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A Follow the Leader Trip with Cathy Ann Taylor - New for 2008!

If you’re the kind of adventurer who wants to push your limits with the most challenging, most remote, and most beautiful trek imaginable, then look no further than the Lunana trail along the Bhutan—Tibet border. This so-called Snowman trek offers the rewards that only come with extreme effort—towering sheets of ice become torrential glacial rivers, and snow leopards prowl the high alpine meadows. This region is so remote as to be completely isolated from the rest of the world for six months out of the year. You’ll trek for 19 days through a pristine Himalayan wilderness, spend many days above 13,000 feet, and cross at least four passes higher than 16,000'. From the exotic forests of the Punakha region, you’ll ascend to the shadow of ice-draped Gangkhar Puensuum (24,741'), the highest unclimbed mountain on earth (the Bhutanese banned mountaineering in 1993). Along the way you’ll visit villages of the Layap people, who have their own distinctive language, traditions, and form of dress. This trek is clearly not for everyone, but for the hardy few it offers unsurpassed challenges and unimaginable rewards.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Billed by many as one of the world’s hardest treks!
• 19-day trek along the spine of the high Himalaya in the most isolated region of Bhutan
• Encounters with nomadic shepherds and the friendly Layap people, and the chance to see rare wildlife, including takin, blue sheep, and evidence of snow leopards

"I’ve always dreamed of achieving one of the world’s most difficult treks. What could be better than spending 19 days trekking through a habitat of rare wildlife, one of the most remote mountainous regions in Bhutan, and some of the most inspiring scenery in the Eastern Himalaya? This will be an epic mountain trek with amazing wilderness and culture, an experience of a lifetime!" - Cathy Ann Taylor

Book Early for Bhutan Trips!

Flights between Bangkok and Paro on Druk Air, Bhutan’s national airline, sell out six to eight months in advance. We recommend you reserve your Bhutan trip as early as possible, so we can secure these flights for you.

Day 1 - Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand.

Day 2 - Morning flight to Paro, Bhutan, with spectacular views of many of the world’s highest peaks—Everest included!

Day 3 - Warm-up hike to cliffside Taktsang Monastery, perched above the floor of the Paro Valley.

Day 4 - Drive to Punakha and visit the ancient Punakha Dzong fortress.

Days 5-7 - Beginning in semitropical forests at about 7,000', we’ll gradually make our way uphill until we cross the Bale La pass at 12,170'.

Days 8-10 - Several long and beautiful days of hiking bring us out of the pine forests and to the high mountain village of Laya, where yak herding culture thrives in the shadow of the towering Himalaya.

Days 11-15 - We’re into the heart of our high mountain trek now, camping every night above 13,000' feet and crossing several passes higher than 16,000'. The scenery is jaw dropping in every direction, but Jeje Kangphu, Kangphu Gang, and Table Mountain—all above 23,500 feet!—are particularly captivating.

Days 16-21 - More spectacular trekking in the thin air of the Lunana region. The verdant meadows and icy vistas are punctuated by crystalline lakes and shepherds slowly moving with their herds.

Day 22-23 - At last we begin to descend, passing through fertile riparian valleys and fields of rhododendron on our way down to 8,000'.

Day 24 - Early morning drive to Thimphu, where we’ll be able to look back on the mountains from which we’ve just emerged.

Day 25 - Sightseeing around the fortresses, museums, and crafts districts of Thimphu. Drive to Paro.

Day 26 - Fly to Bangkok.

Day 27 - Depart Bangkok, or join one of our extensions to India, Vietnam, or Cambodia.

Photo Credits
©Jock Montgomery