It may not be the toughest trek in the world, as sometimes claimed, but it's up there with the greatest. Natalie Wilson led a group on this month-long journey along herder's trails high in the unique Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, a country where the mountains are considered too sacred to climb.

Imagine a country where governance focuses on wellbeing and the collective happiness of the nation. A country that is carbon negative. A country that opts for high value, low impact tourism and has never seen more than 315,000 tourists a year, most of whom have travelled from neighbouring India. A country that is home to many rare creatures including snow leopards, tigers, red pandas and takin. This is the Kingdom of Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon.

Bhutan lies deep within the Himalayas, and it is perhaps surprising to learn that here, mountaineering and the climbing of high mountains is forbidden. The highest unclimbed peak in the world, Ghankar Puensum is here, standing at over 7500 metres. A belief that the high places are sacred spaces, home to gods and spirits, is the reason for this total ban on mountaineering in Bhutan. Trekking however is encouraged and abundant, and the trails are oh so quiet.

I have a long list of places I'd like to visit, and Bhutan has been on it for some time. One of the issues with the high value, low impact approach to tourism in Bhutan is that it makes it a very costly destination. As well as the expense of travelling there, there is a kind of tourist tax, the Sustainable Development Fee and currently it is set at $100 per day. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Bhutan in 2022, to lead the long and legendary Lunana Snowman trek for The Mountain Company. This trip had been in the diary for a while but as the Kingdom was closed to tourism during the pandemic I had to exercise patience for a long couple of years.

The appeal for me was as usual to lead a long distance hike in a remote part of the world. To walk for weeks on end, along trails created by nomads and herders and even now in the 21st Century find them mostly unchanged. In a world that feels like it is getting smaller, and the pace of life faster, I relish being able to have these slow time experiences where things are distilled to their simplest forms. Bhutan is also a very particular, unique place where culture and tradition are closely held and protected.

Getting there

You can only fly into Bhutan through a Bhutanese airline. You have two options – Drukair or Bhutan Airlines. Both operate from several nearby countries including India, Thailand and Nepal. You could also arrive by road from India.

The International Airport at Paro has the dubious claim to fame of being one of, if not the most dangerous airport in the world. I made the short flight from Kathmandu and as we approached Paro I realised that the geography of this valley airport makes for a very technical landing. The pilot must bank the plane hard to enter the valley whilst losing height quickly. At this point the plane is simultaneously flying over a protruding ridge, just grazing the top it seemed whilst managing the tight turn to avoid the mountains opposite. We quickly straightened up, immediately approaching the short runway tucked into the valley before descending just a few hundred feet to the tarmac below. Good visibility is essential and only a few pilots in the world are certified to land here.

There has been a lot of press around Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Index - it is commonly cited that the Bhutanese are amongst the happiest people in the world. Collective happiness and well-being is valued and prioritised by those who govern. As an idea I really love this, but I can see that this notion of happiness is not necessarily translating into the modern world. Many young people are moving away, particularly to Australia, in search of a land with more opportunities.

My first impression of Bhutan was of a surprisingly quiet, curated and immediately fascinating land. Our local guide and driver met us, both dressed in the traditional gho – a wide sleeved, knee length robe, fastened with a sash, paired with knee length socks and smart shoes. The language of education is English so I found many of the locals who work in tourism had really good English language skills. In Bhutan you must have a guide for your trip and they all have to complete and pass what seems to be a high standard of training. Our guide was friendly and fluent and extremely knowledgeable. He was able to answer all our many, many questions with ease – from religion and politics to flora and fauna and pretty much everything in between.

What to expect

The Lunana Snowman trek is regularly touted as the most challenging trek in the world. Having experienced many tough treks around the world, I don't agree; but there is no doubt that it is tough, and in terms of quality it's up there with the best of them.

At over 300km in length it's a biggie, and passes through remote areas with much of it at an altitude of over 4000m. There are many high passes to be crossed, several of which are over 5000 metres. This adds up to around 15,000 metres of total ascent. The trek is named after the small community of Lunana that it passes through, and if you haven't yet seen the film Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom I would strongly encourage you to watch it. It is thoughtful, interesting and beautifully filmed in Bhutan and received an Oscar nomination in 2022: 

The length of the trek presents particular logistical issues. There is only one place, the village of Laya, where you can reliably resupply with food and change horses and this will have to have been arranged in advance. Expect to be camping every night and for a team of crew and horses to accompany you, carrying provisions and equipment along the way.

