Contents
Introduction
The thrill of Bhutan
Preparations and practicalities
Trekking
Climate and trekking seasons
Organising a trek
Getting there and getting around
Accommodation and food
Environmental and cultural awareness
Equipment and maps
Medical considerations
Using this guide
All about Bhutan
Protected areas
Plantlife
Wildlife
Yaks and yak herding
The formation of the mountains
Rivers and glaciers
Mountaineering in Bhutan
Buddhism and local beliefs
West Bhutan
The Haa Valley
Trek 1 Haa Planters’ Trail
Trek 2 Nob Tshona Patta Tsho and Rigona Tsho
Lunana
Trek 3 The Lunana ‘Snowman’ Trek
Trek 3A Lunana to Bumthang
Trek 4 The Jhomolhari Bonte La Circuit
Trek 5 Shana to Thimphu via Lingshi
Trek 6 Masa Gang Base Camp from Laya
Trek 7 The Druk Path Trek
The Dagala (Thousand Lakes) Trek
Trek 8 Geynikha to Talakha
Trek 8A Geynikha to Dagana
The Phobjika Valley
Trek 9 The Original Gangte Trek
Trek 9A A Southern Gangte Trek
Central Bhutan
The Black Mountains
Trek 10 The Nabji Korphu Trek
Trek 11 The Nubi Chutey Trek
Trek 12 Trongsa to Dur Tsachu
Trek 13 Bumthang to Lunana
Gangkar Punsum
Trek 14 Gangkar Punsum Base Camp via Dur Tsachu
Trek 15 Gangkar Punsum southeast face via Thole La
Trek 16 Gangkar Punsum southeast face and Base Camp
Bumthang
Trek 17 Bumthang Cultural Trek, Tang valley and Lhuntshi valley
Trek 18 Bumthang Owl Trek and the Royal Heritage Trek
Zhemgang
Trek 19 The Ura Buli Trek
East Bhutan
Trek 20 Rigsum Gompa to Dechhenphodrang
Trek 21 The Merak Sakteng Trek
Trek 22 The Far-Out East Bhutan Trek
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B List of maps
Appendix C Useful contacts
Appendix D Useful terms and acronyms
Appendix E Bibliography
Appendix F Acknowledgements
If you'd like to visit Bhutan for some multi-day trekking, this is an invaluable resource
Having been closed off to tourists for many years, Bhutan is now a bucket-list destination for most outdoor enthusiasts. With most of the country covered with mountains and forest, we can definitely understand the attraction. There is plenty of hiking to be had in this Himalayan kingdom, from the famous Snowman Trek to lesser-known trails. This guidebook from Cicerone details 22 multi-day routes for you to consider, both short and long, easy and difficult. In between the covers, you'll find route descriptions, advice on preparations, when to go and how to get there, plus information on the people and the culture of the country. Essentially, if you'd like to visit Bhutan for some multi-day trekking, this is an invaluable resource.
Adventure Travel magazine
'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)
