DAY 15: DARCHEN TO DERAPUK (Parikrama Day 1)
WE have divided the Parikrama Day 1 in two parts.
1. Darchen to Derapuk
2. Derapuk to Charan Sparsh (the Feet of Mt Kailash) and back to Derapuk
Darchen To Derapuk
Darchen: 4874 mtrs
Derapuk : 5056 mtrs
Distance : 20 kms ( 8 kms by bus, 12 kms by foot)
Time Taken: 5 hours
Today was a special day for all the US, as today WE would be starting our Parikrama around Kailash. The weather was almost clear and there was bit of sunshine around. Good weather definitely lifts everyone spirits.
Kailash was partly visible from our hotel compound and after paying respects to the Al Mighty, WE sat in our bus for the first 8 kms of our parikrama till Yam Dwar.
Google map showing the bus route from Darchen to Tarboche
The parikrama route is divided in to 3 days and today WE will be covering 20 kms of the total 50 kms of the Parikrama stretch. You cant carry all your luggage while doing the parikrama, so a small bag not more than 7-8kgs had to be organized for the next 3 days.
Those Yatris doing the Parikrama on foot can either carry this small bag themselves or hire a porter for carrying. Those yatris who do not wish to do it on foot can also hire a pony. But the pony would not carry you around 5kms of stretch of Dolma La descent (on parikrama Day2), where the ascent and descent is very steep, so this also has to be kept in mind.
Pony and porters have to be pre-ordered with the Tibetan Guide and will be made available at Yam Dwar / Tarboche, the place from where the foot parikrama starts. Kindly note that a pony man will not act as your porter.
After 8 km of bone shattering journey in the bus we reached Yam Dwar. Its believed that Parikrama around Yam Dwar is equivalent to a parikrama around Kailash i.e yatries who are not fit to do the Kailash Parikrama. Just after Yam dwar was Tarboche from where our 12kms trek by foot had to begin.
After waiting for some time at Tarboche till the porters and pony were allocated the group started towards Derapuk. The ascent was pretty gradual and the route was much easier than the last time. This was partly because the road was being leveled to make it a motor able road and also because I was much better acclimatized on this trip than the previous trip.
Route on foot from Tarboche to Derapuk
Route elevation from Tarboche to derapuk
Kailash was visible most of the times and that was a big boost in itself. From Tarboche WE could see the South face of Kailash, but as WE continued our parikrama clockwise around Kailash, slowly the west face was visible and then the North face. Walking in the shadows of Mt. Kailash was truly a magical experience.
Me and My Mother were walking pretty fast as WE had plans to go till the feet of Mt. Kailash from Derapuk. So WE covered the 12kms distance on foot in just less than 3 hours. From Derapuk clear North face of Kailash was visible.
Charan Sparsh (feet of Kailash) looked hardly any distance from here (which was not the case as WE found out later) and that made our resolve to touch the feet of Kailash even stronger. So after a 30 minutes rest Me and My Mother set off to Charan Sparsh.
Pics from Darchen to Derapuk
Waiting to load in the bus at our hotel at darchen
Yatris seeking blessings from Mt. Kailash covered in clouds
Yam Dwar
South face of Mt. Kailash is still under clouds
The pony and the pony men arrive
Clouds start to lift from Mt. Kailash
Yatris at Tarboche waiting for their porters/ ponies
Finally we start our 12 km Parikrama for the day
West face of Kailash
reaching our mid point for the day
As WE continued the Parikrama WE could see the west and the North face
Very soon this will be a motor able stretch
Our food and kitchen equipment on yaks
WE reached Derapuk and the North face was clearly visible
Day16: Part 2: Derapuk To CharanSparsh and back
Derapuk: 5056 mtrs
Charan Sparsh: 5475 mtrs
Distance: 3 kms
Time Taken 1 hr
WE started Our walk towards Kailash. As not many yatris go on this route hence there is no track here, you have to make your own route over boulders and loose stones. Being tired anyways after a 12 kms trek on above 16000ft altitude, this trek above 17000+ft was getting a bit heavy.
Google map view of the route
Elevation of the route
Every time WE thought that the feet of Mt. kailash will be visible after this ascent, WE realized that its still a bit far. But truly it was some magical power that kept pulling US towards the mountain. WE can’t express it in words; you need to be there to feel it.
After about 3 kms, we were above 18000 ft and WE were blocked by a wall of ice covered with mud, loose stones and boulders. This had to be it; this had to be the feet of Mt. Kailash. WE just sat there and do OUR prayers.
WE start descending, a few other yatris were making their way up to Charan Sparsh.
Pics from Derapuk to Charan Sparsh
A panoramic view of the surroundings
The path was over boulders and loose rocks
The closer we went, the further Mt. Kailash got from us
Another ascent
Finally we could see a dead end
Wall of snow covered with rocks and mud, I could climb no more
End Of Day15
WE have divided the Parikrama Day 1 in two parts.
