17 telephone: 0845 330 8579 ( local call rate, UK only) international telephone: + 44 1453 844 400 www. mountainkingdoms. com The Himalaya Bhutan A fter a walk up to the celebrated Tiger's Nest Monastery, we leave Paro and trek northwards to reach the base camp for Chomolhari which, at 7,314m/ 23,997ft, is the second highest peak in Bhutan. After time to trek up to the mountain's glacier and acclimatise here, we cross a high pass to reach the remote monastery/ fort of Lingshi. Built by the first ruler of Bhutan as a defence against Tibet, this dzong is fantastically situated on a 600ft hill overlooking wide valleys. After time to explore we turn southwards to cross another high pass and trek towards Thimphu passing some curious meditation caves, perhaps some ' blue sheep' and through the wonderfully named Dom Shisa ( Where the Bear Died). Once in the capital, there's time to relax and take in some of the sights before heading home. T his is one of our longest Bhutanese treks, and one which we have successfully run every year since 1988, when we were the first British company to pioneer the route. Starting from Paro, we strike out towards the Tibetan border into Bhutan's mountainous northwest corner. The route takes us beneath Chomolhari, 7,314m/ 23,997ft, the country's second highest mountain, and the beautiful Jichu Drake, 6,858m/ 22,500ft. We may be lucky enough to see bears, herds of ' blue sheep', takin and eagle. The main villages in the area are Lingshi, Laya and Gasa and their mountain tribespeople, dressed in yak wool clothes and conical bamboo hats, see few visitors. Reaching this little- known area is not easy and involves crossing passes up to 5,000m/ 16,000ft high, however, rest days occur at timely intervals and this is without doubt one of the finest treks in the Himalaya. H ere is something extremely special: where other trekking companies offer just a taste of Lunana, Mountain Kingdoms offers the complete trek - something only a handful of westerners have ever achieved. From Paro, we trek past Mt Chomolhari ( 7,314m/ 23,997ft), and cross numerous high passes to arrive at the village of Laya. We then trek across the Karakachu La ( 5,200m/ 17,000ft) from where we have excellent views of Gangkar Punsum ( 7,550m/ 24,770ft), the highest peak in Bhutan, and now the world's highest unclimbed mountain. The pass leads us into Bhutan's most remote and beautiful district, Lunana. This is a difficult place to reach, enclosed on all sides by high mountains. During winter months Lunana is totally isolated from the outside world. Mount Chomolhari Approach A magnificent mountain trek through remote country, crossing two high passes of nearly 4,880m/ 16,000ft. The Hidden Kingdom Trek This trek really has everything: remoteness, fantastic mountains, fascinating villages and spectacular dzongs. The Complete Lunana Snowman Trek The experience of a lifetime - trek the full length of Bhutan's highest mountains. £ 2,295£ 3,075 Land OnlyFlight Included Tue 13 Apr - Sat 01 May Tue 05 Oct - Sat 23 Oct Tue 12 Oct - Sat 30 Oct On Trek: 10 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Camping: 9 Optional: Single Room £ 190 Single Tent £ 75 Insurance: £ 149 1- 2 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure 3- 4 Fly Paro, sightseeing, view Taksang temple 5- 14 Trek Chomolhari Base Camp, & Lingshi, drive Thimphu 15- 16 Sightseeing & day walk, drive Paro 17- 19 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 19 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 2 clients Grade: Vigorous/ Strenuous £ 2,925£ 3,695 Land OnlyFlight Included Tue 04 May - Sat 29 May Tue 05 Oct - Sat 30 Oct On Trek: 17 days Local Leader Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Camping: 16 Optional: Single Room £ 190 Single Tent £ 100 Insurance: £ 159 1- 3 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly Paro 4 Sightseeing, view Taksang temple 5- 21 Trek Chomolhari- Lingshi- Laya, drive Thimphu 22- 23 Sightseeing, at leisure, drive Paro 24- 26 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 26 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 3 clients Grade: Strenuous £ 4,625£ 5,395 Land OnlyFlight Included Wed 29 Sep - Sat 06 Nov On Trek: 28 days Appointed Leader Roope Roine Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Camping: 27 Lodges/ Guesthouses: 2 Optional: Single Room £ 230 Single Tent £ 150 Insurance: £ 215 1- 3 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly Bhutan 4 Paro sightseeing, view Taksang temple 5- 32 On trek Lingshi - Laya - Lunana - Bumthang 33- 35 Rest in Bumthang, drive Tongsa and Thimphu 36 Sightseeing, drive Paro 37- 39 Fly Kathmandu, at leisure, fly London Trek | Duration: 39 Days Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 6 clients Grade: Strenuous Lake on Lunana trek, Neil Sloman

18 Download holiday itineraries from www. mountainkingdoms. com e: info@ mountainkingdoms. com Bhutan The Himalaya Tibet Lying in the rain shadow of the Greater Himalaya, Tibet is a breathtaking high altitude plateau covering an area the size of Western Europe. It has always been a difficult country to enter. When Tibet enjoyed self rule the Tibetan people preferred isolation and shunned contact with the outside world. It is a country that personifies all that is mysterious, and its red and yellow hat sects of Tibetan Buddhism have grown in strength since the shock of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The exiled Dalai Lama encourages Westerners to visit his country and we also believe a journey to ' the Roof of the World' to be a worthy and fascinating goal. In addition to the following treks and tours please see page 13 for the ' Cultural Highlights of Bhutan and Tibet' - a Cultural Tour combining the very best of both countries. Mount Kailash & the Saga Dawa Festival, John Turner