An amazing hike and challenge

This was always going to be a highlight of our Bhutan tour. Although I do regular hiking I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it to the monastery itself. The initial part of the walk to the cafe went well. It was though the woods and obviously very much uphill. There are several paths and we were led by our guide to the slightly longer but less steep path, it’s slightly wider too than some of the others.
Arriving at the cafe I was surprised not to feel too tired or achy. After a toilet stop and a drink of water I set off again with the look-out point my target. More of an unmade path now through the woods/hills and perhaps a bit steeper – or was I just feeling the climb now. Chocolate was needed now and then.
Arriving at the look-out point was a big achievement. Another pause here to take stock whilst admiring the monastery from the look-out balcony. Talking to those coming back we were told that the path is stepped now, firstly down to the bridge over the stream and then up to the monastery. We were told we could see the bridge and the waterfall if we just peeped around the corner. Well, not quite correct – we did go round the corner but quite way before we could see the steps and down to the bridge.
At this point the decision was whether or not to go down the steps – quite a long way – before climbing up the steps the other side to the monastery. In my mind I was thinking that going down now meant coming up on the way back and I was feeling tired now. Anyway, seeing the monastery so close was the decider to going on.
It was good to see the waterfall and cross the bridge. The ascent of the steps on the other side was slow but determined. I made it. Our guide who had been flitting backwards and forwards all morning ensuring everyone was OK had just returned from taking a group around the monastery. He offered to take those that had just arrived but we declined, we reached the monastery and now needed a sit down and a drink.
After a rest we started back, firstly steps down and then the steps up which proved to be a challenge – seemingly never-ending zigzags upwards. We arrived back at the look-out point thinking that the worst was now over and it was all downhill (easy?) from here. We continued downhill. We stopped at the cafe on the way back and was provided with lunch and a drink although I didn’t have much.
Easier, well, it should have been. We seem to have taken a wrong/different turn going back and were on quite a steeper more uneven path than we’d come up. Whether it was that, the altitude, lack of drink or just exhaustion but in the last quarter of the downhill I was quite light headed and had to take several rests on convenient large stones. Before I arrived at the base camp our guide had caught up with me again and stayed with me until I arrived at the bus.
So – all in all a good walk and adventure. Before I arrived I hadn’t thought I’d have the stamina to do it but I did manage it in stages as did my wife and a friend. It took around five and a half hours overall. I’m very pleased with the result.
We visited as part of our group tour, some of our group didn’t walk far, others got to the cafe and just over half of us reached the monastery.
If you are wondering whether to try the hike, give it a go. The path is uneven in places and obviously uphill. Be prepared to rest along the way, to have drinks and snacks and to take it in stages. However far you get will be good – far better than not trying.