The trek takes most groups around 28 days and I would recommend making sure you have a couple of extra contingency days too. The length of our trip was 34 days from Paro back to Paro and this also allowed for a couple of acclimatisation walks before starting the trek. These were invaluable as the trek itself quickly takes you to 4000m and above, so giving yourself this headstart will make a real difference to how you feel. I'm all about people feeling good on treks and keeping niggles and illness to a minimum, especially when it comes to altitude sickness. Take a look at my blog about looking after yourself at altitude

The timing of this long trek is important – start too late and you may find yourself stuck, almost within reach of civilization but unable to cross the now snow-bound passes. Start too early and you'll find yourself in the midst of the monsoon, wading through deep mud and wishing you'd brought your wellies. (I actually walked the last couple of days in some abandoned wellies, with holes in them but that's another story). Typically, the prime trekking season in Bhutan is the end of September through to somewhere near the end of October.

We experienced a first week or so of very persistent wet weather and I was glad of my quality waterproofs, gaiters and compact brolly. I did feel my sense of humour ebbing fast one day as I slipped on a heavily camouflaged, slimy tree root. That was third slip that morning and I landed heavily in the thick, sticky mud. The afternoons could be particularly challenging too as by then we were walking behind the horses and they had churned the trail up with their hooves, turning it into a glutinous quagmire. Rain turned some paths into streams that couldn't be avoided. I knew the weather would come good though and we just had to play the waiting game. Rain eventually became sunshine, then cloud again with snowfall and subzero temperatures. Towards the end of the trek we experienced glorious crisp sunny days and cold frosty nights. I enjoyed the variety and managing this kind of weather is nothing new to a hiker from the UK.

The landscape can seem barren, especially when viewed through a veil of cloud, yet the hillsides are covered in thick forests, dense rhodedendrons and abundant mosses and lichens. This is an incredibly green country and it is this vast swathe of woodland that enables Bhutan to be, to date, the only carbon negative country in the world. 

Streams and rivers flow abundantly and along the way myriad lakes of brightest emerald and deepest turquoise sparkle. There are even hot springs at the perfect bathing temperature - an absolute luxury to laze in after days on the trail, letting the warm water soothe your aches and pains. Higher up, glaciers dazzle and melt by day, and groan and crack by night.

Snow leopards roam here and that was another reason why I was particularly keen to visit this region. Regrettably we did not see one but we did see fresh prints in the snow.

The rhythm of the trek is steady, heading from West to East along isolated valleys and over high passes, the terrain changing constantly. The real beauty and appeal of this trek is not only the incredible and varied landscape but the opportunities to see real life out in such remote communities. Culture and values are entwined and maintaining Bhutanese cultural heritage is actively encouraged.

After a while, you reach a point where you just stop seeing people on the trail. There are a few nomadic families eking out a living but once we left the villages we only saw a handful of herders, vastly outnumbered by their hundreds of animals. We occasionally passed basic shelters, covered in tattered coloured tarp. Inside we would find just dung and modern day detritus in the form of noodle packets and coke bottles.

A typical day on the trail starts with a brew and early breakfast. Whilst you are eating, the horse men will be rounding up their animals, getting them ready to load up and transport the entire camp. Lunch is often cooked in the morning before being packed into tiffin boxes. It's loaded onto a horse and carried with you so you can have a hearty lunch on the trail. The idea is to let the horses get ahead of you at lunch time so that they will be at camp before you. This is important as it means the camp can start being set up before you get there.

The food is hearty and will keep you well fuelled. Traditional dishes are laden with chilli and a cheese and chill dish is the national speciality. Eggs, porridge and pancakes are regular breakfast options. Lunches were varied with a mix of carbs and hot vegetable dishes. Evening meals were more than sufficient. We ate really well with good curries, momo, noodle dishes and the occasional plate of egg and chips.

The trail offers a real mix of terrain. Lower down it is muddy and hard going. As you gain altitude, the trail gets rockier and easier underfoot which is a welcome relief. The highest sections may well be snow covered and you should take microspikes. This is a very remote trek and therefore it is more important than ever to make sure you stay in good shape. Pacing yourself and good hydration are just two of the things to make sure you are putting into practice.

Hiking the Lunana Snowman trek is a big undertaking in terms of time and money, but it is somewhere incredibly unique. If you want to lose yourself in a long walk and be immersed in a totally different landscape this trek offers just that.

Guidebook 

Trekking in Bhutan by Bart Jordans (Cicerone)

A guidebook to 22 multi-day treks in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, including the Jhomolhari, Druk Path and Dagala treks. The trails vary from 2 to 23 days long. The routes are mostly in western and central Bhutan, and range from easy to strenuous depending on the length, altitude and difficulty. Includes advice on cultural awareness.

There are shorter treks to be enjoyed in Bhutan and a huge amount of culture and tourism to explore and hospitality to experience. There are many beautiful and historic dzongs and monasteries to visit, wildlife tours to take and tasty and unusual food to sample. I can't see Bhutan changing too much in the future but as with all these remote locations, change and progress are happening constantly, just at varying speeds.