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The trek was filled with stunning views...


...and narrow paths. Time to start training.


To prepare the body for camping at altitudes of 13,000 feet and hiking to 16,000 feet requires a LOT of cardio training. Tis helps to prevent extremely uncomfortable and potentially fatal alti- tude sickness. Our tour began in the city of Tim-


phu, where our bodies had a chance to adjust to the altitude, and where we were educated about the life and teach- ings of Buddha in dozens of temples and Dzongs. As restless as I was to begin the trek, I would later understand the days spent immersed in the Buddhist ritu- als of the Bhutanese people would pro- foundly enhance my entire journey. And then we ascended.


A company of 15 pack ponies and 20


porters kept pace ahead of our group of nine hikers, preparing camp for our ar- rival at dusk and relieving our exhaustion with steaming plates of yak cheese, chili peppers and red rice. Mornings began very early under starry skies, the porters tapping on our tents to say good morn- ing − “Kousouzangpo la” − with cups of hot tea and washing water as we braced


The Hub


(Top) Reaching the 16,040-foot summit! (Right) Local boy surrounded by prayer flags.


our bodies for the crisp, cold mountain air. Grazing yaks and the chatter of pack ponies became part of the background. Over 10 days we ascended through for- ests of rhododendron and alongside gla- cier fed rivers until views of the majestic Chomolhari and the Himalayan ranges opened before us. A final steep push up a pass called Bhonte La led us to our sum- mit at 16,040 feet. At that altitude, each step required


three deep gulps of thin, cold air which in itself created a sense of euphoria and led to an emotional arrival at the sum- mit. Blessed by hundreds of prayer flags clapping in the wind around me, I was, quite simply, on top of the world!


Te days of descent were equally


breathtaking. However, 36 hours of cold rain turned into a monsoon, flooding our camp and forcing us to perform a three- hour, 4,000-foot decent to our final des- tination of Paro town. It was a fittingly dramatic end to the trek. If you are blessed enough to visit Bhu-


tan in your lifetime, you will experience one of the last authentic places on our planet. Te words that best describe this ancient country are: peaceful, innocent, beautiful, mystical and happy. Flying away from Bhutan, looking down at the snow-covered peaks, I realized that it had made me feel all of those things profoundly.


Winter 2014 • 65


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