Peaks and Valleys

Long a dream destination for mountaineers, Bhutan now has a cross-country trail network that's as accessible as it is thrilling. Heather Richardson takes a walk through the clouds.

-  Heather Richardson

I MUST'VE SOUNDED like I'd run a flat-out 400-meter sprint. I was panting my way up a mountain outside Gyetsa, Bhutan, when my guide, Tshering Tobgay, suggested we stop for a break. It wouldn't be the last much-needed pause on our uphill slog, which would cover 2,000 feet of elevation. Finally, when we reached our destination, a lookout 11,150 feet above sea level, I plopped down on a convenient wooden bench. A cool breeze rustled the leaves. A gap in the tall, slender blue pines revealed a swath of thick, lush forest at the bottom of the valley and a range of shadowy peaks beyond.

Thankfully, this first stretch of my 10-day trek along the Trans Bhutan Trail, or TBT, was the hardest. I soon acclimated to the altitude and found my climbing legs. And not a moment too soon: the full TBT runs 250 miles across the middle of this small kingdom sandwiched between China and India. My plan was to hike nearly 100 miles of it, through dense pine and rhododendron forests, past crumbling Buddhist stupas, across frothy blue rivers, and up high mountain passes adorned with fluttering Tibetan prayer flags.

Such an expedition may sound ambitious and at times, it was-but the beauty of the TBT is its accessibility. The route never strays too far from the country narrow, winding roads, and hikers are followed by a TBT support car, which ferries luggage and can offer an out in case of bad weather or  other calamities. (It proved a godsend one day when I encountered a swarm of angry bees and decided to cut the day's hiking short.) Trekkers can easily mix and match sections of the route to their fitness or ability levels, too.