Thumbnail of the Amnye Machen Kora Map
Perhaps it’s just nostalgia; perhaps just the length of time that goes into getting everything right, but even in the days of instant gratification mashups, there’s something special about a good-old paper topographic map.
The unique massif of Kailas protruding through the morning mist. On this, the north east face from about 4km, the distinctive rock strata and pyramidal shape are clearly discerned.
Within the league of mountains, Everest and K2 are renown solely for their size; their sheer height above the distant seas. On a more spiritual level, many mountains are seen as sacred, bridging the gap between earth and heaven, even providing a suitable earthly abode for the gods. Modern Turkey abounds in peaks sacred to the pre-Turkish inhabitants: Olympus, home to the Hellenic gods, & Mount Arrat, sacred to the Armenians.
Further east, beyond the Himalaya, Gan Rinpoch or – to use the more popular Indian name – Mount Kailas, is a contemporary pilgrimage site to Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bön-Po. Pilgrims make the sacred yet arduous journey from across South and East Asia, to a mountainous region enduring in its isolation. A region devoid of airports, roads, hotels and most modern conveniences. A region beyond reach of the twentieth century.