Trekking in Bhutan is organised into ‘official’ routes that you can combine to traverse the country. Variations from the official routes is not permitted, the only option is to choose if you want to trek from east to west or vica versa.

West to East

After arriving in Paro, head to Shana and Drugyal Dzong and the beginni9ng of the Jhomolhari Trek. Continue around over the Nyele Pass to join and then follow the Ghasa Hot Springs trail to Thanza and the Snowman Trek. From the high lakes descend to Ungar on the Gankar Punsum route before following the Rhodang La Trek to Trashi Yangtse in the east. This route takes about 40 days depending on fitness.

Robin will be trekking this route in full in the pre-monsoon season of 2010.

These sections of the Great Himalaya Trail are currently untrekked, and therefore still ‘theoretical’ stages.

The eastern end of the Great Himalaya Range is generally considered to be the Tsangpo gorges that wind around Namche Barwa (7,782m), which was the highest unclimbed peak in the world until 1992. This region in the southwestern sector of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) has an incredible botanical diversity sheltered among steep forested valleys. Heading roughly west by southwest from Namche Barwa, the Great Himalaya Trail runs parallel to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) borders with Assam (India) and Bhutan near Coda (aka Koda, Tsona).

Starting at Mukot, in the Tsangpo Valley behind Namche Barwa, cross the Doshong La to Pe. Trek west, upstream, beside the Tsang Po to the road head at Tse. Then drive to the Lilung valley and trek south to Molo, Sangar Sampa, Langtang, past Tsokat Tsho to Tsari. Walk upstream along the Tsari Chu to then follow half of the Takpa Shelri pilgrimage route to the Chayul Chu and on to Chayul. From here follow the Loro Dakpo Chu past Tro and Jora to the Nyala La to Tsona (Cona) and then up to the Me La on the border with Bhutan.

Coming soon, contact us if you have some ideas

Coming soon, contact us if you have some ideas

The orange line shows the highest feasible route (as at 2009) that was trekked between September 2008 and July 2009 by Robin Boustead and a team of Sherpas.

Eastern Nepal – Kanchenjunga to Thame

From the Jhinsang La on the north side of Kanchenjunga the trail heads down past Kanchenjunga Base Camp to Ghunsa, then westwards over the Nango La to Olangchun Gola. Head northwest up and over the Lumbha Sambha, down through Thudam, and along the Arun River to Hongon. Climb back to the Tibetan border towards Popti Bangjang, but head west before the pass and then through the Saldim Khola and over to the Barun River. Then past Makalu Base Camp and over the Sherpani Col, West Col and Amphu Labsta to the Everest region. Cross the Cho La and the Renjo La to Thame.

Central Nepal - Thame to Jomsom

Climb the Tashi Labsta and descend through the Rolwaling. Take the most northerly exit route towards Kodari, cross the Bhote Koshi and climb to Bhairabkund. To the northwest are the Balephi Khola and Panch Pokhari, which you need to reach before crossing the Tilman or Tilman East pass in to the Langtang region. Descend to Syabru Besi, continue to Gatlang and then cross the Ganesh Himal foothills to the Manaslu Circuit. Continue around the Circuit to Dharapani and then around the Annapurna Circuit to Kagbeni.

Western Nepal – Jomsom to Mahakali Nadi

From Kagbeni head northwest into Dolpo via Chharka Bhot and then choose one of two routes; either westwards to Dho Tarap and Ringmo and then north to Pho, or head northwest from Chharka Bhot to Shimen and then west to Pho. Then take one of the two routes to the Mugu Karnali valley and descend to Gamgadhi. From here there are two route options, the shorter is to Simikot and then to the Yari valley where the Tibet border effectively stops your trek. The other route crosses from Gamgadhi to Rara Lake, and then across minor passes to the south of Saipal and Api Himals and on to the Indian border on the Mahakali Nadi. The second route offers trail continuity, whereas the former takes a route to the northern side of the Great Himalaya Range.

