“Kora” refers to an activity that people make pilgrimages by walking or kowtowing around a mountain or lake. It is a way that Tibetan show their respect to holy mountains. Mount Kailash is located in Purang County, Ngari Area, not far from the Sino-Nepalese border. It is the main peak as well as the second highest peak of the Gangdese Mountains, with a height of 6,656 meters. Tibetans believe that it is the grandest activity to do kora around Mount Kailash. It is said that doing kora around the mountain can cleanse the sins of one’s life.
For normal tourists, doing kora around Mount Kailash is an outdoor activity that they can challenge themselves. But more tourists believe that a kora around Mount Kailash will bring them good luck and happiness. Average altitude of the kora route around Mount Kailash is about 4,800 meters. Therefore, doing kora around this mountain is not a small challenge. But it is not that difficult to complete a kora journey once you have adapted to the altitude and climate in Tibet.
The itinerary to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar was made according to the experience of the past several years and tourists’ feedback, allowing tourists to have enough time to rest, take pictures, enjoy the scenery, and adapt to the plateau climate and altitude during the journey. A normal tour route to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is as follow: Lhasa - Shigatse - Everest Base Camp - Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar - Lhasa. If you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable at the 5,200-meter EBC, you could then fully enjoy yourself in Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
Altitude sickness is originally not an illness. It is just a natural transition reaction that occurs when a person who has lived in low-altitude areas fails to adapt to the acclimate in higher-altitude areas. The transition period may be as short as one day, or it may be as long as a week. According to our experience, most people can adapt to the climate on the plateau within 3-5 days, and they can fully enjoy their journey in Tibet in the following days.
Generally speaking, tourists who go to high-altitude areas for the first time do not know how soon they can adapt to the changes. They don’t know how long their transition period will be, either. Therefore, they will follow many travel tips and take anti-altitude medicines such as Gaoyuan’an and Rhodiola before arriving in Tibet. Still, we would like to remind you that taking medicines is not enough if you want to travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. In addition to taking medicines in accordance with the doctor's advice, there are other suggestions we would like to offer you:
There is no such rule that can define which kind of person are prone to get altitude sickness. Besides, our physical condition changes very often, so it is largely possible that people who didn't get altitude sickness in EBC would get altitude sickness when he does kora around Mount Kailash. And people who come to Tibet for the first time should pay more attention to this concern. An experienced and professional tour guide and driver can handle with such situation easily once you have similar symptoms. So please contact your tour guide or driver at once when you feel uncomfortable. Along the way of a kora journey around Mount Kailash, there are two sections where cars are accessible. If you don’t have the strength to complete the journey, contact your tour guide as soon as possible and they will arrange cars for you to leave.
Many symptoms of altitude sickness are caused by psychological effects. For example, a person who hasn’t gotten altitude sickness all the way, but once he was told that he was standing on a 4,000-meter place, he would soon feel dizzy and be out of breath, and that is a psychological effect. You can ask a professional guide to know more about the plateau environment before the journey. Don't be over-excited when you know that you will soon enter Ngari Area and see the holy Mount Kailash. A steady state of mind will be helpful to adjust your breathing. Don't be nervous when you have symptoms of altitude sickness. Our experienced guides and drivers will definitely help you overcome the altitude sickness easily.
A healthy body is a necessary guarantee for entering Tibet. Sick people had better not enter Tibet. For example, those who have a cold are not recommended to go to the high-altitude Everest Base Camp and Ngari Area. Staying in Lhasa and having a good rest before you recover are the best. Those who have cerebrovascular disease are not recommended to enter high-altitude areas as well. And those who have high blood pressure and lung disease are not recommended to go to the holy Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. If you don't have the above diseases, then congratulations! You can enter Tibet without any concerns. Mount Kailash is a sacred place, and any one who come to worship her will not be rejected.
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