The Mystic Waterfall

The Mystic Waterfall is a bit of a mystery. There is no way to climb to the top (and I know the climbers among you are skeptical, but seriously, Tommy Caldwell would have trouble) so there is no way to know where the water is coming from. Sometimes it runs, sometimes it doesn't. It isn't dependant on the rain, it isn't in the downstream path of the melting glacier, it is presumably too high for a spring, it is simply a mystery and I hope it stays that way.

We each took our turn getting wet in the falls to receive the blessing of Kawa Karpo and then hung our prayer flags together. Prayer flags have been hung in the area for thousands of years. They actually pre-date Buddhism! Each of the five colored prayer flags represent one primary element: fire, earth, water, air, and space. Shamanistic healers used them in ceremonies to balance out the elements in a patient's body to promote physical and mental health. As Buddhism entered the consciousness of the Tibetan people, they began to add prayers, sutras, mantras, and symbols to the shamanistic flags. We hung health and longevity flags for our friends and family and I was particularly happy to find a bomber pinch around which to tie my end!