Spiritual journeys to Tibet's holiest Koras

Backpacks

It is essential that you all bring have a strong pack of suitable size to carry ALL of your gear. Although you will not be carrying this pack when trekking during the kora, you will be carrying it before and after so please ensure it’s comfortable for you and of suitable size and weight. Backpacks are recommended for this reason.

During the kora your bags may be carried by ponies. Should this be the case it will be essential that all your gear – including items such as tents – are inside the main bag compartments and that no items are hanging from the bag. Additionally all ropes, strings, zips etc must be tied/ covered. This is to ensure they do not get caught on branches, etc while on the kora. If this happens, the ponies will NOT stop and you may lose your items. Tibet Kora WILL NOT allow you to hang stuff off packs that go on to the ponies.

Clothes

Temperatures on the kora are not expected to reach extreme (highs or lows) levels but it is important that you pack appropriate clothing that can easily be changed when weather conditions throughout the day or night quickly change. The best type of clothing is lots of thin layers. Large, single items such as thick jackets or jumpers are not recommended.

This will be a great time to visit the mountains. There should be few clouds, allowing great views of the ranges. In the daytime the temperatures will be warm to very hot in the direct sunlight. At night it will be crisp and cold. Temperatures will rang from 10’c down to 0’c.

• Hiking shoes – boots are not necessary but feel free if you prefer
• Second pair of sturdy footwear for evening or trekking if required
• Socks
• Underwear
• Lightweight vest x 2
• Lightweight t-shirt x 4
• Lightweight long-sleeve t-shirt x 2
• Lightweight running/ hiking shorts x 3
• Lightweight running/ hiking trousers x 2
• Lightweight combats for hanging out at night x 1
• Neck buff – not essential but handy and recommended
• Running cap
• Sun glasses
• Lightweight rain and windproof jacket
• Body-warmer
• Lightweight fleece
• Lightweight jumper
• Long johns
• Woolly hat
• Gloves
• Sun cream

Additionally, contact lens wearers MUST bring their glasses and sufficient lens solution or dailies.

Washing & Cleaning

Needless to say that on the kora, the usual tourist facilities are non-existent, so you can expect the following:

• Lots of camping
• Outdoor toilets – both when camping or staying in local houses
• Washing facilities to be limited to pales of water or streams

That said it’s still possible to keep clean so please don’t forget the following:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Wet-wipes
• Toilet roll x 2
• Vaseline – a small tub is recommended for any chaffing that can occur during sustained hiking/ walking

Prior to and after the trek you will have ample access to toilets, hot water and other modern luxuries.

Please note; it is recommended that both toe and finger nails are cut short BEFORE starting the kora.

Equipment (essential)

• Tent – 2 man maximum please
• Inflatable sleeping mat –you will need this☺
• Sleeping bag – suitable for temperatures of 10’c to 0’c
• Torch w/ spare batteries
• Camping dishes/ cutlery – please provide your own plate, cup and cutlery
• Hiking/ walking stick – highly recommended particularly on descents

Equipment (nice-to-have☺)

• Video camera w/ spare batteries
• Camera w/ spare batteries
• Phone

Equipment (not-essential)

We will be carrying ALL of the items listed below but feel free to bring your own should you wish…

• GPS – if you wish to make your own records
• First aid, including antibiotics

During each day of trekking it is advisable for each of you to carry a day-pack.

This is to ensure you have the essential items you need, such as water and snacks, to hike comfortably throughout the day, minimizing the need to stop and access individual “full” packs transported for you.

The list below provides recommended and optional items to carry in your day-pack however; it is a requirement for the trek that everyone carry their own drinking water for the day.

Please remember that the items listed here only require enough for one day at a time. Additional days worth will be in your main pack carried by porters.

