Mount Kailash, while not the highest peak in the region, remains unclimbed since no one has ever reached the summit. There are no climbing expeditions allowed here. It is thought that any attempts to top the peak were foiled by supernatural intervention, such as abrupt weather changes, lost pathways, and so on. Until today, there has been no logical or scientific explanation for this. Many people want to tackle its breathtaking heights, yet the issue remains: Can you climb Mount Kailash? Is it even allowed?
Climbing Mount Kailash is not permitted, owing to its sacred significance. Mount Kailash is regarded as sacred by four religions: Bön, Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. In 2001, the Chinese government granted permission for a Spanish effort, which was met with local and worldwide opposition. With this in mind, the Chinese decided to prohibit any attempts to ascend the peak.
The renowned Reinhold Messner was invited to climb the mountain in the 1980s, but he was rejected.
The mountain, at only 6,638 meters above sea level, is not one of Tibet’s highest, but it has never been ascended by modern man. Hugh Ruttledge, a well-known mountaineer, started studying the mountain’s north face in 1926. He calculated the height at roughly 6,000 feet above the plateau at the time, and the British Mountaineering Association warned him that the peak was “utterly unclimbable”. During his investigation of the north face, he thought he had discovered a path to reach the summit, but time ran out, and the snow made the ascent impossible.
Herbert Tichy, an Australian novelist and climber, was studying the area near Gurla Mandhata in 1936. And wondered if Mount Kailash would be an easy ascent. When he questioned a local lama if the mountain could be climbed, the lama said, “Only a sinless man could climb Kailash.” And he wouldn’t have to scale the towering ice cliffs; instead, he’d transform into a bird and fly to the summit.
It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that an expedition was seriously contemplated, and authorization was granted to Reinhold Messner, the Italian mountaineer who accomplished the first solo ascent of Mount Everest. Messner declined the offer. Messner explained that the mountain was regarded holy, which is why he declined the excursion invitation. He stated, “If we conquer this mountain, we will conquer something in people’s souls.” I would recommend they climb something more difficult. Kailash isn’t too high or rough.”