a few tips for future yatris to Kailash & Manasarovar ....
Some learnings as tips for future yatris..
In earlier times the yatra was full of hardship and there was no focus on comfort. So that helped open up a person completely by the time one reached Mt Kailash. But in todays times, comfort is given more significance. The journey itself is becoming more and more comfortable with the excellent roads that China has built right upto Manasarovar. It is almost a comfortable holiday nowadays !!
One can look at the yatra as a shift / change and just go with the flow and endure some of the hardships... stay focussed as a devotee and ignore the body / mind for at least the duration of the yatra... or make some small adjustments in what you pack for the yatra if you want to have some comfort !!
Some tips based on my experience :
Castor Oil : We were told to pack and carry castor oil. As there was no clear instructions as to why castor oils is recommended, many did not pack and carry and neither did I . Only on reaching Lhasa were we told that castor oil when applied to the nostril, keeps the nostrils lubricated, making the breathing effortless !! Luckily many of the other yatris had brought sufficient castor oil and we were all able to use it and it really helped.
Pranayama and deep breathing exercises: Strongly recommended at least a few months before the trip. The body's pulmonary capacity is challenged on account of the ovygen-lean air that you breathe at high altitudes...
At high altitudes, make sure that you move slow and steady as the body would become breathless more sooner. And do not bend and get up with a jerk. Blood may drain away from the head. Slow movements recommended.
Layers of clothes : We were told that at least 5 layers of clothing are needed to stay warm. At least in the month of Aug when we trekked, these 5 layer guidance is a total overkill !! It actually made the trek more uncomfortable. And since we had already donned 5 layers, one was stuck with it as we could not strip and remove layers in between the trek !!
I would recommend that one good full sleeve thermals on top and likewise at the bottom, an outer layer of comfortable clothes, a woolen sweater and a woolen muffler + monkeycap would suffice. Apart from this a down jacket with hood is really useful. An outer layer would be just a rain proof jacket + trousers.
Rain proof / water proof shoes : Not really essential unless you are sure that you would have to walk in deep layers of snow. In Aug the trek was on firm ground and the waterproof shoes were not really useful, but added weight to the trek!!
Rain Proof jacket and trousers : this is relevant as you have rain / hail and clothes may tend to get wet if you do not have rain proof wear.
Packing a set of swimwear / swimming trunks / quick drying nylon shorts is recommended if you are keen to take a dip at Lake Manasarovar. Dries up faster after a dip !!
Sun protection cream (SPF 50) for your face and lip balms are required. Do not avoid these !!
Flask : This was redundant for the trek in August. Normal bottled water itself was sufficient. Did not have to carry hot / warm water. Possibly if the yatra is done during deeper winter months, the flask may make sense. One trick I used was put two bottles of water inside my inner jacket ( instead of in the backpack / trouser pockets) so the body warmth kept the chill out of the water.
Food at the midway halt : Getting pure veg noodles in the local tibetan tents at the mid way halt is a challenge. May be adviseable to carry your own instant cooking veg noodle cups, which can be consumed with the hot water that can be purchased at these local tents. Also even energy bars, protein bars, dry fruits and dates should easily suffice. One another tip is to carry lime flavored / orange flavored Glucose powder which can be mixed into the bottle of water and drunk instead of plain water. Note : ORS / Electral is not advised by the doctors.
Food in general : dependence is on the Nepali sherpas cooking abilities and the limited repertoire of masalas that they carry. So if you are a die hard south Indian, you may carry some of the readymade rice mix pastes for the tangy meals that you would long for.
The tongue longs for the saltier tangier food.. so apart from sweets and dryfruits, you may like to pack salted snacks : bhujias , moong dals etc.
The yatra can be a surefire method to lose a few kilos !! So if you can control the urge to snack / nibble, one can easily lose a few kilos in these two weeks !!
Squatting : As we are not used to squatting in the loos and are more used to the western style of commodes, a few of us whose bodies are not as nimble, struggled in the "natural wide open spaces toilets with great scenery" . Recommend that a few weeks before the yatra, people try squatting exercises...It is pretty easy and the lower limbs get used to it very soon. This will help you relieve yourself better and also enjoy the scenery of the wide open toilets better :-). By the way, it is said that the human body is designed for best evacuation in the squatting position : See link http://www.squattypotty.com/
Bathing : Don't expect to bathe after Lhasa till you return to Lhasa. One is that water is a luxury in Tibet despite many major rivers having their source in this region of Tibet. Hot water is another luxury !!! Secondly we were told that the thermal shock of the bath would affect our breathing / oxygen demand. So no bathing... Anyways the body does not sweat much and one can manage a few days without a shower. Pack under arm deos if needed !!
Connectivity : Locally purchased sim cards in Tibet do not enable dialling India numbers !! So one can use it only for sending sms to India. Option is to use the wifi connectivity at most accomodations and connect using whatsapp messages and calls. So whatsapp is a major savior and yatris should activate whatsapp dialling on their smartphones prior to the yatra.
Also be aware that Facebook, Google search, Gmail etc are on the censored / restricted / banned list of sites in China/Tibet. So dependence shifts to hotmail etc for email connectivity. Mobiles that have international roaming activated on their Indian mobile service providers like Vodafone / Airtel would have good connectivity all through.