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Essential items:

• Camel pack – 1.5 litres min. 2 litres recommended
• Water purification tablets – enough for one day (approx 5 litres min.)
• Snacks – enough for one day (see “Snacks” below)

Optional extras:

• Walking/ hiking stick – highly recommended, your knees will thank you later!
• Shades and/ or sunhat
• Glasses and/ or lens solution/ eye drops if wearing contact lenses

So what exactly is a daypack, and what kinds of snacks should you bring?

Day packs:
These should be a small, lightweight and comfortable backpack that can hold the essential items listed above. If preferred camel-backs can be separated from day-packs however it may be more comfortable to trek with a combined day-pack. If unsure, we recommend testing a day-pack before starting the kora.

Water:
Water and water purification tablets carried by you each day are for your own personal use. Tibet Kora will be providing water for for meals only.

Although there may be some points on the kora where you will be able to buy bottled water the majority of the water you will be drinking, and all water used for cooking, will come from clear streams. We will make regular stops to fill and refill our water supplies but it will be your responsibility to ensure you have adequate personal water supply. Should you be running low, tell us and we will stop for water at the nearest stream.

Additionally, this is to remind you all that drinking plenty of water will help all of you cope with the altitude. The more hydrated you are the less likely you are to suffer from any altitude sickness.

Snacks:
Although we will be providing meals along the kora it is essential that you bring your own snacks. These snacks will help provide you with much needed energy between meals. Recommended snacks include:

• Chocolate – Yunnan is full of Dove bars but you may wish to bring snack sized mars, snickers, etc.
• Nuts
• Dried fruit – not only a great snack but these can make an excellent topping to you breakfast porridge
• Power gels – highly recommended for that extra energy required during sustained trekking
• Power bars – highly recommended for that extra energy required during sustained trekking
• Vitamins – not essential but a nice to have, recommended are vitamin c or multivitamins

Remember, your day-pack is just that, a day-pack. It should contain only the items required during the day whilst you are hiking. All other items will be packed in your full packs and carried for you by porter or pony.

Here are the final details of the upcoming 2009 Kawa Karpo Kora trek, now starting on Thursday 24th September.

The Kawa Karpo Kora is a 164 kilometers trek that climbs and descends more than Everest, from sea level, and crosses six, remote passes.

Starting and finishing at the Mekong, the kora will take you along the Salween and through contrasting terrain such as lush pine forest inhabited by one of the planet’s rarest primates (the snub-nosed monkey, which we saw on our recent preparatory trek) and barren landscapes littered with colorful prayer flags.

Due to the time of year, as a participant on the kora you will walk alongside Buddhist pilgrims and pass religious carvings, paintings and temples. Buddhists believe that Mt. Kawa Karpo is so holy that walking around it will purify negative karma for a lifetime.
sneak peak of the mighty Kawa Karpo mountain range in the distance

The timetable for the trek is as follows:

September 2009

Thursday 24th – FIRST START Fly to Lijiang – Naxi-night in Lijiang.
Friday 25th – Morning in Lijiang, then drive to Shangri-la.
Saturday 26th – Day in Shangri-la – visit Chicken monastery & Thangkha Painting Academy – SECOND START ARRIVES – both starts meet in Arro Khamper for big Yak Steaks
Sunday 27th – Drive to Deqin. Stay @ Tashi’s Lodge
Monday 28th – Day @ Tashi’s. Preparation for Trek
Tuesday 29th – Kora Day 1 – drive to Yongzhi > Trek to Yong Yue (house)
Wednesday 30th – Kora Day 2 – Yong Yue to Yong Xi Tong (camp)

October 2009

Thursday 1st – Kora Day 3 – Yong Xi Tong to Duoka La (camp)
Friday 2nd – Kora Day 4 – Duoka La to Qunatong (camp)
Saturday 3rd – Kora Day 5 – Qunatong to Ah Bin (house)
Sunday 4th – Kora Day 6 – Ah Bin to Quzhu (camp)
Monday 5th – Kora Day 7 – Quzhu through Zhana to Zena stupa (camp)
Tuesday 6th – Kora Day 8 – Zena stupa to Gebu (house)
Wednesday 7th – Kora Day 9 – Gebu to Drukha stupa (camp)
Thursday 8th – Kora Day 10 – Drukha stupa to Donthon (camp)
Friday 9th – Kora Day 11 – Donthon to Meilixi and down to the Mekong > drive back through Deqin > night in Shangri-la
Saturday 10th – Extra Day; night in Lijiang
Sunday 11th – Fly back to HK from Lijiang

