The kora around Mount Kailash: day by day

The kora is a circle around the mountain, not an ascent of it. Nobody has ever climbed Mount Kailash: the mountain is closed to mountaineering, and there is neither a ban to argue with nor a record to set. There is no summit here — there is a circle of 52 kilometres, walked in three days.

Day one. Darchen to Dirapuk, 20 km

The start is in Darchen at 4,600 m. The first seven kilometres are usually driven: that stretch runs along a wide dry valley and adds nothing to either the experience or the acclimatisation. After it comes a steady, almost imperceptible climb along the Lha Chu valley.

By evening the group reaches the guesthouse facing the north face. It is the calmest day of the kora — and the most deceptive: your legs are still fresh and you want to walk faster than you should.

Day two. Dirapuk to Drolma La to Zutulpuk, 20 km

The decisive day. Nine kilometres of climbing to the Drolma La pass at 5,630 m — the highest point of the route and the altitude the whole previous week of acclimatisation was built for. You leave before dawn, walk slowly and stop often.

Beyond the pass comes the descent past Lake Gaurikund and a long, gentle exit into the Zutulpuk valley. Going down takes more out of you than it looks: by then you have been on your feet for ten to twelve hours.

Day three. Zutulpuk to Darchen, 12 km

A quiet walk out through the gorge, past Milarepa's cave. The walking is easy, the altitude drops, conversation comes back. The circle closes exactly where it began — and this is the one route where returning to the starting point is the meaning rather than the end.

Worth knowing in advance

• The pace is set by the slowest member of the group — on the kora that is a safety rule, not a courtesy.
• The overnight stops in Dirapuk and Zutulpuk are simple mountain guesthouses: shared rooms, minimal facilities, electricity not around the clock.
• Personal luggage is carried by yaks or porters; you keep only a day pack.
• The main season runs from May to early October.

People with no sporting background complete the kora. The ones who break down are usually the fit — they walk faster than the air allows.