Hiking The Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan -Conquering the Biggest Physical Challenge of My Life

As I stood at an elevation of 7,000 feet and looked up at the The Tiger’s Nest (Paro Taktsang) so beautifully perched on a Himalayan mountain another 3,000 feet high, I had such mixed emotions about hiking.

Our trip to Bhutan, with both our younger kids (now young adults) will always be one of the most magnificent trips we have ever taken. It would not be complete without hiking and visiting the holiest place in Bhutan dedicated to the man who brought Buddhism to this amazing country.

But could I climb such high altitude consisting of a steep hiking trail and a large number of stairs? You see, I am not an avid hiker. I also have underlying asthma that seems to flare up and cause shortness of breath with intense physical activity. The high altitude in Bhutan was already causing a mild flare up. In addition, I have chronic pain on the right side of my body. These minor healthy issues no longer define me and I have learned to manage and thrive with them in regular life. But hiking this intense site, I wasn’t so sure.

While planning this epic trip which included 4 day stop over in Tokyo and 2 day stop over in New Delhi we really did not have a chance with our busy schedules to fully look into every detail of the itinerary. We were all certainly excited for the Tiger’s Nest visit. After all, no picture or post of Bhutan is complete without an image of the Tiger’s Nest. We had to visit this amazing place. Beyond that we had no concrete knowledge or plans for hiking.

To Horse Or Not To Horse:

On our second day in Bhutan our wonderful guide Passang, (we went through Druk Asia Bhutan Travel Specialist) had taken us on a shorter and easier hike to get us used to the altitude and acclimatize us. Coming from Vancouver, Canada it was huge altitude difference.

Noticing that after each steep climb I had to catch my breath, the guide suggested we use ponies to go less then 1/2 way up to the Tiger’s Nest. This first part of the hike is the steepest and most difficult. She said a lot of the people who walked up this part ended up calling it quits at the cafeteria (considered mid-point with a beautiful view of the Tiger’s Nest).

I wasn’t the one to opt for quitting. I knew I wanted to go all the way so I jumped at the option of going on the horse for a bit as did rest of the family. Our tour guide booked 4 horses for the day of our climb.

The night before our scheduled hiking we Googled to see what we were getting ourselves into. The next morning everyone was a bit confused from all the different opinions on the internet regarding the use of a horse and/or completing the trek half way.

As we drove towards the base we all had time to sift through our thoughts. Both the young adults, after serious deliberation, decided they did not want to take the horses and felt ready to take on the challenge of trekking. I couldn’t agree more. I would have never wanted them to look back and say they didn’t challenge themselves enough. But they also didn’t want to push me to do the same.

My partner in crime, my hubby, was also confused. He himself would have no issue climbing, after all he is an ex-Indian army captain and very capable. His confusion came from the same thoughts as mine . He wanted me to go all the way to the top without any issues but didn’t want the kids or himself to feel they took the easy way out with the ponies.

Like a true leader he was able to make an executive decision and I was relieved and grateful. After talking to the horseman he felt confident that I would be okay to go up on the horse. And the three of them along with our guide would trek up and meet me at the end point for the horses (we actually paid for 4 horses since we had booked them). But that was a small price to pay for the adventure of a lifetime for everyone.

The Trek:

Along with other pony riders, I got on my horse and was ever so glad. It was a very steep incline. I was told to hold tight with my legs and to lean forward as the horse went up and back as the horse went down. It was mostly intense uphill. The funny thing was that I was the middle rider between a husband and wife.

Five minutes into the ride I noticed my horse was not being guided by a horseman. When I asked why, I realized the horseman in front and the horse woman in the back both didn’t speak any English. The other traveller replied, “Don’t worry, your horse is very obedient. They wanted my wife to go on that horse but she was afraid.” Ah, not what I wanted to hear and I did not even know how to respond to that.

Rather than panic at this point, I chose to focus on the strength of my horse. It sure knew the way. The horse in the front at times had to be pushed but my guy just kept going, wanting eagerly to pass him over. A couple of times he did get closer to the edge but I kept my form as did he. It was a mere 20 minute ride to the meeting point. My legs seemed messed up from all the pressure on the knees.

I got down, walked around a bit and enjoyed the magnificent view from this point. It was ideal time to sit on a rock and meditate while I waited for my family. They walked up in approximately 45 minutes. Seeing their faces was a delightful moment.

We took a few minutes to take some photos and moved on. (There is a cafeteria not too far from here that has beverages, light snack and washrooms. This is also the stop a lot of people quit at if they are tired to go on.)

