A long, hard trek up Mount Kailash in Tibet

Pilgrims taking a breather after crossing the Dolma La Pass. — PIONG CHEE LIAT

My maiden trip to the “Roof of the World” aka Tibet would encompass the famous Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash sites. These are located in Western Tibet, and are visited by many people as they are holy sites.

I went on the trip with my trekking mates during the Merdeka holidays last year. I flew from Chengdu, China into Shigatse (3,845m), the second largest city in Tibet. I felt light headed as soon as I alighted the plane. I took some high altitude medicine, but I just couldn’t acclimatise and was forced to spend the rest of the day in bed. Thankfully, the next morning, I was fully recovered.