Mt Kailash Kora - Day 2

Altitude: lower than we were last night, at some mud building near a monastery

Well today did kick my ass, but not for the reasons I expected. We awoke about 6:15 to the sounds of Indians shouting outside and yaks protesting the weight being loaded on their backs. About 6:25 someone was shouting all over the guest house courtyard. They finally pounded on the metal door to our room. The only response I could come up with in my sleepy haze was a clever 'for f**k's sake we're not Indian!!' but Heather more sensibly just shouted WRONG ROOM!!!!! about 3 times. Getting back to sleep was a chore but the covers were SO warm there was no way I was getting up a minute before we had to. 7:45 rolls around for an 8 am start and we drag ourselves out of bed wearing the same clothes and just put on our gloves, hat and jacket ahead of breakfast (2 minute noodles, surprisingly).

By 8:30 we were on the road and the first 20 minutes were a real struggle. I was breathing heavily already (the whole 'below average lung capacity' excuse was wearing thin) and we had to cross a few streams using what might loosely be described as bridges, put together with flimsy wire and wooden logs. I was a bit preoccupied worrying about the ascent ahead - to 5630 meters from our currently 4900 - and generally unsure of my footing when Kai comes prancing up behind me on the bridge and in doing so moves the logs around. Second bridge crossing, same thing happened. Approaching the third on I testily say "why don't you just go first this time", and he does. We climb a small bank to a resting spot and I had just absolutely had it with him. Lashing out I say "KAI I SWEAR TO GOD THE NEXT TIME YOU DO THAT I WILL THROW YOU OFF THE GODDAMN BRIDGE"

To be fair, a spectator might have thought this was an overreaction. Certainly it was the first time I'd lashed out at someone since...well my last recollection was 1996, first year of university, when my ex boyfriend broke up with me (sorry, Tim).

But my dislike of Kai and anger and frustration at his complete lack of common courtesy to everyone in the group had been building for 2 weeks and this was the point at which it decided to manifest itself. Right, another lap of Kailash for me I guess.

He attempted to clarify what he did wrong, saying "but you let me go through" which just made it worse and I spent the next 60 minutes or so composing speeches in my head should he commit such a wrongdoing again sometime. (Well that's pretty much a guarantee) At least it gave me something to focus on as I climbed.

We made the first serious climb of about 200 meters as yaks, horses and pilgrims passed saying 'tashi delek' with big serene grins on their faces. (The pilgrims not the yaks). There was no question by this point that yesterday's climb made a huge difference in my ability to handle this one. Sure I was panting and needed to break a lot but it was nowhere near the difficulty of yesterday's climb to the same altitude.

At about 300 meters ascent we reached a point that looked like a cross between a goodwill donation bin and a rubbish tip. It was customary to leave an article of clothing here as a tribute to the dead. According to Galek they used to have sky burials near here - a Tibetan method of burial that sounds rather brutal as it involves taking the dead's corpse, breaking their bones into pieces so the body can be folded up into a bundle and they are hung in the tree for vultures to eat. It is linked to Buddhist thought that the soul has already left the body (for reincarnation elsewhere) and there should be no remains of the body left on Earth. This practice is still carried out though I never saw a site (they are for obvious reasons very sacred and it is not something tourists are usually invited to see or are welcome at should they stumble across one). Anyway this is no longer a sky burial site

BECAUSE THEY FEED THEIR DEAD TO THE STRAY DOGS NOW.

Seriously, day 2 of the kora I learn that the dogs of Darchen have the taste of human flesh. I am tremendously happy I didn't know that whilst staying in Darchen itself.

Another small (ha) climb and we reached a plateau for a bit before the Drom-la pass. Karma came back at me for lashing out at Kai as I hit a patch of ice and fell quite firmly on my left shin. There was rushing water underneath all the boulders we were making our way across and so I took it easy over every boulder I met from then on (and I met a lot of boulders in the next 24 hours).