Coming soon, contact us if you have some ideas

The Great Himalaya Range is a maze of valleys, passes and mountain peaks, which are constantly changing because of the weather and global warming. To choose a specific route and expect it to remain unchanged is impossible, so the GHT is as much a concept, or ideal, as it is a formal track.

For many the Great Himalaya Trail is the ‘highest feasible route’ along the length of the various himal, which combine to form the full range that divides India and China. The Himalaya are so immense that route options are commonplace and all can be considered part of the overall Trail.

So the GHT is a personal challenge; a Trail system that allows you to develop your own route priorities and set your own level of difficulty. There are some sections that are a gentle hike at relatively low elevations (approximately 2,000m or 6,500ft) through to extreme trekking and light mountaineering at heights over 6,000m (20,000ft). Such variety means that you can gain experience over a number of treks that could ultimately lead you to some of the highest points on earth.

The Great Himalaya Trail is constantly changing as landslides affect trails, bridges are washed out, and snow and ice conditions change due to global warming. So although there are some sections that probably will remain unchanged for many years there are some areas that may vary each season. Before embarking on any mountain adventure, you should carefully research your trail options and check that you have all the field-craft and experience necessary to attempt the route.

Community

• Respect cultures and traditions – be a considerate guest, understand protocol, offer appropriate gifts when necessary, ask before taking a photo, do not show affection in public, and donations to gompas or shrines are appreciated.

• Benefit local communities, commercially and socially – share skills and experience, teach when you can, offer a fair pay for services, participate in activities. Do not encourage begging, publicly argue, drink excessively or fight.

• Adopt new customs – do not wear tight or revealing clothing, do not enter someone’s home unless invited, avoid touching people of the opposite sex, do not use your left hand to eat or pass objects and try to learn as much Nepali as possible.

Environment

• Tread softly – stick to trails and recognised camping areas. Avoid creating new tracks, or damaging the environment in any way. Follow the adage: take only photos and leave only footprints.

• Pack it in, pack it out – avoid taking tins, glass, or plastic containers and bags unless you plan to carry away. Wash away from water sources, and always use local toilet facilities when available. Bury all organic waste at least 30cm below the ground and 50m away from water sources.

• Conserve natural resources – what few resources there are belong by right to the locals. Always ask permission before using anything along the trail. It is illegal to disturb wildlife, to remove animals or plants, or to buy wildlife products.

Safety

• Beware of altitude sickness – use the buddy system to watch for symptoms of altitude sickness. Make sure everyone remains fully hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, everyday. Stay together along the trail, and communicate frequently with everyone.

• Be Safe – carry an extensive first-aid kit and know how to use it. Have multiple plans for emergency evacuation and designate decision makers. Leave your itinerary details with someone responsible at home. Beware of yaks and other animals on narrow trails!

• Be self-reliant – don’t assume you will receive help or assistance. Ensure your group has extensive field-craft and navigation skills. Research thoroughly, is your route appropriate for your party? Do you have the necessary skills, experience, resources and equipment?

Consider your safety

All outdoor activities involve an element of risk, which could endanger you and those with you. It is impossible for any guidebook to alert you to every possible danger or hazard, or to anticipate the limitations of your party. The descriptions of trails, passes, routes, geographical features in this guide are therefore not in any way a guarantee that they will be safe for you or your party. When you follow the advice and/or route information in this book you do so at your own risk and assume responsibility for your own safety. Ensuring that you are aware of all relevant factors and exercising good field-craft combined with common sense is the best way to enjoy the mountains. If you feel unsure about your skill level, experience or knowledge base then you should not assume responsibility for yourself or a party. The political situation in Nepal will change and could affect your plans. It is wise to keep abreast of all developments and check government and relevant agency websites for your own safety. You assume the risk of your travels and the responsibility for those with you. Be safe, be prepared, be informed.

