Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

A Shiva-linga shaped Mt. Kailash from the Northern Face

For the Hindus Mount Kailash is the earthly manifestation of Mt. Meru, their spiritual center of the universe, described as a fantastic 'world pillar' 84,000 miles high, around which all else revolves, its roots in the lowest hell and its summit kissing the heavens. On the top lives their most revered God, Shiva, and his consort Parvati.

For the Jains, an Indian religious group, Kailash is the site where their first prophet achieved enlightenment. For the older, more ancient religion of Bon, it is the site where its founder Shanrab is said to have descended from heaven. It was formerly the spiritual center of Zhang Zung, the ancient Bon Empire that once included all of western Tibet. Bon people walk around the mountain in a counter clockwise manner, unlike the other religions.

Over the centuries pilgrims have constantly journeyed immense distances to achieve enlightenment or cleanse themselves of sin, braving enormous distances, particularly harsh weather and bandit attacks.

Clothing:
Casual wears and comfortable walking shoes are recommended to travel to Tibet. Be sure to bring warm clothing as nights and early mornings can be quite chilly to downright cold. Indian woman Pilgrims strictly advisable no Sari. Bring all the film, medicine, cosmetics, personal toilet items etc. that you will need from home as these are difficult if not impossible to obtain on the way. A small first aid kit is also a good idea. Also quite useful to have a route map, to know where you are going and have been each day.

What to take:
Winter wear: Gore-Tex material though expensive is highly recommended. Down jacket, raincoat or windbreakers, thermal under wears, Jackets, warm trousers & woolen shirts (cotton will also do), warm sweaters, woolen gloves, sun hat, sun glass, comfortable shoes, light leather boots in case of snow, woolen balaclava ('monkey cap') & scarf/dust mask to protect your eyes & nose from dust.

Bring with you:
Snacks along the way. Chocolates, dry fruit, toffees, glucose; 'namkeen' etc. Strong water bottle & water purifying tablets. Personal medical kit and Diamox tablet (for high altitude). Sun glasses (to protect your eyes from UV, which is especially strong in high altitudes). Sun block or sun screen lotion, wet tissues (Fresh-ones are excellent to wipe off the dust), clothes-line/clips, needle & thread, deo-spray (handy for smelly boots/feet and for a round of spray in the toilet tent!), toilet paper, torch & spare batteries, daypack (small shoulder bag), Camera & films, Binocular.

Health:
This is one of the toughest high altitude road journeys on earth. You Must be physically fit - no two ways about that. Generally patients with asthma & heart problems have a problem acclimatizing to high altitudes. In your interests it is essential you should be examined by your doctor to know about your health condition and your ability to cope up with the rigors of high altitude travel for days in 'no road' conditions, extreme cold, dust, trekking to an altitude of 19500ft during the Parikrama, etc.

Altitude Sickness:
As you are traveling over high terrain, you are likely to experience symptoms and discomfort of altitude sickness (headache, loss of appetite, nausea, exhaustion, sleeplessness, breathlessness etc.) until your body adjusts to the elevation. This can take a couple of days or more depending on an individual. For this reason alone, we have made it mandatory to stay 2 nights at Nylam (12000ft) before moving on to the higher altitudes. Drink plenty of water, be calm, and do not exercise. Do not drink alcohol or smoke prior to and during the tour. We also recommend you carry a strip of diamox tablets. Do consult your physician on the dosage. We provide Gamow bag (a special equipment to prevent sickness from high altitude) on this tour.

Currency:
The unit of Chinese currency is Yuan. USD 1 = 6.00 Yuan. 1 Yuan = INR 10.00 approx, Money can exchange at Bank of China at Zhangmu or from the locals at Zhangmu or Kodari. Exchange all your remaining Yuan at the end of the trip at Zhangmu itself before re-entering Nepal.

Risks & Liability:
Indian Holiday Pvt. and its associates will put every effort to make your journey smooth and pleasant. However, all the tours in Tibet are conduct strictly under the rules & regulation of Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB). Therefore, Indian Holiday Pvt and its counterpart shall not be responsible for any change and alteration in the program due to unavoidable circumstances such as landslide, road blockage, flood, snow, political unrest, cancellation of flight, delay arrival, delay issue of permit and visa, sickness or accidents. Any extra cost incurred thereof shall be borne by the clients on the spot.