1. Darchen to Derapuk
2. Derapuk to Charan Sparsh (the Feet of Mt Kailash) and back to Derapuk
Darchen To Derapuk
Darchen: 4874 mtrs
Derapuk : 5056 mtrs
Distance : 20 kms ( 8 kms by bus, 12 kms by foot)
Time Taken: 5 hours
Today was a special day for all the US, as today WE would be starting our Parikrama around Kailash. The weather was almost clear and there was bit of sunshine around. Good weather definitely lifts everyone spirits.
Kailash was partly visible from our hotel compound and after paying respects to the Al Mighty, WE sat in our bus for the first 8 kms of our parikrama till Yam Dwar.
Google map showing the bus route from Darchen to Tarboche
The parikrama route is divided in to 3 days and today WE will be covering 20 kms of the total 50 kms of the Parikrama stretch. You cant carry all your luggage while doing the parikrama, so a small bag not more than 7-8kgs had to be organized for the next 3 days.
Those Yatris doing the Parikrama on foot can either carry this small bag themselves or hire a porter for carrying. Those yatris who do not wish to do it on foot can also hire a pony. But the pony would not carry you around 5kms of stretch of Dolma La descent (on parikrama Day2), where the ascent and descent is very steep, so this also has to be kept in mind.
Pony and porters have to be pre-ordered with the Tibetan Guide and will be made available at Yam Dwar / Tarboche, the place from where the foot parikrama starts. Kindly note that a pony man will not act as your porter.
After 8 km of bone shattering journey in the bus we reached Yam Dwar. Its believed that Parikrama around Yam Dwar is equivalent to a parikrama around Kailash i.e yatries who are not fit to do the Kailash Parikrama. Just after Yam dwar was Tarboche from where our 12kms trek by foot had to begin.
After waiting for some time at Tarboche till the porters and pony were allocated the group started towards Derapuk. The ascent was pretty gradual and the route was much easier than the last time. This was partly because the road was being leveled to make it a motor able road and also because I was much better acclimatized on this trip than the previous trip.
Route on foot from Tarboche to Derapuk
Route elevation from Tarboche to derapuk
Kailash was visible most of the times and that was a big boost in itself. From Tarboche WE could see the South face of Kailash, but as WE continued our parikrama clockwise around Kailash, slowly the west face was visible and then the North face. Walking in the shadows of Mt. Kailash was truly a magical experience.
Me and My Mother were walking pretty fast as WE had plans to go till the feet of Mt. Kailash from Derapuk. So WE covered the 12kms distance on foot in just less than 3 hours. From Derapuk clear North face of Kailash was visible.
Charan Sparsh (feet of Kailash) looked hardly any distance from here (which was not the case as WE found out later) and that made our resolve to touch the feet of Kailash even stronger. So after a 30 minutes rest Me and My Mother set off to Charan Sparsh.
Pics from Darchen to Derapuk
Waiting to load in the bus at our hotel at darchen
Yatris seeking blessings from Mt. Kailash covered in clouds
Yam Dwar
South face of Mt. Kailash is still under clouds
The pony and the pony men arrive
Clouds start to lift from Mt. Kailash
Yatris at Tarboche waiting for their porters/ ponies
Finally we start our 12 km Parikrama for the day
West face of Kailash
reaching our mid point for the day
As WE continued the Parikrama WE could see the west and the North face
Very soon this will be a motor able stretch
Our food and kitchen equipment on yaks
WE reached Derapuk and the North face was clearly visible
Day16: Part 2: Derapuk To CharanSparsh and back
Derapuk: 5056 mtrs
Charan Sparsh: 5475 mtrs
Distance: 3 kms
Time Taken 1 hr
WE started Our walk towards Kailash. As not many yatris go on this route hence there is no track here, you have to make your own route over boulders and loose stones. Being tired anyways after a 12 kms trek on above 16000ft altitude, this trek above 17000+ft was getting a bit heavy.
Google map view of the route
Elevation of the route
Every time WE thought that the feet of Mt. kailash will be visible after this ascent, WE realized that its still a bit far. But truly it was some magical power that kept pulling US towards the mountain. WE can’t express it in words; you need to be there to feel it.
After about 3 kms, we were above 18000 ft and WE were blocked by a wall of ice covered with mud, loose stones and boulders. This had to be it; this had to be the feet of Mt. Kailash. WE just sat there and do OUR prayers.
WE start descending, a few other yatris were making their way up to Charan Sparsh.
Pics from Derapuk to Charan Sparsh
A panoramic view of the surroundings
The path was over boulders and loose rocks
The closer we went, the further Mt. Kailash got from us
Another ascent
Finally we could see a dead end
Wall of snow covered with rocks and mud, I could climb no more
End Of Day15
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