Pilgrim of Light

I believeTibetans are the backbone of our collective spiritual consciense.

I witnessed a 24 year old girl prostrating around Mt Kailash.  It will take her roughly 40 days.  She had only the clothes on her back, no food no water. Full prostrations all at elevation above 15,600 feet and reaching as high as 18,000 feet.  The ground is icy rock and dust. The sun lacks heat.

The night before clients complained of cold in their down sleeping bags as they rested on cushy sleeping pads and spoke of investments and how they wanted a steak and a hot shower.  I could empathize with them as that night ice had formed on the tents as the temp dipped below 24 degrees F.  

As I passed the young girl I greeted her with the Tibetan "Tashdelek".   She rose up from her prostration with a smile born of purity and yelled out a jovial Tashidelek!  It was as if she was at a water park in mid summer.  Her smile impacted me.  She showed no pain although she must have been suffering,  complete devotion flowed.  I learned that she often travels throughout the night counting only on alms from other passing pilgrims.  She was the embodiment of omnipotence.  

I thought about the Chinese military check posts we had to cross.  With all their guns and gates. The advertisement of fear in their show of might.   I thought about our society with its foundation of fear and its pride in military prowess. The emphasis on material comfort.

Last I thought about this young Tibetan girl, cotton dress, no food, no water.  Crouching and extending her body on the icy slopes of Kailash. Offering and opening her soul to the great mystery.   Alone at night, I am sure cold to the bone. A simple spirit richer than all billionaires.  A simple spirit more powerful than all militaries. A prowess beyond matter, so secure that I believe a mighty gun put to her head would receive a smile and a soul absent of fear.

Tashidelek, 

The Importance of Mt Kailash

An elderly woman approached me in the alley way on the side of the hotel where I stay.  She had graying hair neatly combed with a red vail covering her head.  The vail was shredded in places and golden sequins hung loosely, many had already fallen off probably years ago.  The wrinkles on her face showed age and a life spent in the rice and potato fields.  Wisdom emanated.  She was a bit hunched and as she came close straighten the years out of her spine.  She extended her hand and grabbed mine looking at me through hazy eyes, the beginnings of cataracts.

She somehow had heard I was going to Mt Kailash.  I wondered how in this city of 1 million people she had found me.  The urgency in her gaze tore through me, I could feel she was about to share something very important.  She squeezed my hand and in broken english "You go Kailash?" A slow smile spreading across her face.  Yes I answered excitedly.  "Please.......Please put at Dolma La" The Dolma La is the 18,000 foot pass where every devout Hindu and Buddhist hope to cross in their life time. Offerings of money, clothing, pieces of hair, and photos are left here.  It is believed that stepping through the pass enables one to have a good journey in the next life.

She put a wrinkled 5 rupee (the equivalent of 5 cents) note in my hand and squeezed.  Holding on to my hand with both of hers now she repeated "Please............... Please"  The pause between please are long.  She gently began to squeeze harder and shake my hand up and down in a gesture of great peace and thankfulness, slowly lowers my hand, turns and walks into the fray.

Mt Everest March 2017

We possibly have 3 spaces for our Mt Everest expedition in March of 2017.  The cost will be $32,000 to join us on the amazing north side in Tibet.  Climb the uncrowded side.  Email me at fourwindsexpeditions@gmail.com     Matt Fioretti  fourwindsexpeditions.com

Tibet's Mt Kailash

In the far west of Tibet there is a place so magical it is said that any prayer is granted.  Getting there takes a bit of sweat, cold nights in a tent, and preparedness.  This last one, preparedness, is often the crux.  People ask me "how do you prepare for this" knowing they are asking about mostly logistics.  Yes there are this VISA issues, organizing land rovers and a gear truck,  yaks that will carry our gear, altitude acclimatizing, fuel transport, food logistics, etc,  Daunting but doable.

Then there is the preparedness of a different nature.   Lore says that if you have a pure heart your prayers will be answered by standing beneath the North Face of  Mt Kailash.  Not only do you have to drive across most of Tibet to arrive at the base of Kailash, but then you have to hike to 17,200 feet (5200 m), get all your gear there to overnight in a tent.  At this point it begins to get tricky.  To get to the North Face one must hike to the pass which is poised like a kneeling child at the feet of God to deliver your prayer.  There is no trail, only a long boulder field that rises for 1200 feet.

I was sharing this with my client.  With a dejected smile on his face he questioned or wondered how many prayers really get answered.  The preparedness of a pure heart is daunting and not so doable.  If I look at myself for example my intention are clear but I have the other stuff of daily life,  Getting upset with my wife, unhappy with an employee, the driver who cuts me off on the freeway who makes me draw my middle finger, the judgement of others.  The list goes on.

 Laughter increased as we discussed further lore.  It is said that circumambulating Kailash 108 times induces enlightenment, a pure heart.  On this journey we are starting in Lhasa Tibet. After 19 days on the trail and long days at altitude we will only finish 1 ambulation of the mountain.  To finish 108 ambulations would take 2052 days or roughly 5 years.  This is if you were able to do it  every year back to back.   My client humbly says over increased laughter,  "Well I guess our prayers will not be answered this time" Noting that we humans have good hearts but pure?

We fly to Lhasa on September 22nd, cross Tibet by Landcover,  Circle the mountain by foot over 4 days, take a baptism dip in holy lake Manasorovar, cross a 18,000 foot pass by foot and exit through the rarely traveled Limi Valley for 9 days by foot.  I am sure all of our hearts will be a bit more pure than when we started but man it is a long journey of work and toil.

Matt Fioretti     fourwindsexpeditions.com