1. During electric storms, don't point upwards metallic objects like wireless aerials which can attract lightning. Also, keep away from conical rocks. Don't take shelter under a tree. Don't remain on the top of hills. Open space is safer. One can even sit down on a non-coducting sheet etc. if one has.

2. Wear more thin clothes, instead of one or two thick clothes. Have a wind cheater.

3. Practice walking with trekking shoes on before the yatra begins. Keep the shoes inside the sleeping bag during yatra nights, otherwise they may freeze.

4. Wear two socks: One woolen and the other cotton.

5. Feet must be dry. Use dusting powder. Wet shoes cause blisters.

6. Extremities like hands and feet must be protected against extreme cold. Exposure of extremities can lead to high altitude pulmonary oedema.

7. Take lots of water and fluids. Body needs a lot of energy.

8. Wear good sunglasses to protect eyes against snow blindness.

9. Apply sun cream or calamine lotion on exposed parts to avoid sunburn.

10. Cuts, blisters and ulcers need proper, urgent treatment.

11. Keep moving fingers, toes and facial muscles.

12. Stay close together to remain warm.

13. Begin trekking early in the morning.

14. Walk steady and always with a companion.

15. High altitudes kill appetite and can cause loose motions also. Do not neglect food.

16. Don't get separated from the group.

17. Don't sleep with the boots on.

18. Don't overexert.

19. Avoid alcohol.

Kailash Mansarovar is situated amidst a picturesque landscape in the remote mountains of western Tibet. A journey to this sacred shrine is the experience of a lifetime. One of the highest, loveliest and most desolate places on earth, Kailash Mansarovar has been an ancient pilgrimage for the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Jains and the Tibetan Bonpos. The sublime snow-clad Mt. Kailash, situated at an altitude of 22,028 ft (6,714 m), is revered as a site of immense natural power where the temporal and the eternal unite and divinity takes the physical form. The Mansarovar Lake, on the other hand, is the source of four great rivers: the Indus, the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra and the Karnali.

The Himalayas (abode of snow) are considered the mystical dwelling of the gods from ancient times. Ancient texts, such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Vedas, all sing in unison of the glory and wonder of the Himalayas. A large number of mountain peaks and ranges in the Himalayas are named after Lord Shiva, the Lord of Mountains.

The pilgrimage to Kailash and Mansarovar is considered one of the most difficult treks in Asia. The distance is tremendous, the weather harsh, the supplies almost non-existent, not to speak of the lurking fear of bandits. In spite of these difficulties and hardships, a magnetic pull draws thousands of pilgrims and tourists to this place every year.

LOCATION
 

Kailash lies in the Nagri region of Western Tibet. A part of the region is inhabited by few nomadic tribes while the rest is a vast empty plain, devoid of any vegetation. Naked hills of rose, violet and flaming orange scatter off into the distance. The Mansarovar Lake is 15 miles wide and 55 miles in circumference. The turquoise water of the lake is said to possess miraculous healing properties.

TIME TO VISIT

The best time for visiting Kailash Mansarovar is between the middle of May to the middle of October. The weather is generally stable and visibility is at its best during this time. Temperatures are cool during the day and below freezing at night.

MYTH
Hindus regard Mt. Kailash as the mythical Mt. Meru, the divine center of the universe around which the whole creation revolves. It is described in the ancient texts as a fantastic “World Pillar”, its roots in the lowest hell and its top touching the heavens. Sprawling below is the sacred Mansarovar, which is born of the mind of Brahma. A single circuit of Kailash is said to erase the sins of an age, while 108, a holy number, ensures Nirvana.

Buddhists regard Mt Kailash as the Kang Rinpoche, the precious snow mountain. For them, Kailash is a gigantic natural mandala; it is the epicenter of tantrik forces. Buddhists believe that Queen Maya, Buddha’s mother, was carried here by the gods and washed before giving birth to Buddha. They undertake arduous journey from Ladakh, Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia and every corner of Tibet to this place. The Jain religion considers Kailash as Mount Ashtapada. Rishabhdev, the founder of Jainism, attained spiritual liberation atop this summit. To the Bonpos, who are the followers of Tibet’s old pre-Buddhist beliefs, it is the ‘nine story Swastika Mountain’–the mystic ‘soul’ of the entire region.