More Trekking Info - Bhutan
What you need to know about travel in Bhutan:
Trekking is walking, generally on good trails, usually up and down (sometimes 3,000 feet a day), carrying only a day pack, through magnificent scenery. The day starts early, and often the bulk of the day's mileage is covered in the morning hours.
The shorter afternoon hike brings you to the site of your camp to be used that night.
In Bhutan, all treks are camping treks. Treks are not back-packing trips. Pack animals will carry gear including your clothing which should be packed into a duffel bag. This bag should not exceed 30 lbs. You will only be required to carry a day-pack with items you might require for the day such as sunscreen, sun-hat, snacks and energy bars, camera, water etc.
On a camping trek, you will be sleeping in tents. We use spacious tents for 2 people. A single trekker will be provided a separate tent. On a camping trek you will be accompanied by an experienced crew comprising of kitchen boys, cook, assistant guides, and a guide. Your gear will be carried by yaks or ponies.
A typical day on a camping trek:
On a camping trek, kitchen boys will wake you up with a hot cup of milk tea, usually around 6:00 am. (The day before a pass crossing usually start around 3:00 am). In the next 30 to 45 minutes, you should be packed and ready for the day. A bowl of mildly warm water will also be provided to clean up. Most trekkers prefer to soak a towel or cloth and wash their face, neck and hands. There will be opportunities for a bath on rest days if you are brave enough to dip into the glacial stream or river.
Breakfast will be served at around 7:15 am and usually includes toast (where available), Indian flat bread, Tibetan bread, omelets, porridge/muesli, hash browns, salami etc. We also serve organic Nepal-grown French Press coffee.
After 3 to 5 hours of hiking, the group will stop for lunch. If water is available, hot lunch will be prepared. If the day’s mileage is longer than usual and if water is not available, you will be provided a “packed” lunch. While lunch is being prepared, you may take a quick nap or read a book.
Lunch and dinner could include dal-bhat (rice, lentils and vegetable or meat curry), Indian fried bread, French-fries, tuna, Sherpa stew, spaghetti, momos (Tibetan pot-stickers), pizza, noodles with soup etc. You will be happily surprised.
The hike after lunch could last between 2 to 4 hours. After the tents are put up, you will find your duffel outside your tents. Immediately, tea and cookies will be served. Dinner is usually served around 6:00 pm. Usually, you will be in bed by 8:00 or 9:00 pm.
You will have opportunities to fill up your water bottles with hot water after breakfast, lunch and dinner. While bringing water to boiling point kills all of the germs, some trekkers still prefer to treat boiled water with iodine or chlorine.
Choosing a trek:
Is a particular trek right for you? Is the time you have planned for your trip to Bhutan the right season for a particular trip? While a certain amount of challenge adds positively to your experience, there is a thin line between challenging and impossible. It is important to choose a trek that provides the right amount of physical and mental challenge. Here is critical information that will help you choose the right trip/trek.
Seasons:
Spring
Spring in Bhutan begins in March and lasts through the beginning of May. This is one of the two best seasons for trekking in Bhutan and is most popular for the rhododendrons, magnolia and orchids that color the hills. Most high altitude treks involving crossing a pass of over 16,000 feet should be attempted only after mid-April by when most of the snow will have melted away.
Monsoons
The rains arrive early in Bhutan (eastern Himalayas) towards the beginning of May and lasts through September. It is wet and humid during this time of the year.
Autumn
Autumn begins in October and lasts through November. This is the best time for trekking in Bhutan. With clear skies and minimal chance of showers, each day on the trek allows spectacular views of the high Himalayas. Most high altitude treks including the Laya Gasa trek and the Snowman trek must be completed by the first week of November as it begins to snow by this time of the year. Tours are still possible through December though.
Winter
The cold winter arrives in end November and lasts through February.
Altitude and altitude sickness:
Unless you have been to altitudes above 10,000 feet, it is very hard to say how you will fare at altitude. Our programs are designed to allow optimal time for your body to adapt to the altitude as you ascend. (We will not compromise on acclimatization and rest days as you will not only be putting yourself at risk but also our porters who are equally susceptible to the effects of altitude). At higher altitude, due to the decrease in oxygen level, a series of physiological changes occurs. Normal changes include high heart rate, faster, deeper breathing, increased frequency of urination, poor sleep and edema. Altitude sickness usually occurs when one ascends too quickly. Other factors that predispose a person to altitude sickness are being overweight, living at altitude below 2,500 ft. and a history of altitude sickness in the past.
Trip Rating
Trips are rated from 1-5 as per the degree of activity and travel severity: 1 is the easiest and 5 the most strenuous.
1 Easy: Hotel nights, non-camping journeys, optional hikes, little elevation gain or loss.
2 Moderate: Hotel nights and/or deluxe, safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities sometimes included, such as elephant riding, canoe riding. Long-distance traveling by vehicle or travel via rugged conditions.
3 Mildly Strenuous: Full-day hikes (4 to 6 hours), mountainous terrain. Significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down 2,-3,000 feet) on most hikes. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
4 Strenuous: Full-day hikes, mountainous terrain, steep ups and downs (as in 3). Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 14,000 feet. Camps at altitudes of 9,000 to 10,000 feet.
5 Challenging: Full-day hikes in mountainous terrain, steep ups and downs (as in 4). Most hikes takes place at altitudes well above 14,000 feet, sometimes as high as 17,500 feet. Camps at altitudes above 12,000 feet.
Price inclusions and exclusions:
WE DO NOT NICKEL AND DIME OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS. All our packages include all your major costs such as internal airfare, or regional airfare to Paro, Bhutan or Lhasa, Tibet, most meals besides those not indicated in the itinerary we provide, twin-sharing accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, guides and staff, permits, conservation area fees etc. Costs not included are your international airfare from your home country to Nepal, Bhutan or China, some meals, visa fees where applicable, staff tips and other personal expenses for laundry, shopping, beverages etc.