Humla Arrival

Our team reached the Humla district capitol of Simikot today, and we are looking forward to a day of rest, after which we will begin our three-week exploration of Humla and Tibet, with an ultimate destination of Mount Kailas. Our explorations will take us east of Simikot into the Nyin Valley and up to Rawling Gompa, an important Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the region, and a site of many religious festivals (mela). 

This will be the second (or third trip for a few) in the past two years by our team as part of the Sacred Himalaya Initiative. Like our first trip, we will continue to trace the historical pilgrimage routes used to travel to Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar. In addition, we will be trying to better understand the changing ecological, cultural and religious dynamics in the region, especially in relation to the transboundary landscape that ICIMOD is focused on through its Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI).