Chomolhari Trek

Perched high in the Himalayas, with thick forest blanketing 70 percent of its land, the biodiverse Kingdom of Bhutan is among the world’s 10 most prominent areas for environmental protection. Trek along the valleys of unclimbed summits, through high ridges and rice terraces, and past stark white monasteries built into cliffs that hang over deep river gorges. With Bhutan’s limited number of tourists each year, it attempts to maintain its “Gross National Happiness” through general isolation – experience a culture and land almost completely untouched by outside influence.

This trip involves strenuous trekking, but requires no mountaineering experience as you navigate the cool shadows of bamboo forests up into cedar groves and thick conifers. From the higher-altitude meadows, take in close-up views of a variety of birds, herds of blue sheep and musk deer, and dozens of snow-covered peaks looming above, including Chomolhari, Gangchenta, Tserimgang, and Masagang. Make your way past meditation caves carved out of steep yellow cliffs, traverse ancient stone staircases, and slip past untouched waterfalls. Even when you are not alone in wilderness, the daily life of the highly spiritual Bhutanese will entrance: Watch the spinning of prayer wheels, listen to the murmur of mantras, and feel the glow of butter lamps that light up the gentle faces around you. Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon, is a place of true serenity and unadulterated charm.