GUNUNG · People's Republic of China

Mount Kailash

Gang Rinpoche / Kangrinboqê (གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་) / Kailāsa (कैलास)

Information

Elevation: 6.638 m
Country: People's Republic of China (CN)
Location / Range: Gangdise Shan (Kailash Range), Transhimalaya — Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, western China
Mountain type: Non-volcanic peak (metamorphic and granite rock, Transhimalaya) — the only significant peak on Earth that has never been and may never be climbed
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 31.0669, 81.3128
Difficulty: Climbing is completely banned both by law (China) and by religious custom (four religions); the pilgrimage kora trek of about 52 km circles the foot of the mountain via Drolma La (about 5,630 m) — moderate, with good acclimatization
Best Season: May–June and September–October (the Drolma La is snow-free); the busiest peak is during the Saga Dawa Festival (the fourth lunar month, usually June)
Permits & Rules: Tibet Travel Permit + Aliens' Travel Permit + Military Area Permit (Ngari) — all must be arranged through a certified Chinese tour operator; summit climbing is banned by Chinese law
Hazards: Altitude sickness (Darchen ~4,575 m, Drolma La ~5,630 m); near-freezing temperatures at night year-round; strong winds at the Drolma La; sudden snow in the pre- and post-season; remote terrain on the western Tibetan plateau

Description

Mount Kailash (6,638 m; Tibetan: Gang Rinpoche) rises in the far west of the Tibet Autonomous Region within the Gangdise Shan (Kailash Range). It holds the unique distinction of being the only prominent peak on Earth that has never been — and legally cannot be — climbed, not because the terrain is impossible but because it is sacred to four major faiths: Hinduism (the abode of Shiva at the roof of the world), Tibetan Buddhism (earthly manifestation of Mount Meru, the cosmic axis), Jainism (the site where the first Tirthankara, Adinath, attained liberation), and Bon (the spiritual pillar of the universe). For millennia, pilgrims from all four traditions have come not to summit but to circumambulate: the kora, a ~52 km pilgrimage circuit around the mountain's base completed over roughly three days. The circuit's highest point is Drolma La (~5,630 m), a pass draped in prayer flags and offerings to Tara. Darchen (4,575 m) serves as the starting point, reachable from Lhasa or Nepal by overland routes across the Tibetan plateau. The best trekking seasons are May–June and September–October, when Drolma La is free of snow. Multiple layered permits — Tibet Travel Permit, Aliens' Travel Permit, and Military Area Permit — must be arranged through a licensed operator.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Kora Dalam Kailash (Inner Kora / Nandi Kora)

Berat — lebih pendek namun lebih curam dan terpencil, mendekati kaki selatan dan puncak Nandi

Sirkuit pendek ±1 hari; menurut tradisi hanya untuk yang telah menyelesaikan 13 kali kora luar

A shorter, rarely walked inner circuit approaching Kailash's southern base and Mount Nandi. By tradition it is reserved for pilgrims who have completed 13 outer koras. As with the outer route, the main summit is never climbed.

Source

Kora Luar Kailash (sirkuit mengelilingi gunung)

Berat — ketinggian ekstrem (titik tertinggi Drolma La ±5.630 m); bukan pendakian teknis, tetapi menuntut aklimatisasi dan stamina

±3 hari, ±52 km — Darchen → Dirapuk → Drolma La (±5.630 m) → Zutulpuk → Darchen

An ~52 km, ~3-day pilgrimage circuit that circumambulates — does not climb — Mount Kailash, with the crux being the crossing of the Drolma La pass at ~5,630 m. The 6,638 m SUMMIT is forbidden to climb as it is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon; pilgrims only walk around it (kora/parikrama), Hindus and Buddhists clockwise, Bon practitioners counter-clockwise.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Mount Kailash (Gang Rinpoche, 6,638 m) in western Tibet is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon — its summit is forbidden to climb. Instead, pilgrims and trekkers walk the kora, a ~52 km circuit around the mountain's base over about three days, with the crux being the crossing of the Drolma La pass (~5,630 m). The videos and write-ups below show real experiences of the kora. All links are verified live.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.