Near death experiences focus the mind (in a spiritual way)

Mount Kailash is often called the 'most sacred mountain in the world'. Near the source of 4 of Asia's great rivers it soars to more than 7000m and the paths which circle it are constantly filled with Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon pilgrims - not to mention the odd tourist who either has the necessary permits (thanks to the Chinese Frontier and Military Police and a bucket load of Yuan) or has managed to slip into western Tibet illegally.

The kora around Kailash crosses a pass at 5600m so is not for the faint of heart or those suffering from altitude sickness. The trekking season is coming to an end in Tibet as autumn becomes winter so our driver and tour guide (mandatory requirements for those pesky permits) spent the time before our arrival at Kailash emphasising that should the snow reach above the top of our thighs (a height with significant variance between Michaela and I) we should stop and turn around (when they found out a German tourist had died the week before the height dropped and the worry lines grew).

Despite the doomsayers we managed to complete the kora (without porters or yaks carrying our bags or tent) with only the odd departure from the track (once the route was covered in snow we could only navigate by following earlier footsteps), and the occasional tumble ...

We did however give up on tenting after the first night when the contents of the water bottle that was nestled between Michaela's sleeping bag and mine froze during the night. After that it was accommodation in some of the Buddhist monasteries which sit around Kailash for us. The solid dirt walls and our gas cooker keeping the cold at bay.

S