Start early - definitely before dawn. The monastery will be closed, so work your way around to the left. Follow the valley behind the monastery for a km or two, then go up to your right: after about 100 ft of elevation gain you will find the old stone road. Follow that up to the higher monastery. After the monastery the path becomes indistinct for a while: the monks can show you the way, or if not, just go up-slope for a couple of hundred feet of elevation gain to pick up the braids of the path, which contours to the right.
The walk is easy and beautiful but long. Be prepared for changes in the weather (which for me went from 80 and sunny to horizontal hail and 40 mph winds and back again in half an hour) and bring plenty of water and snacks.
The monastery will be closed when you get back, so you may have to walk down the main road to the bus stop. Contour to the left around the monastery, of course, so that you complete the kora. There are some interesting rock-paintings on the kora route.
WildKid - Apr 9, 2008 12:10 pm - Hasn't voted
More detailsStart early - definitely before dawn. The monastery will be closed, so work your way around to the left. Follow the valley behind the monastery for a km or two, then go up to your right: after about 100 ft of elevation gain you will find the old stone road. Follow that up to the higher monastery. After the monastery the path becomes indistinct for a while: the monks can show you the way, or if not, just go up-slope for a couple of hundred feet of elevation gain to pick up the braids of the path, which contours to the right.
The walk is easy and beautiful but long. Be prepared for changes in the weather (which for me went from 80 and sunny to horizontal hail and 40 mph winds and back again in half an hour) and bring plenty of water and snacks.
The monastery will be closed when you get back, so you may have to walk down the main road to the bus stop. Contour to the left around the monastery, of course, so that you complete the kora. There are some interesting rock-paintings on the kora route.
For an account and some pictures, see
http://lojongmindtraining.com/kailas/drapelri.aspx