When one dreams of Western Tibet, it is the grandeur of the towering Himalayan giants that immediately enter the imagination.  Straddling the border between Tibet and Nepal, the world’s tallest mountains soar to the heavens, piercing the unimaginably blue skies.  For the peoples of the Himalayan kingdoms, these mountains are sacred; on their lofty heights dwell the gods and goddesses of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.  In fact, the mountains themselves are considered manifestations of the deities.

As you venture into the wilds of the Western Tibetan plateau, you enter a captivating land of stark, untamed natural beauty quite unlike any other place on earth.  Once the bottom of a prehistoric sea, the Western Tibetan Plateau now stands at an average elevation of 15,000 feet above “current” sea level.  Keeping watch over the Plateau, the mighty Himalayan peaks reach a staggering 26,000 feet plus, culminating with the king of all mountains, the colossal Everest.  Reaching a stupendous 29,017 feet, the world’s tallest mountain exerts a powerfully magnetic pull.  To the west of Everest is the sacred peak of Shisapangma, “the holy place,” rising majestically out of the “grassy plain” and earthen hills of the Langtang Himal. 

While Everest and Shisapangma are sacred and revered mountains, the holiest of all Himalayan peaks is undoubtedly Kailash, the physical incarnation of Meru, cosmic peak of Hindu and Buddhist lore.  Nothing can prepare you for the first glimpse of the perpetually snow-covered peak of Kailash.  The holy mountain exudes a magical aura, each of its four faces revealing a distinct personality.  Lying in the shadow of Kailash is the sacred Lake Manasarovar, whose waters promise to erase a lifetime of sins.

• Mountains of Tibet
• Manasarovar to Kailash