Trekking in Bhutan
Trekking in Bhutan is strenuous - a little harder overall than trekking Nepal or hiking at home. This is mostly because the days' stages are longer - you should plan six and a half to seven hours on trail each day. For a modest extra charge we can arrange a horse for anyone who wants to walk less. There are no "coca-cola" stops in Bhutan because there are rarely villages. Trekking in Bhutan is much more a wilderness experience than trekking in the rest of the Himalayas. Campsites are rarely in or near villages.
Bhutan treks use horses or yaks for carrying the camp equipment and supplies. The crew and horse drovers will camp near you, everyone sleeping in comfortable two-person tents. Meals come from your camp kitchen and are remarkably good. There are no trekkers' "teahouses" in Bhutan, almost no other trekkers, and long stretches where there are no villages or people. The trekking camp is highly self-contained.
"Trekking" is a South African term, borrowed to describe the Himalayan experience by British Gurkha Col. Jimmy Roberts. It is just hiking and camping, but with a very comfortable camp and efficient crew. No equipment is necessary, other than appropriate clothing and sturdy boots. The walking can be strenuous, but requires nothing other than an optional walking stick. The crew do all the work around the camp and serve 3 meals a day.
A typical day on trek begins with the crew making tea in the early morning. A quick wash up and pack, then breakfast is served. Often the crew are breaking camp and sending off the pack train as we finish eating. The morning's walk is the longer half of the day. It may be gentle down hill or vigorous uphill, and often a series of ups and downs. Lunch break is comfortably long. An avid reader can get a chapter or two in after eating, but most people relax or snooze. When we reach the camp, dinner will be cooking. Then camp chatter, songs, reading or what have-you, and early to bed.
