Mount Kailash 冈仁波齐

About Mount Kailash

Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and followers of Bon attach different religious meanings to the mountain, and pilgrimage focuses on travelling around it. Visitors who are not undertaking the demanding high-altitude circuit can still appreciate its setting from the G219 approach near Darchen. The broader view also takes in Gurla Mandhata, giving a sense of the mountain-and-lake landscape of southern Ngari.

The peak reaches an elevation of 6,638 metres (21,778 feet) near the western trijunction of China, India and Nepal, close to Lake Manasarovar and Rakshastal. The sources of four rivers – the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Ghaghara – lie in the vicinity. No expedition has recorded a successful ascent, and the Chinese government prohibits climbing because of the mountain's religious significance. In Sanskrit it is called Kailasa, possibly derived from 'kelasa', meaning crystal; its Tibetan name, Gang Rinpoche, means 'snow jewel mountain', while the local name Gang Tise means 'mountain of ice or cool'.

What to look for

• Kailash's prominent main peak from the G219 approach outside Darchen.
• The wider mountain skyline, including Gurla Mandhata across the southern Ngari landscape.

Location & getting there

Getting to Mount Kailash

Darchen (塔尔钦) is the pilgrimage base below Kailash. The Ali tourism bureau identifies the G219 road outside town as a place to see the mountain; stop only where roadside parking is permitted.

• A full kora is a separate high-altitude trek. The scenic-area operator prohibits entry to undeveloped routes including the Thirteen Golden Chortens and the Dakini secret passage.