• Fibre Pile Jacket: [1]
• Shorts Or Skirt: [1]
• Light Cotton Trousers: [1]
• Breeches /Track Suit Bottoms /Ultra Fleece Trousers: [1]
• Duvet Jacket: Down Or Synthetic
• Wool Balaclava, Wool Mitts:
• Waterproofs: Jacket and trousers
• Sun Hat:
• Scarf: Silk/Nylon, useful for keeping the sun off the back of your neck
• Sunglasses / Goggles: Essential to get a pair which cuts out 100% UV rays
• Sun Cream: High protection factor [15 or higher] or high altitude glacier cream
• Lip Slave/Labisan: Protection for the lips. Get one with a sunscreen
• Water Bottle: 1 liter metal
• Iodine: 2% Solution [Tincture Of Iodine] obtained from most chemists put into a small glass dropper bottle. 8 drops of iodine will sterilize 1 liter of water in 20 minutes.

• Head Torch: [ Petzl recommended] -spare batteries and bulbs
• Sewing Kit:
• Small Knife : Swiss army style - has many uses
• Notebook/Diary/Pens
• Small Padlock : Useful For Locking Your Kit Bag
• 4 Passport Size Photographs
• A Copy Of Your Insurance Certificate
• Money Belt
• Reading Material : [1book]
• Walkman and 2 tapes - for those early nights. Spare batteries
• Chocolate Bars, Sweets!
• Personal Medical Kit.
• Small Plastic Bags /Stuff Sacs Or Pillow Cases: To separate and keep the gear in your kit bag in order
• Cigarette Lighter: for burning toilet paper and rubbish.

• Ski Stick: Telescopic for easy carrying
• Thermarest: Or similar self-inflating mattress, gives decadent luxury
• Camera Gear
• Games: Cards, chess etc. for the evenings
• Umbrella: Not only for rain, makes a great sunshade
• Wet Wipes: Or similar.

Insurance & Emergency Expenses:
We suggest that clients insure themselves against a comprehensive claim policy. Which should also include Helicopter Evacuation if necessary. Please note that our Kailash Tour Package does not include any rescue or evacuation expenses in emergencies. Any Emergency arrangement other than regular straight forward tour itinerary service should be borne by the clients themselves.

Camera & Films:
A 35 mm system with interchangeable lens will allow you to get the best shots in most situations. A wide angle [28-35mm] and a telephoto [80-200mm] are very useful. Skyling filters protect your lens [skylight IB] and a polarizing filter is useful for snow scenes. A brush for cleaning your lens is important and your camera and lens need to be in protective cases. Kodachrome 64 is excellent for slides and for prints 100 ASA film is suitable. Faster films may be needed if using zoom lenses and 200 ASA film would be required if you plan to visit Chitwan National Park. 12 rolls of film per trek is not too many for the enthusiast.

Keep the weight and bulk down to a minimum. Baggage allowance on most international flights is 20 Kg's/44 lbs.. Most people tend to bring more clothes than they do actually need. You will only need one change of clothes for Kathmandu. On trek it is important to dress in layers. When it is hot you will only be wearing a base layer, when it gets colder you can add to this until you are wearing most of your clothes!

Personal Medical Kit:
We suggest that you bring the following:

• Elastoplast
• Adhesive tape
• 4" crepe bandage
• Elasticated knee and /or ankle support if you experience strain these joints Blister dressings, e.g. moleskin, compead, spenco dressings
• Nasal Decongestant
• Throat lozenges/ glucose sweets
• * Wide spectrum antibiotic [Ciproxin recommended]
• Anti -diarrhoea - Immodium or Lomotil
• * A course of Flagyll [treatment of giardia]
• * Codeine Phosphate - constipator, cough suppressant and pain killer
• Cold and flu suppressant
• Aspirin / paracetamol.
• Rehydrate powder - useful for adding to your water bottle and for fluid replacing purposes.
• Small pair of scissors
• Any special medicines you require