A Trek through the Himalayas

Eight intrepid Australian pilgrims trek through the Himalayas into occupied Tibet to circle Mount Kailash, Asia's most sacred mountain. Confronted by altitude, officialdom and the physical stresses of the endeavour, their journey reveals seldom seen experiences of today's Nepal and Tibet.

Firstly, to acclimatize to altitude, they take a six-day trek up the Kanarli River valley in NW Nepal to the Tibetan Border. Once in Tibet, they have the huge challenge of the ancient ritual walk around Tibet’s sacred mountain - 52km, at up to 5,700 metres altitude. They attend Buddha’s birthday party with thousands of Tibetans – before travelling across Tibet to experience the capital Lhasa.

Sonam Ongmu Denzongpa, from the Gold Coast and film-maker Mark Gould from Sydney lead the group on a rare journey during Saga Dawa 2019, the summer month celebrating the birth death and enlightenment of the Buddha.

Music:- Tenzin Choegyal, Ani Choying Drolma, Toshi Tscuhitori Producers mark Gould

Our Characters

The members of the group come from a range of ages, backgrounds and experience levels. They are: four men and four women, ranging from 31 to 68 years of age. This makes for compelling viewing as they each have different motivations for undertaking the journey, offer unique insights and have different struggles along the way. It is an ensemble story, but inevitably some characters feature more strongly. Our core group are:

● Sonam Ongmu Denzompa, originally from Sikkim, married an Australian and has three daughters and lives on the Gold Coast. Sonam is a cultural Buddhist having grown up in a devout family. She speaks 5 languages including Tibetan and Nepali. For her this pilgrimage into Tibet is an act of cultural affiliation with Buddhism.

● Mark Gould is filmmaker and storyteller who has made seven films in and around Indian and Himalayan subjects. He seeks to go ‘beyond the far pavilions’ and bring back a story.

● Freeman Trebilcock is a young man from Melbourne who was raised Tibetan Buddhist and spent nine years as an ordained Buddhist monk. This journey has been a life-long dream, but he’s worried that a lifelong association with the Dalai Lama will mean they turn him back at the Tibetan border.

● Adrienne McRae is a midwife and avid bushwalker. She knows nothing about Tibet. Her simple and warm-hearted approach make her receptive to new experiences and always up for a laugh.

● Carmel Thew is a retired school principal with a passion for Tibetan Buddhism she discovered later in life. She’s an adventurous spirit who loves being outside her comfort zone. Although this time she may just reach her limits.

● Murray Cox is a Bondi landscape architect and poet who loves ocean swimming. He is as fit as a fiddle. Having just gone through a marital separation he hopes this pilgrimage will give him perspective.

● Charles Dodgson is a journalist, writer and teacher who is completing a book on Buddhism and its counter-narratives. He brings a wealth of historical knowledge.

● Dzung Price is a Vietnamese Australian medical practitioner from the Gold Coast. She thinks of herself as ‘spiritual’ but not religious. For her this walk is a personal challenge in grappling with the interaction of mind and matter.