With one month to go before the trek it is at this stage that we require commitment through payment of initial deposits or full fees. We hope that the information provided in this message will make the final decision and process of payment and additional preparation smoother for you.

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Fees:

Full Kawa Karpo Kora 2009 fees are US$1,725 per person. Included in this fee are the following items:

- Return coach from HK to Shenzhen airport
- Return flights from Shenzhen to Lijiang
- All internal transport before and after the kora
- All accommodation before, during and after the kora
- All meals during the kora
- Kora, guides and porters

Please note that the fee does NOT include the following:

- Meals and drinks at restaurants and/ or bars before and after the kora
- Additional food and drink purchased during the kora – this is at your own discretion
- Transportation during the kora – we will be hiking J
- Your own China visa – please see “Visa’s and Permits” below
- Tibetan Permits – please see “Visa and Permits” below
- Personal travel insurance – you are required to provide evidence of travel insurance

Payment Instructions:

Deposits:

To secure your place on the kora a deposit of US$500 must be paid by Friday 28th August 2009.

Full fees:

Remaining fees must be paid in full no later than Friday 11th September 2009.

Visa’s and Permits:

China Visa:

In order to participate on the kora it is your own responsibility to acquire a Chinese Tourist Visa.

It is recommendation that you request a minimum of 30 days per visit and 2 entries permitted. Should you have any questions regarding the application please do let us know.

Additionally, it is precautionary when applying for a China visa to refrain from mentioning Tibet and Yunnan.

Tibetan Permit:

As the kora will take us “technically” into Tibet it is now a recent requirement for all participants to hold a valid permit to travel in Tibet.

Upon receipt of a scan of your passport details page and China visa, Tibet Kora will apply for Tibetan Permits on your behalf, through the relevant local authorities. In addition to these items, please provide evidence of valid travel insurance.

We require receipt of the above no later than Friday 4th September 2009.

Note: Depending on the sensitivity of travel within Tibet or bordering regions, permits are NOT guaranteed. Permit fees will be confirmed upon approval. It is not possible to confirm prior to this. Payment of deposit and full kora fees indicates agreement to this.

We’ve recently been informed that many of you cannot access our updates on Facebook or Twitter. From today you can find all updates here so please do come come back regularly or subscribe to the RSS feed.

First up we’ve added a little more detail to the final Kawa Karpo Kora 2009 schedule. Please do take a look…http://www.tibetkora.com/kawa-karpo-trek/.

We’ve just confirmed our final dates for this years Kawa Karpo Kora. Leaving Hong Kong on Thursday 24th we will arrive in Lijiang for our first night in Yunnan before moving on to shangr-la.

In Shangri-la we’ll get a chance to relax and acclimatise before the drive to Deqin and a day of trek preparation.

Those joining on the second start will be meeting us on Saturday 26th in Shangri-la for a group dinner the night before the drive to Deqin.

The kora will start on Tuesday 29th, taking us through 10 days of trekking, returning us to Deqin on Friday 9th October.

For a full itinerary please see http://www.tibetkora.com/kawa-karpo-trek/. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting regular information on final preparations and packing.

Enjoy!

Announcing the launch of TibetKora.com.

Across Tibet there are a number of holy koras, the most famous being the five day kora around Mt Kailash, in the far west of Tibet. Less known, is the holy kora around Mt Kawa Karpo in the east.

At TibetKora.com we are giving ordinary people, regardless of their faith, the opportunity to complete both koras in two epic treks. The first trek will take place in the autumn of 2009 and the second in 2010.