| The power and beauty of the mountains is more impressive on foot than from any vehicle. Whether you take a two-night trek around Bumthang valley, walk for three days from Thimphu to Paro, or take the eight-day trek to the base of Mount Jomolhari, the views, villages, people and experiences will be unparalleled. Awakening at dawn to the sound of the cockerel and a warming mug of tea, trekkers at higher altitudes are invariably greeted by a breath-taking mountainscape. Few sites on earth can equal the first sunlight hitting the Himalayan mountains. Trekking during April and May in the Himalayas takes place among the deep reds and oranges of the rhododendron blossoms. Earlier in the year the light is sharper but the nights are very cold. In autumn, after the rainy season, the skies clear and the leaves begin to turn yellow.
All trekkers are accompanied by a guide, a cook and usually at least one horseman. Provisions and luggage are carried by mountain horses. With the surest footing, they lead trekking groups across the passes. The horseman and cook will usually travel ahead during a trekking day. They will prepare a packed lunch for the hikers and will go on to the night’s resting place to set up camp.
They set up tents, cook dinner and prepare the area for the arriving trekkers. When the trekkers reach the campsite, they are greeted with a hot cup of tea and biscuits in the dinning tent. For dinner, the cook usually prepares a buffet of dishes that are as welcome as they are delicious.
Treks vary from short three-day walks across low altitudes to the three-week “Snowman Trek” that covers 356 kilometers and climbs three of the Kingdom’s highest passes. Inexperienced trekkers are recommended to do the trek from Thimphu to Paro or vice-versa. Called the “Druk Path,” it winds across the chain of mountains separating the two valleys, passing crystal lakes and offering views across the Himalayan mountains outside of the monsoon season.
More difficult treks go through northern villages and pass yak herdsmen who spend most of the year tending to their herds high above the villages.
The northern paths climb as high as 5,500 metres (18,000 feet) and should only be attempted by strong, experienced walkers.
Visitors planning to walk in the Himalayas should be in good physical condition. Altitudes are high and the walking is difficult in places. Trekkers are also warned that altitude sickness can be a serious problem at the altitudes trekked to in Bhutan. If you feel sick, dizzy or have a worsening headache, stop and drink as much water as possible. If the symptoms persist, go back down the mountain.
- Bumthang Cultural Trek
- Gangtey Trek
- Laya- Jomolhari Trek
- Snowman Trek
- Jomolhari Trek
- Yaksa Trek
- Druk Path Trek
- Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek
- Haa Trek (around Nubsonapa – newly opened)
- Rodungla Rhododendron Trek
- Dongla Trek
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