some sort of epic sorcery battle between a Buddhist guy and a Bon shaman – presumably with magic-beams of red-vs-blue, which fluctuated back-and-forth – until Buddhist-guy found some extra inner strength, gave it a last gasp, and finally killed the Bon guy. And that’s why you have heard of Buddhism, and not Bon.
There should be a movie made of this.
Anyway – we stopped, looked, and saw nothing but the clouds of snow which had been punishing us for the last couple of hours.
Nearby – and according to some theories, providing a big boost to the kudos of Kailash – is Lake Manasarovar. Apparently we normally stay in a dirt-floored “tea-house” there, but better accommodation was found nearby in a little place I believe is named Darchen, very near Mt Kailash. (Still fairly basic, and spent shivering inside while the snow came down)
But, we paid a short visit to Lake Manasarovar – source of Asia’s four largest rivers – and the monastery nearby.
Today – a bit of a longer day… but in sunshine. (Still cold, but at least no snow). Being a clear day, did a bit of backtracking – and actually got to see Mount Kailash. It’s… a mountain. I felt peace and harmony.
High passes are becoming a little passe at this point, but there was a fairly early one at 5,234m – which is fairly high, and fairly cold.
There was another one a little lower – only 4,920m – but a little more picturesque with plenty of prayer flags, many little piles of rocks-on-rocks with prayer flags, views, and some twisty roads.
And – ended the day in the town of Saga/Kyakyaru, where our rooms are on the 5th floor… and the electricity didn’t come on until 6pm. Carrying even just my small backpack and tankbag up those stairs, at this altitude… not cool.
(I probably shouldn’t admit that the ground floor was “1st floor”, and there was no “4th floor” (4 being bad luck)… just 3 flights of stairs defeated me.
In my defence – I did carry up all my stuff myself. Others had the hotel staff carry things up – and were still having a lengthy pause after a single floor.)
