Kailash Yatra
After finishing the Annapurna Circuit in 2024, I wondered what would come next. A Kailash Yatra was one idea. I had already planned hikes for 2025, with some downtime to welcome our first granddaughter, so 2026 seemed like the perfect year. A yatra is a pilgrimage. We are all pilgrims, spiritual beings on a human journey. Beyond the hiking, I felt a separate urge to go to Kailash, and I wanted to go in memory of my mother. I floated the idea with a few close friends, and most of them signed up. I needed at least 10 people. After due diligence, we chose the Om Namah Sivaya (ONS) group. News spread, and the team grew to 20. We decided to travel via Tibet to see the Potala Palace and other monasteries. Half the team planned the three-day parikrama around Kailash, while the others would visit Mansarovar and do some shorter hikes. We would start on September 14, 2026, from Kathmandu. The WhatsApp group buzzed with questions and information. Tickets were booked, Chinese visas obtained. All s...