Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Weekend in Bhutan: Drukair A319 BKK-DAC-PBH, Chill at Uma Paro

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    The Hike Up To Takshang, The Tiger's Nest

    Introduction

    The thing about taking a hike up to Takshang is that ... you aren't.
    You take a hike up to the Tiger's Nest viewpoint, 50m higher, and a canyon away from Takshang.

    You can walk up or you can take a pony.
    I recommend the pony because of the altitude.
    Even if you decide to try walking up, bring the pony as backup.
    Because once you start the ascent, and decide you need a ride, no pony!

    And don't forget, once you reach Tiger's Nest viewpoint, you have to descend onto the canyon floor, then ascend to Takshang.
    After visiting Takshang, you have to walk down the mountain from Tiger's Nest viewpoint.

    The Way Up



    The briefing before the journey



    9V-SIA leg shot. Lots of leg room!



    We went up in 4s. I was the last group because they had to look for the largest pony for me.
    Note: wide track but the ponies like to ride along the edge



    Takshang Cafeteria. Half way point. Cafe Latte and a loo..



    Still a ways away...



    Just before the the "summit", you have to walk



    The ponies, happy to be rid of their passengers, need no prompting to head downhill by themselves!



    Finally, the Tiger's Nest viewpoint...



    ...and a view of Paro Valley & Half Way House (clearing among the trees)
    Last edited by 9V-SIA; 23 May 2009, 03:40 PM.

    Comment


    • #32
      The Final Lap

      Going down.....



      I wanted to show how steep and narrow the path is....



      Note the red roofed hut at the centre of the picture
      And the gate just visible below it....





      The bridge & waterfall mark the bottom of the canyon..



      And then it's up to the gate, seen before on the descent...



      ..and the red roofed hut..



      After all that, the only picture I have of the Tiger's Nest...



      ....because cameras have to be surrendered to this man

      Why is Takshang the holiest place in Bhutan?
      Legend has it, Guru Rimpoche aka Padmasambhava,
      riding a flying tigress, landed on this very spot, bringing Buddhism from Tibet to Bhutan

      How physically exhausting the climb was for the unacclimatized can be seen by our heart rates,
      just after we return from Takshang to the Tiger's Nest viewpoint.

      Normal resting heart rate 72/min
      Our group 130 to 150/min
      Our guide 80/min

      The Descent

      Much easier than the ascent, even without the pony.
      It's only the next day that your quads scream out in pain
      Even after having repeatedly stretched them after the climb
      Took 2 days to recover and walk down stairs relatively comfortably



      Born to shop! We're talking 2300m high
      Oxygen starved brains can still bargain pretty well
      Wife bought bracelet and necklace

      My TR almost done. Just the flight home to go....
      Last edited by 9V-SIA; 22 May 2009, 02:42 PM.

      Comment


      • #33
        Great stuff (pics and comments) - many thanks for sharing...

        Comment


        • #34
          Good Bye Bhutan

          When we checked in for our flight home, there were upgrades for sale.
          We happily paid USD 50 for a J seat.... 7 of us!



          Our ride home.
          Weather not as nice as on arrival.



          We were pushed back onto the runway.
          Look at the mountains at the end of the runway, looking north



          Looking south. Scary huh?



          Good bye Bhutan! Till we meet again...
          Last edited by 9V-SIA; 19 May 2009, 06:08 AM.

          Comment


          • #35
            Truly top-notch TR, 9V-SIA. Extremely informative, and makes me want to follow in your steps.

            Bravo!
            ‘Lean into the sharp points’

            Comment


            • #36
              Drukair J Class



              J Cabin. It was full. Jane Goodall was sitting in row 1



              38" pitch: Not quite as spacious as I thought it would be. It'll do though..



              PBH-DAC snack



              DAC-BKK lunch. Beef curry & Rice. It was delicious.




              Conclusions

              A weekend is too short a time to visit Bhutan. At least a week needed.

              Getting around takes time.

              Perhaps the best strategy next time would be:
              • 1-2 days rest & acclimatize
              • Drive to a valley further away. Bamthang comes to mind
              • And walk back to Paro, spending each night in a different location, thus saving time by not having to return to same "base" every night
              • Mustn't miss walking through Paro Village. And it has to be late afternoon/evening when the shops turn on their lights. Magic!
              • And spend an afternoon watching archery, their national sport


              And another thing, the Bhutanese live comparatively eco-friendly lives.
              I wonder if they should modernize so much to be like the Modern World
              Or should the Modern World live more like the Bhutanese?

              Thanks for watching.

              THE END
              Last edited by 9V-SIA; 20 May 2009, 06:04 AM.

              Comment


              • #37
                Brilliant TR, thanks!

                Comment


                • #38
                  Awesome!!!!!!!

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Totally awesome! Thanks for sharing.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Nice! Thanks for sharing.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        very beautiful photos. thanks for posting!

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Great TR! Thanks for sharing!

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Fab one, 9V-SIA .
                            Am so happy all your wishes came true
                            Here's to warmed nuts

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Footnote

                              I recently met up with my friends from Bhutan trip and got their DSLR pictures.
                              I thought I'd share them with you.
                              Thanks Tarek and WH.
                              I was going to insert them at the appropriate post but I can't seem to edit my posts anymore.
                              Hope you enjoy.

                              WH flew in from DEL and got a better view of Everest.

                              View from the Wings: Everest

                              Drive along River Valley from Paro to Thimpu..







                              Crossing the Mountain Range from Thimpu to Punakha..





                              Our pit stop to place Tza Tza..

                              Last edited by 9V-SIA; 3 June 2010, 02:05 PM.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Punakha





                                Correction:
                                In 1994, not 1958 ( post #30 ), a glacial lake burst its bank
                                ( This is an increasing danger with Global Warming ),
                                sending a wall of water down the valley...




                                ...destroying the original bazam. This replacement completed 2004.



                                Entrance to the Monastery



                                Back of the Monastery



                                Takshang

                                The descent from Takshang Viewpoint into the canyon..



                                The bridge is the floor of the canyon



                                Archery

                                The National Sport. Really fun to watch.





                                Finally, I added a YouTube recording of the Approach into PBH in post #7.
                                If you missed it the first time, you should catch it now!
                                Last edited by 9V-SIA; 18 September 2009, 11:10 PM.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X