The Great Himalaya Trail runs through regions and countries that have cultures dating back thousands of years, and for much of the time they have been trading with each other across the mountains. Salt, wood, grains, wool and livestock, gold and gems are just a few of the products that helped to establish a network of trails from Indochina to Afghanistan, including sections of the famous Silk Route.

It is easy to imagine local traders plying trails with their yak or donkey trains throughout the region. Over centuries, they explored remote valleys trying to find the easiest trails over the never ending ‘Abode of Snow’, the Himalaya. In the larger valleys small communities sprang up and developed their own unique languages and traditions. For over a thousand years the people of the Himalaya were cut off from the rest of the world as Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet all kept their borders closed from prying, colonial eyes.

Jesuit missionaries were the first Europeans to penetrate deep into the Himalaya in the early seventeenth century. The first was Father Antonio Andrade, in 1626, who crossed from India to western Tibet and then enjoyed the local Tibetan’s open-minded hospitality that still exists today. But it was William Moorcroft who is considered the father of modern Himalayan exploration. His first trip in 1812 was in search of Tibetan goats, and then followed by another in 1819-25 when he disappeared without a trace. In his wake came a long succession of missionaries, botanists, geographers and traders who criss-crossed the mountain ranges from east to west and began mapping the himals (mountainous sub-ranges). Exploration activity increased from the 1850s with the Great Game, a period when the British Raj, Russian Tsar and Chinese Qing Empires all vied for ascendancy in the region.

The then new sport of mountain climbing arrived in the Himalaya in the 1880s with W. W. Grahem, Sir Martin Conway and Freshfield who pushed deep into the unexplored valleys of Sikkim and the Karakorum. However, most of the Himalayan Kingdoms still discouraged visitors making many areas ‘blanks on the map’. After the First World War, a number of expeditions were organised to reconnoitre and climb significant peaks. But it was the mysterious disappearance of Mallory and Irvine on Mt Everest in 1924 that really ignited the world’s imagination for Himalayan exploration, and which ultimately led to the successful expedition led by Lord Hunt that placed Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the summit on the 29th May 1953.

It was the research expeditions to identify new peaks and climbing routes that began what we now call ‘trekking’. In 1949, Bill Tilman visited the Helambu, Langtang, Kali Gandaki and Everest regions without wanting to actually climb anything, and so became the first Himalayan trekker. In 1965, Colonel Jimmy Roberts introduced the world to organised trekking holidays and began a revolution in adventure holidays that made much of the Himalaya accessible to anyone.

All of the activity to date was largely north to south across the Himalayan ranges, so when an east to west route along the entire range was suggested in the 1970s it was considered a radical idea. But the challenge had been set, who could be the first to traverse the entire range?

At the time however, the eastern ranges through Bhutan and Tibet were closed so the first attempts could only start at Sikkim, then an autonomous region of India. The first expedition was in 1980 with Harish Kohli leading an Indian Army team and was quickly followed by S. P. Chamoli, Peter Hillary (son of Sir Edmund) and Graeme Dingle in 1981. These treks began at Kanchenjunga, on the border of Nepal and Sikkim and ended at the India-Pakistan border. A nine-month trek over 1981-82 saw Hugh Swift and Arlene Blum complete a traverse from Bhutan to Ladakh in India. This was to remain the longest attempt until 1990, when Sorrell Wilby and her husband Chris Ciantar, made a traverse from Pakistan to Arunachal Pradesh.

All of these expeditions suffered from restrictions on where they could trek, which meant they frequently had to detour to the mid-hills, away from the Great Himalaya Range. Even in Nepal, perhaps the most accessible of the countries, had strict ‘no-go’ areas along the border with Tibet. But in 2002, things changed and Nepal has now opened every one of her himals to permit-based trekking. Along with new trekking areas in Tibet, Bhutan and India, the Great Himalaya Range is now open to trekkers for the first time in history.