In earlier times the yatra was full of hardship and there was no focus on comfort. So that helped open up a person completely by the time one reached Mt Kailash. But in todays times, comfort is given more significance. The journey itself is becoming more and more comfortable with the excellent roads that China has built right upto Manasarovar. It is almost a comfortable holiday nowadays !!
One can look at the yatra as a shift / change and just go with the flow and endure some of the hardships... stay focussed as a devotee and ignore the body / mind for at least the duration of the yatra... or make some small adjustments in what you pack for the yatra if you want to have some comfort !!
Some tips based on my experience :
Castor Oil : We were told to pack and carry castor oil. As there was no clear instructions as to why castor oils is recommended, many did not pack and carry and neither did I . Only on reaching Lhasa were we told that castor oil when applied to the nostril, keeps the nostrils lubricated, making the breathing effortless !! Luckily many of the other yatris had brought sufficient castor oil and we were all able to use it and it really helped.
Pranayama and deep breathing exercises: Strongly recommended at least a few months before the trip. The body's pulmonary capacity is challenged on account of the ovygen-lean air that you breathe at high altitudes...
At high altitudes, make sure that you move slow and steady as the body would become breathless more sooner. And do not bend and get up with a jerk. Blood may drain away from the head. Slow movements recommended.
Layers of clothes : We were told that at least 5 layers of clothing are needed to stay warm. At least in the month of Aug when we trekked, these 5 layer guidance is a total overkill !! It actually made the trek more uncomfortable. And since we had already donned 5 layers, one was stuck with it as we could not strip and remove layers in between the trek !!
I would recommend that one good full sleeve thermals on top and likewise at the bottom, an outer layer of comfortable clothes, a woolen sweater and a woolen muffler + monkeycap would suffice. Apart from this a down jacket with hood is really useful. An outer layer would be just a rain proof jacket + trousers.
Rain proof / water proof shoes : Not really essential unless you are sure that you would have to walk in deep layers of snow. In Aug the trek was on firm ground and the waterproof shoes were not really useful, but added weight to the trek!!
Rain Proof jacket and trousers : this is relevant as you have rain / hail and clothes may tend to get wet if you do not have rain proof wear.
Packing a set of swimwear / swimming trunks / quick drying nylon shorts is recommended if you are keen to take a dip at Lake Manasarovar. Dries up faster after a dip !!
Sun protection cream (SPF 50) for your face and lip balms are required. Do not avoid these !!
Flask : This was redundant for the trek in August. Normal bottled water itself was sufficient. Did not have to carry hot / warm water. Possibly if the yatra is done during deeper winter months, the flask may make sense. One trick I used was put two bottles of water inside my inner jacket ( instead of in the backpack / trouser pockets) so the body warmth kept the chill out of the water.
Food at the midway halt : Getting pure veg noodles in the local tibetan tents at the mid way halt is a challenge. May be adviseable to carry your own instant cooking veg noodle cups, which can be consumed with the hot water that can be purchased at these local tents. Also even energy bars, protein bars, dry fruits and dates should easily suffice. One another tip is to carry lime flavored / orange flavored Glucose powder which can be mixed into the bottle of water and drunk instead of plain water. Note : ORS / Electral is not advised by the doctors.
Food in general : dependence is on the Nepali sherpas cooking abilities and the limited repertoire of masalas that they carry. So if you are a die hard south Indian, you may carry some of the readymade rice mix pastes for the tangy meals that you would long for.
The tongue longs for the saltier tangier food.. so apart from sweets and dryfruits, you may like to pack salted snacks : bhujias , moong dals etc.
The yatra can be a surefire method to lose a few kilos !! So if you can control the urge to snack / nibble, one can easily lose a few kilos in these two weeks !!
Squatting : As we are not used to squatting in the loos and are more used to the western style of commodes, a few of us whose bodies are not as nimble, struggled in the "natural wide open spaces toilets with great scenery" . Recommend that a few weeks before the yatra, people try squatting exercises...It is pretty easy and the lower limbs get used to it very soon. This will help you relieve yourself better and also enjoy the scenery of the wide open toilets better :-). By the way, it is said that the human body is designed for best evacuation in the squatting position : See link http://www.squattypotty.com/
Bathing : Don't expect to bathe after Lhasa till you return to Lhasa. One is that water is a luxury in Tibet despite many major rivers having their source in this region of Tibet. Hot water is another luxury !!! Secondly we were told that the thermal shock of the bath would affect our breathing / oxygen demand. So no bathing... Anyways the body does not sweat much and one can manage a few days without a shower. Pack under arm deos if needed !!
Connectivity : Locally purchased sim cards in Tibet do not enable dialling India numbers !! So one can use it only for sending sms to India. Option is to use the wifi connectivity at most accomodations and connect using whatsapp messages and calls. So whatsapp is a major savior and yatris should activate whatsapp dialling on their smartphones prior to the yatra.
Also be aware that Facebook, Google search, Gmail etc are on the censored / restricted / banned list of sites in China/Tibet. So dependence shifts to hotmail etc for email connectivity. Mobiles that have international roaming activated on their Indian mobile service providers like Vodafone / Airtel would have good connectivity all through.
Labels: Kailash Manasarovar Yatra
posted by Shriram Parameswaran @ 1:06 PM
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