When is the best time to tour Mount Kailash and Lake

Mansarovar?
For anyone wanting to visit Ngari Prefecture and the Kailash mountain range, a trek to Mt. Kailash is a
must. At 6,714 meters above sea level (ASL), it is the highest peak in the Transhimalaya, or Kailash
Range. Lying near the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia, it is considered a sacred place for
Buddhists. Every year thousands of pilgrims make the journey to Mt. Kailash, to circumnavigate the holy
mountain.

Best time to visit

The snow-capped dome of Mt. Kailash is easily recognizable among the mountain range, as it stands out
among the other mountains, its snow-capped peak glistening in the sun all year round. The best times to
visit Mt. Kailash are in May and June or September and October. The period from June to September is
the monsoon, and the rains can be a hazard, as well as a bad time to trek around the mountain, and in
winter, from November to April, the area is covered in deep, impassable snow. During the early part of
summer the pastures are already green, and the animals and birds really come to life. It is a time of
harmony between man and nature that can give you a better understanding of the way of life here.

Huge temperature changes

While the temperature can be quite warm in the early summer - anywhere between 16 0C and 220C- it
can still get very cold at night. With low temperatures around 0 0C and 10C, you will still need a few warm
sweaters in the evening and early morning. The same can be said in September and October, though the
lower night temperatures in October can reach as low as -12 0C. Ngari Prefecture is the coldest place in
Tibet, with an average annual temperature of just 0 0C, and winds that blow all year round. With the
summer over, September and October see the middle of autumn, and leaves turned from green to
golden brown and yellow. A changed view of the region gives another glimpse of life in this elevated
roof of the world.

The pilgrim’s trek

A main reason to come to Mt. Kailash is to follow the trek of the pilgrims around the mountain. And
while most of the religious pilgrims who come here follow a clockwise direction, those of the Bon-Po
religion traditionally circumambulate around the holy mountain in a counter-clockwise route. The trek
around Mt. Kailash is a rough trek over some hard terrain, especially through the Dolma-la pass. At
5,630 meters it is the highest point of the trek. The kora, as it is known, is the hardest trek in Tibet.

Visit the festivals

The region around Kailash also plays host to some of the best traditional festivals. The Bangongcuo Folk
Festival is held from June to August, and features some very sporty activities. While some people like to
cycle around Lake Mansarovar, others take in the horse racing and other equestrian events. There are
local fairs and parties, and one of the highlights is a youth singing competition.
The Ongkor festival, held at a varying date between July and August, is a traditional farming festival, held
to thank the Gods for a good harvest. The farmers would walk in circles around the fields carrying ears
of wheat, while the seniors walk ahead with a Buddha, chanting to the Gods. The festival is normally
held a few days before the harvest, so the date is dependent on the ripening of the crops.

The mountain that was never conquered

Mt. Kailash is known in Tibetan as Gang Rinpoche, which means “precious snow mountain”. The area
around Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is the source of four major rivers, the Indus, Brahmaputra,
Karnali and Sutlej. While the mountain has been the subject of many ideas on scaling its north-east and
south-east ridges since it was first studied in 1926, it has never been climbed by a western expedition.
The latest study was granted in 2001 for a Spanish expedition to make an attempt, but in the face of
immense international disapproval, the Chinese government made a decision to ban all attempts at
scaling the holy mountain. Locals and tourists alike never trek on the sides of Mt. Kailash, which helps to
preserve its holy status in all of the four religions that revere it.

Lake Mansarovar
Close by Mt. Kailash to the south lies Lake Mansarovar. Another site of holy significance, it is believed to
be the legendary lake of Anavatapta, the place where Maya conceived Buddha. With several
monasteries built on its shores, including the ancient Chiu Monastery, the lake is popular in Buddhist
literature, and has been linked to many teachings and stories. The lake sits at 4,590 meters ASL, and
covers an area of 410 square kilometers.

This freshwater lake is at a relatively high elevation, considering the mostly saline lakes that surround it
on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and has the highest transparency of any freshwater lake in Tibet. Pilgrims
continue their religious tour of the area by circumambulating the lake as well, to cleanse their sins and
regain their virtue. The Hindu faith believes that bathing in the lake and drinking its clear waters will
cleanse all of their sins, and allow them to go to the house of Shiva after death. A focal point for pilgrims
for thousands of years, it is generally believed that Buddha stayed by the lake meditating on several
occasions.

Lake Rakshastal
To the west of Lake Mansarovar lies its twin, Lake Rakshastal, the source of the Sutlej River, which flows
from its northwest tip. Despite it being so close to Lake Mansarovar, it does not share the same religious
significance as its neighbor. However, in Tibetan Buddhism, the lakes have a little dual significance.
Mansarovar, which is round like the sun, and Rakshastal, shaped a little like a crescent moon, are
regarded as “brightness” and “darkness”.

In stark contrast to Lake Mansarovar, Rakshastal is another salt-water lake with no plants or fish in its
waters. Its four islands - Topserma, Dola, Lachato and Dosharba - are used by the locals as winter
pastures for their yaks. It is believed that the connecting river between Mansarovar and Rakshastal, the
Ganga Chhu, was created by the rishis, or sages, to add pure water from Mansarovar to cleanse
Rakshastal.

The best tour for this area of the Tibet Autonomous Region is a 15 day tour, which encompasses the
mountain and lake, along with several monasteries and the cities of Lhasa and Shigatse. The whole tour
is one that you will never forget, and includes a trip to Everest Base Camp.