What this solves
You've got two or three days for the inner kora. The clockwise (kora-traditional) route hits Chenresig at sunrise — but exposes you to a west wind on Tanggu La. Counter-clockwise puts the sun behind you for photos — but you summit Tanggu La in afternoon clouds. This scorer ranks the three options against your actual priorities: light, wind, bailout, photos, climb.
Tell me about your priorities
How to read the result
Clockwise (CW) — The traditional kora direction. Hits Chenresig (4,958 m) at sunrise from the east — light is on your face. Strongest argument: Buddhist pilgrims expect this. Sums the inner kora into ~12.5 km / ~1,450 m gain.
Counter-clockwise (CCW) — Photographer favourite. The Three Holy Mountains (Chenresig, Jambeyang, Chanadorje) sit in the east, so the afternoon sun lights them from your side when you approach Tanggu La. Slightly longer total climb (~1,600 m gain) because you hit Tanggu La at the end of day 1.
Split (2-day inner + optional 3rd day Kashe) — Most relaxed. Sleep at Luorong Pasture (4,150 m) or Tanggu La base (4,800 m). Adds the rarely-visited Kashe Hell-Valley on day 3 if your knees and weather cooperate.
Scores are on a 0-100 scale, weighted against your stated priorities. The top option is rarely "best at everything" — it wins on what you told me matters most.
Limitations
FAQ
A: For pilgrimage purposes, yes — clockwise (the same way the sun moves around a stupa) is the traditional kora direction. For a secular trekker, it's optional. The clockwise recommendation here is for sunrise, not religion.
A: Outdated and confusing. Old guidebook advice said CCW was bad form because of pilgrims — but in practice, 80% of fit trekkers in 2024-2025 do CCW because of the photo light. The park does not enforce direction.
A: Yes. The split is really "two pacing options": (a) fast 2-day CW/CCW inner kora, or (b) the same plus an optional Kashe day 3. The tool handles both.
A: Technically possible but I don't recommend it. The Kashe descent is the most technical part of the whole trek — rushing it is how people get hurt. Use a full day.