I would be lying if I said it was an easy climb. I had to pace myself, taking time to rest in between climbs. We were a true team supporting and waiting for each other. Every stop was an opportunity to take in the moment and take a few pictures. Every now and then we would also get a glimpse of the Tiger’s Nest. That was inspiration enough to keep going.

The path is well constructed and maintained. The pine and rhododendron trees plus the view of the Paro Valley provided a beautiful view as well as fresh and cool air.

I must say looking up at the Tiger’s Nest at every glance, I was in awe and actually amazed at my own ability to take on this challenge. I was filled with gratitude and pride for just being here. It looked so unattainable yet one step at a time we kept getting closer and closer.

Any time I felt out of breath or tired I drew inspiration from all the people who walked up this mountain with the necessary supplies to complete this extraordinary building not once but twice (formally built as a monastery in 1692 and reconstructed after a fire in 2005 ). I reminisced about the people who thought, planned and accomplished this feat.

Soon we reached the epic photo spot. No description or photo on the internet does justice to the feeling of being at this magical place. We took our time soaking in all its beauty and capturing our accomplishment as we realized we still had a whole lot of stairs (I believe over a thousand) between us and our amazing destination. Now we could see it and admire it every step of the way.

The Destination:

As we passed over a bridge, past a beautiful waterfall, a few more steep steps carved out of the rocks we reached the monastery . We had to check in all our backpacks, camera equipment and shoes with the security at this point.

As we visited each of the varies temples and chambers our guide proceeded to fill us in on the rich history and the religious beliefs surrounding Tiger’s Nest. We carefully glanced over rooms filled with Buddhist icons. It was fascinating to see a cave with a closed door. This is the cave where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated. This door is only opened once a year during a religious ceremony.

My favourite part was when we got to sit quietly and meditate in one of the rooms. Acknowledging where we were sitting and how we got there filled my heart with gratitude and emotion beyond words. To be able to share this experience with our children made it even more priceless. These short few minutes totally rejuvenated my body and I felt fully equipped for my descend from this magnificent high in every sense of the word.

My 11 Recommendations for hiking the Tiger’s Nest:

• Do the Tiger’s Nest a few day after reaching Bhutan to give your body time to acclimatize.
• Do not leave it for your last day here. You will appreciate a day or two of recovery before your flight. Also, in case the weather doesn’t permit hiking on a particular day you will still have another day to do it. You wouldn’t want to leave Bhutan without having the chance to visit Tiger’s Nest.
• Start your day early to avoid harsh weather and larger crowds.
• See what is important to you and what your intention is. Base your decision to take or not take the pony entirely based on your intention and ability.
• Set your own pace but keep yourself motivated.
• Take time to breath and soak it all in and to give your body the much needed rest in between.
• Rent walking sticks at the base. They will be your biggest support.
• Wear a good pair of supportive hiking shoes that have been broken into.
• Take a light back pack with a light jacket (or warmer jacket depending on the time of the year), hat, and sunglasses.
• Pack a water bottle and healthy light snacks like bananas, oranges and protein bars ( you will need this).
• Go in a group. My favourite part was doing it with the family as we all kept each other motivated and supported.

The Descend:

Before we could rejoice in the fact that we were descending and this should be much easier we had a flight of approximately 750 stairs to climb back. I noticed so many people older then me coming up and I quietly admired their grit. What also came in handy was my yoga practice of the past year. In yoga you learn to rely on your breath to pull yourself through a tough pose. I learnt this practice helps with more than just tough yoga poses. As I took each step I kept the focus on the breath and this provided the much needed energy and clear focus.

We certainly needed to rely on the water and the light snacks we had packed. Soon we came to the horse point and this is where the steep decline began. This actually was quite demanding as my legs were tired at this point and the downhill is not easy on the knees. Again, simply pacing myself helped. My daughter and I also walked sideways to take some the pressure off the knees. The last 10 minutes of the hike were probably the toughest as I literally dragged my tired body.

The Accomplishment:

The high fives and the hugs at the bottom with family upon finishing the hiking trip were the best reward. It took us a grand total of 5 hours to complete the round trip with plenty of breaks. This was by far the biggest physical challenge of my life and to have completed it with our children was an amazing accomplishment. I am not sure who was more proud of who. I know for a fact this is one of the most amazing things I have done and will ever do in my life.

Now every morning I make sure I thank and appreciate my body, mind and soul for living up to this incredible challenge of hiking. My being is inspired by my own strength and that is an incredible feeling!

With love,

Devinder 💖

All photo credit: Ravi Maan