One of the World’s Hardest Treks - with Cathy Ann Taylor

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 eight passes, five of them higher than 16,000 feet! 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.

"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 four to six months in advance. We recommend you reserve your Bhutan trip as early as possible, so we can secure these flights for you.

Activities

20 days strenuous hiking at high elevation (max. 17,450')

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

2010 PRICES
$8,395 per person (11-12 members
$8,995 per person (7-10 members)
$805 internal airfare
$1,050 single supplement

Duration: 27 days Start Location: Bangkok End Location: Bangkok Best time to go: October

Itinerary

• Day 1 : Bangkok

  Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand.

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  Day 2 : Paro

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

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  Day 3 : Paro

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

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  Day 4 : Paro – Punakha

  Drive to Punakha and visit the ancient Punakha Dzong fortress.

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  Days 5 - 7 : Punakha – Damji – Gasa (9,150') / Gasa – Koina (10,682') / Koina – near Army Camp (11,300')

  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'.

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  Days 8 - 10 : Rest Day / Army Camp – Rodophu (13,830') / Rodophu – Narithang (16,150')

  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.

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  Days 11 - 15 : Narithang – Tarina (12,800') / Tarina – Beyond Woche (13,650') / Beyond Woche – Lhedi (12,600’) / Lhedi – Thanchey (13,451') / Rest Day

  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.

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  Days 16 - 21 : Thanchey – Danji (15,350') / Danji – Tshochena (16,150') / Tshochena – Jichu Dramo (16,380') / Jichu Dramo – Yak Herder camp near Yanghu (16,000') / Yanghu – Tsho Tsho Tshang (12,800') / Tsho Tsho Tshang – Gurum Rimpoche Lake (14,600’)

  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.

• Days 22 - 23 : Thampe Tsho – Maurothang (12,100') / Maurothang – Nika Chu Bridge – Wangdue Phodrang

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

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  Day 24 : Wangdue Phodrang – Thimphu

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

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  Day 25 : Thimphu – Paro

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

• Day 26 : Paro – Bangkok

  Fly to Bangkok.

• Day 27 : Departure

  Depart Bangkok for home

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  Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel

  Bangkok

  The Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport is a 4 star hotel located 10 min walk from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Boasting 612 comfortable and contemporary rooms, the hotel also offers 2 bars and 4 restaurants. With a 24 hr airport shuttle every 10 min from Gate 4 Level 2 and parking available, there is no better place to stay.

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  Zhiwa Ling Hotel

  Paro, Bhutan

  The Zhiwa Ling combines the sensibilities of a fine Bhutanese guesthouse with the best of modern comforts. Guests can enjoy a traditional outdoor hot-stone bath, a Tea House, a Meditation House, and two restaurants specializing in both contemporary international and classic Bhutanese cuisine.

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  Hotel Zangthopelri

  Punakha, Bhutan

  Named after the heaven of Guru Rimpoche and situated majestically on a hillock, this hotel features spacious, well-designed rooms in small cottages and a main building. Guests will enjoy fascinating views of the rice terraces and the Punakha river and valley below.

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  Taj Tashi

  Thimphu, Bhutan

  The Taj Tashi blends traditional Bhutanese design with contemporary elegance in the heart of the Thimphu Valley. With a luxurious spa, heated indoor pool, gourmet dining and majestic mountain views, this hotel offers fine comfort and hospitality in a beautiful setting.

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way.

• Cathy Ann Taylor

  Cathy Ann Taylor, a high altitude trekking guide for Mountain Travel Sobek for the last 20 years. Cathy Ann has trekked all over Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan, with well over 150 trips in the Himalayas (she still considers the Himalayas her “second home”)! A devout hiker and mountain biker, she leaves no trail undiscovered, and her passion for the mountains, caring nature, and boundless energy are renowned. Her experience, knowledge, positive attitude (she can find the good in anything!), and her wonderful rapport with the local staff will enhance your experience. With the help of caring and like-minded individuals she has been able to manage the sponsorship of ten remote village children, all of whom are in boarding school and one who is about to graduate from University in Australia. She consistently gets rave reviews from members of her groups and has quite a following. Cathy Ann is active in the Breast Cancer Fund and has participated in eleven expeditions, including Mount McKinley, Cho Oyu, Mount Fuji, Mount Shasta, and Mount Rainier, which helped increase awareness of breast cancer (she alone has raised over $350,000 for the cause!). She has also reached the summit of Ama Dablam (22,500') in Nepal and Argentina's Aconcagua (22,834'), the highest peak in South America. Cathy Ann received an honorable mention in Hooked on the Outdoors magazine's Outdoor Person of the Year Awards, January 2006, and also received a letter of recognition for her fundraising and environmental work from Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

photo credits: ©Jock Montgomery