trekking in Bhutan, local Bhutan trekking company, trekking agency in Bhutan

Trekking in Bhutan

Trekking was the only way to reach the Dragon Kingdom until half-a-century ago. Beating the snow-winds of Tibetan cliffs, monks powered with mysterious chants trekked down the clouds-capped mountains into Bhutan, a kingdom roughly 10 percent larger than Switzerland. Indian merchants and colonial British political officers climbed up the narrow trekking routes from the southern plains as towering teak trees and still lakes provided cool shadows and quenched their thirst. trekking-bhutan

Much haven’t changed since then. Every trekker to Bhutan who chooses the relatively easy treks at an altitude of 3100 meters above sea-level or decide for adventurous heights of 5600 meters will pass yak-herders, rare medicinal plants, and rhododendron and edelweiss flowers.Trekking in Bhutan, thus, offers the most varied experiences.

Gliding by the world’s highest mountain, the Everest, Bhutan’s national airline will welcome you to the country’s only airport in Paro, a valley at an elevation of 7300 ft above sea level, carpeted with rare blue poppies and dotted with Tudor-like English homes.

Your trekking days will take you high into mountain tops believed to be residences of guardian deities. Trekking in Bhutan will take you to the unexplored borders of Tibet; known as the roof of the world. Trekking through central Bhutan and crossing mountain passes you will rest by clear-lakes that still hide rich treasures and will show burning butter lamps from its depths for believers.

As Bhutan’s Boeing carrier skims down one of the world’s most exciting runways, cheerful pony men, lots of laughter, little red-clad monks, music of prayer wheels ringing from every valley, and treks rated the best on earth await you.

The Bhutanese trek along Gangkhar Phuensum, the highest unclimbed peak in the world has been rated one of the 10 best treks by the British newspaper, The Telegraph, along with the Mont Blanc trek in the Alps, and all-time trekker favorites such as the Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro and New Zealand's Milford.

Cheese, chilies, and camping nights

Though far away from the maddening rush of the metropolis you will not be far from the little indulgences a trekker needs. The camping gear, carried by ponies and belled-yaks, will contain all the essentials, from best quality sleeping bags, to powerful lanterns. As you sip butter-tea in the light of the fire, English-speaking Bhutanese travel guides will take you along the myths of the route you travelled: maybe a choreographed song of the mysterious yeti if you take the Yeti Trek along the only national park created to preserve the animal.

Experienced trekking cooks will make you feel at home in the wild forest with the dish of your choice served in fine crockery. They too are repository of stories, and ask them why Bhutanese can’t have a meal without chilies and cheese. They will tell stories, pouring you a cup of hot tea or soup in the camps making you feel home-away-from home.

Altitude sickness among the clouds

While trekking in Bhutan, you can reach upto 5,000 meters above sea-level and the most noted altitude sickness include nausea, fatigue and headache. Meet a doctor before you come to Bhutan and explain the heights you would be climbing and any related illness if you have. Once you are here, and if you fall sick at a certain altitude, you can descend until you feel comfortable.

How fit should you be

Trekkers have said that in Bhutan, you lose the sense of how much time you have trekked, whether in the high mountains on in low-areas. While trekking in Bhutan, you will be walking between six to nine hours everyday covering between 15 to 20 kilometers. You will have to cross small streams where the trekker is required to maneuver over mossy stones. During climbs, treks have an elevation gain of around 500 meters in 18 kilometers. But if you are a trekker who have experience in covering atleast 20 kilometers in a day and have no history of knee pain, then the Bhutan experience will never leave a bad trek-taste.

Kevin and Beer's epic trip to Bhutan through Us

Kevin: We considered cycling across Japan, doing Everest Base camp, trekking to Macchu Piccu and even crossing the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, but after considering various factors including weather, timing, and logistics, a trek in Bhutan seemed to be our best option.

Beer: After a few email exchanges with a number of trekking companies (including the one we used - Bhutan Travelers), we got what we thought was a pretty clear idea - that the Chomolhari Trek was the thing to do. Indeed, as we later found out, it did not disappoint in terms of “epicness”... In fact, I think I got more than what I asked for!

Feel free to drop us an email if you are looking for high res photos or to get more info on Bhutan trekking. Alternatively, the trekking company which we used is Bhutan Travelers. We had a great experience both pre and post the trip and would recommend Bhutan Travelers for anyone interested in doing a trip to Bhutan - Karma Tashi and his team were extremely informative and the logistics were as smooth as we could possibly expect.

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