Hidden Kingdom

Catherine Fairweather unlocks the secrets of the Trans-Bhutan Trail, where she discovers monasteries, mythical creatures and magical architecture

In the largely impenetrable Black Mountains, in whose shadow threads the Trans-Bhutan Trail, ghostly forests of bearded hemlock can stir up ancient superstitions. "Please walk around that stupa shrine clockwise," counsels our leader Dorji Bidha, one of only a handful of female guides in the country. "It is good for meditation and purifies bad karma. We don't want to unsettle Nyala." This is the man-eating demon who was once believed to haunt the dark mountain fastness. Happily, the Trail, newly restored during the pandemic, offers access to the deep V of this valley and river-filled gorge, which the tarmac road could never reach. Its repair, resurrection and relaunch in September last year, is, of course, a boon for travellers. But, more importantly, being the historic connective tissue on which the nation was built, it has once again galvanised communities by bringing local people together with a shared purpose during the pandemic. Thanks to the initiative and funding of the Canadian entrepreneur Sam Blyth, and fully supported by King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck, a mobilised team of some 900 volunteers repaired 18 bridges and 10,000 stone steps on the 403km stretch from Haa on the Chinese border in the west to the Bengal border in the east. The completed Trans-Bhutan Trail now links the furthest-flung villages to the fortified temple structures (known as dzongs), thanks to a dazzling goodwill enterprise that, as Blyth says, "puts the country back in touch with its history and heritage, gives impetus to conservation projects and allows the remoter corners of Bhutan to benefit also from the tourist dollar."