Bhutan - a Trekker's Guide

A guidebook to 27 treks throughout Bhutan from the leading expert. Covers the whole of Bhutan with treks in the west (Jhomolhari) across the northern mountain barrier to Tibet, east and centre of Bhutan. Very thorough planning information.

'Bart Jordans has organized tours in Bhutan since 1984, knows the terrain and the people well, and has covered most of the ground described in the treks. Tourism and trekking in Bhutan has developed in recent years, but environmental and cultural concerns have rightly led Bhutan to control its growth carefully.

The guide itself is packaged durably in a flexi-back cover and will fit into a rucksack or pocket easily. After introductory material, Jordans takes a trek-by-trek approach, and within each trek a day-by-day approach. Constantly alternatives are provided because weather can change and trails can be flooded or destroyed by rock-falls. Options for detours and additional extras are provided.

Travel in Bhutan has to be done with a Bhutanese guide, but having a guide like this one will be invaluable if you seriously think of going there.'

(Library Review - Feb 2008)

In the three years since the first edition, there have admittedly been improvements in the infrastructure in Bhutan, a remoter Buddhist kingdom at the eastern end of the Himalayan chain, and the numbers of tour operators, hotels and restaurants have all increased, as have the numbers of tourists visiting each year, up from 9,249 in 2004 to 17,344 in 2006, only a small proportion of whom actually do any trekking.
Some of the treks described in the first edition have been left out because they have either not been opened to trekkers or they have been replaced by new routes which are included in the new edition. The popular routes, such as the Druk Path and the trek to Jhomolhari Base Camp, remain unchanged.
The book retains its user-friendly Cicerone format and its strong point is still the abundance of information that it contains about the culture and the environment in this enchanting country.
 

(Irish Mountain Log, Summer 2008)

Cicerone has issued a second edition of its delightful guide. Pocket-sized and clearly presented, it summarises the available treks in Bhutan and provides day-by-day commentaries. Some treks in the first edition have been left out because either they have not been opened or they have been changed substantially. In four cases they have been replaced by new treks.  Descriptions have been updated for changes, such as in the extent of feeder roads.
This is a trekker’s book with entertaining pieces on conditions, kit and health. It will certainly assist those considering a trip to Bhutan. The reader gets an excellent feel of what’s on offer – 27 routes are described, ranging from 2 to 24 days in length – and of the demands and uncertainties of different routes. Bart Jordans has done well to explore the routes over many years but particularly while resident, with his family, in Bhutan for four years from 1999.

(The Bhutan Society Newsletter, Summer 2008)