The pilgrims we met along the trail as I climbed the Drom-la pass were singing and humming prayers with smiles on their faces. One encouraged me with a "Tashi Delek! Drom-la - one kilometer!"I caught up to Heather (or rather she had paused for a lengthy break so I could catch up) and the emotion of the whole day caught up to me at that point. It was then that I took in my (near) accomplishment and fully acknowledged that this was most likely the hardest thing I've ever done. It's no summiting of Mount Everest or Boston marathon but for me it was a fair achievement.

A bit more to go...and I sure as hell was making it to the top before Kai.

(I did)

Once at the top I was exhausted, proud, and most importantly freezing. I couldn't feel half of both my feet, snow had been falling for the last hour and the wind was picking up. After some quick photos I was ready to get DOWN and QUICK. As we started to descend I could feel it getting easier to breathe but my feet were taking their time coming back to life. For the first time since the Iowa-Minnesota game of 1992 I was starting to panic about frostbite, but a quick check of my boots felt no broken off toes rattling around. We reached a lookout over 3 stunning turquoise lakes, which Indian pilgrims are meant to dive into regardless of temperature! Interestingly none of the ones we were hiking around that day chose to do this.

After 30 minutes I could start to feel my feet again and though it was still snowing and cold I was reasonably confident I would retain all my limbs after this walk. 2 hours later and a fairly steep descent we made it to a nomad's tent for lunch. I could have had reconstituted Chinese noodles but, after 2 days of them I decided a couple of Snicker's bars 1) were more appealing and 2) probably contained the same nutrional value anyway (or more! Peanuts have protein!).

A nomad family joined us in the tent and got to work making up their yak butter tea and tsampa. Though we couldn't communicate with them they were very friendly and were happy for us to take a photo (they were delighted to see the results on the LCD screen). They had started in Darchen that morning and were to complete the full 52 km circuit in one day.

We left as the snow started to fall harder and the wind kicked it up a notch. We had to cross several river beds / streams / marshy boulder things over the course of several kilometers, so I went particularly slow (all the time wearing my 'this is no longer amusing' face). Along the way I played 'would you rather' by myself and decided that I'd rather re-ascend the Drom-la pass than continue walking in driving snow & wind over boulders and streams.

Grass. Greener. Other side.

Finally made it though, and just as the rain kicked in! The most rewarding day of exercise on record for yours truly Sarah The Mountaineer.

The selection of accommodation was in an area below a monastery and the first choice was fully booked, so we were given the option of a 6 bed room in a mud cubicle with mattresses on cement slabs, or another 10 km walk to Darchen. Confusingly the offer was 40 kuai per bed if we took all 6 beds (so, 240 total) or 50 kuai per bed if we only took 4 but they could put another 2 people in the room. Given 3 of the beds were actually one large slab with 3 pillows lined up against the wall we selected to spring for the extra 10 kuai each to keep the room to ourselves.

None of us could move for about 30 minutes but we made it to the tea room where the guides and porters were hanging out drinking tea. We started playing cards and taught Galek how to play bullsh*it - or 'faudy' as we called it (Tibetan for 'cheat'). The 4 of us had quite an audience of porters and guides trying to work out the game and then asked to borrow my cards. All of a sudden the most animated and confusing gambling game started amongst 10 people. I tried to pick it up but there was no explanation and it wasn't like any poker I had seen. All I know is that there was a lot of money exchanging hands and I wasn't going to see my 'Iowa - The Tall Corn State' playing cards again. Somewhere in western Tibet in a teahouse near Mt Kailash my Cedar Rapids airport cards are floating around.

What a day - a field of emotions from dread to anger to regret (only sort of) to confusion to inspriation to pride to desperation to misery to...ok misery was there for a while...to amazement. As we approached the campsite for the night a man was prostrating towards it. This is a man who has walked the entire circuit thus far with his hands in prayer position, touching his forehead, chest, stomach and then kneeling, laying completely outstretched, getting back up on all fours, repeating the prayer gestures in reverse before taking one step forward to start the process all over again. He did this all the way up the pass, back down 700 meter ascent in total, 28 kilometers thus far - no hat, no food in between, hours on end. It's taken him 5 days thus far and will take him another couple.

You look at that kind of dedication to the task and all my (mostly mental) whinging pales in comparison. Far out.