I was totally exhausted when I reached the camp at around 4 p.m. after 16 hrs of continuous trekking, covering just 19 km. So one can guess how hard and difficult this particular trek is, especially for first 8-9 kms. So you literally get food after 16-17 hrs and therefore it’s strongly advised to pack your bag with some dry fruits and carry enough water as the weather is really cold and dry, path is extremely windy and you get dehydrated very easily. The all you can get is Yak milk and some Chinese noodles at one point. I tried drinking it but smells a lot and noodles are hard to swallow, just like Chinese…

So we started parikrama from South at Darchen, covering west face reached Deraphuk at North and finally Zunzhui Pu at east via Dolma Pass. Kailash is not much visible from our route north to east. The terrain is very remote with hardly any vegetation, yet very beautiful with a small stream flowing along and  yak herd visible everywhere. Don’t they belong here?  

Priyanshu began to feel normal after Dolma and was moving well and we, along with Mr. K. K. Soni (We got him at food point selling yak's milk), completed the remaining trek together. There are many streams originating from Kailash from all directions that end up at Mansarovar and this makes entire Parikrama route quite astounding. I keep on asking Mr. Soni, a second timer, how far is the camp? How much more? but he seems enjoying this trek, "Don’t worry! We will get there when we get there, have patience.” "How long, it’s close to 16 hrs; I am now completely empty, what’s keeping you fresh?” Was it power of Yoga or anything else, I certainly didn’t know.

The camp here is like the one we slept last night with enough rooms to accommodate all fellows. We got noodles and khichdi in dinner and it tasted really good. We were tired but equally happy as the next day trek was very short and just as we are done eating, it starts to drizzle and when it stopped all the surrounding hills turned white. It proved to be a tough day, yet it ends with a feeling that is hard to explain, "It was pure blessing.”

The next day trek is 5 km to the point where we will get our buses to Qugu via Hore. The trek is relatively easy and takes around 2 hrs to complete.  We had beautiful views of distant Mansarovar and Rakshastal en route and this trek completes our Kailash Parikrama.

While most of the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese we encountered were trekkers, the Buddhists and Tibetans were strictly religious and the purpose of their Yatra is the deep faith they have in Mount Kailash and some of them even carried the entire parikrama performing body length prostrations. It takes at least 2-3 weeks to do so, totally unthinkable... But reflected their true belief in this ultimate abode of Lord and was very motivating and inspirational for us Hindu Pilgrims.

The morning is cold and there is a real nip in the air while we wait for the buses to come. In the mean time we met many fellows who came here via Nepal route and for them this Parikrama accounts for the entire trek as there are motorable roads from Nepal to Tibet, though its relatively longer but involves far lesser trekking and time thus suitable for elderly and busy’ fellows.

This place overlooks the distant lakes and is subject to fierce winds, though the weather was quite clear, all very bright at the moment but you could hardly feel the Sun. Guptaji is feeling the winds and sits quietly, wearing his trademark monkey cap folds his body tight, occasionally peeping his eyes, he understands the surroundings.

Vaibhav, a second timer who came before via Nepal, is talking to Mr. Soni about his experience this time and tells, "It was snow all over the route last time we came here, though few days earlier than this time and now feeling more relaxed having done it from Indian side.” Mr. Soni, who himself is a two timer and now a third is dressed very lightly, completed the Parikrama in slippers, looks as relaxed and energetic as ever and talks about the good weather we encountered so far and hopes it remains the same. Priyanshu is happy and enjoying talking to Guptaji who is barely audible in his monkey cap and trying to communicate with his eyes to my camera that I understood, "Don’t shoot.”

So after an hour wait the buses came and dropped us back to Darchen to collect our left baggage. The south and the most prominent face of Kailash is clearly visible here and looks as mystic as ever also this is the closest view of south face as going to Ashtapad wasn’t allowed that year. From now on every passing hour will take us further away, and this thought made us sad.

Three days here in complete isolation, circling Kailash in ferocious winds has blown all thoughts away and the mind was in a state that could only be felt.

When we started our trek few days back in Uttarakhand; it was lush green as far as the eyes could see, gradually thick forests gave way to grass and that in turn to herbs and shrubs and in the end only mountains were visible: bare mountains and they too gave way to a land that is described as the 'roof of the world;' a plateau that is on avg. 4000 meters high, stretches as far as the eyes can see, completely barren and swept by vicious winds.

It’s the manifestation of life in its pure form, in its five elements: earth, fire, water, air and sky. They form Nature and it creates everything else and that everything is left far behind. Here we are surrounded by those five elements, here we are surrounded by Nature and here we are surrounded by the lord.

"Om Namah Shivay."

In  this  high  land  Kailash is the  only significant  mountain; it’s  the  abode  of  our Bholenath,  it’s  everything  in  this  nothing  or  Shunya, everything  including  life  is born  and  will  end  to  him, the  only thing  that  will  remain  is,

"The great eternal soul; Shiv…”