The Taktsang Monastery Hike

Received through the mail--

"Quick question for you: I'm going up to Taktsang next week.  The day I have an important official mission to attend to.  Have never been up there before!  Can you tell me again what the path is like? am more anxious about the descent than the ascent.  Any advice appreciated! xoxoxoxox"

"Our health club group is hiking Taksang next month.  We have practised on treadmills, not real terrains. Some of us only do yogas, and have never hike or trek before. Taksang hike is the last day of the tour. The next day, we'll all need to be back to office. Can we even walk properly after that?"

"Do guys need donkies up Taktsang?"



There is no one-size-fit-all answer to this question.  It depends on individual fitness. Everyone reacts differently to similar set of circumstances. Weather conditions differ as well.

However, good precaution comes about only when we are also aware of the negatives.  I therefore list my own encounters of what I personally experience on this trail.  Note that many Bhutanese and many foreign tourists do not have the same issues.  They find the trail a piece of cake.

I’ve tried a couple of treks in 1990s, before it caught fire.  I went up with the aid of a donkey and a guide.

The recent hike in December 2012, I went up with a guide to share among 3 of us: my sons and I. We were dissuaded from hiring donkies, buying walking canes, and generally was misled into thinking the hike today is easier than it was back then.

 If I could reverse time, I would not have made this recent hike - except under some conditions.

These conditions are:-

[1] Donkey

Taksang Monastery Path - 1st Leg

First, a donkey up is a must. Do not be dissuaded by anyone with fear stories of how donkies up the risk of falling over the edge.

This doesn't apply of course, if you meant to take the hiking as a test of endurance and body fitness exercise, especially those who plan to go on even tougher hikes elsewhere.

[2] Walking Sticks

Taksang Monastery Path - 2nd Leg

Even with a donkey to ease the trip up, there is the last bit of passage where you have to go on your own.

A walking stick comes in useful.

In fact, there are parts of the path where two walking sticks come in useful. This is affirmed when I saw a small group of well-prepared American tourists hiking the path using professional ski sticks, not one but two! The spikes at the end of their ski sticks really steady them.

[3] Personal Guide

Taksang Monastery Path - 2nd Leg

If your body is under-conditioned (from being sedentary, lack of exercise, aging, general ill health or a pre-disposition to ailment), you should hire a personal guide (separate from the main guide).

Not only will the hand-holding of the guide balance and propel you where necessary, a good guide will also up the safety factor. Overall, without the need to overly exert yourself, the trip comes across as more enjoyable.

In fact, for some, I may even recommend not one, but two, personal guides. Overkill, you may think, and I've been laughed at, but if my reasons listed later on, below relates to you, you may want to consider that.

[4] Personal Guide

Taksang Monastery Path - 3rd Leg

Unlike before the monastery fire, the many stone steps at the last leg of the journey just in front of the monastery now have protective rails. Nevertheless, they twist and turn, and as everyone knows, are steep.

If you suffer from vertigo, depending on how bad you can be psychologically affected by the fear of heights, you may not make it despite having a guide to help you.

If you are determined to make the last leg though, you may choose to make it by not looking down, and this is possible if the guide is good, someone who conveys confidence, and is able to shield you.

It goes to follow that if you had over-exerted yourself on the way up to Taksang from the beginning, you will be left with less reserve strength to cope with this last leg. Now you know the wisdow of having a donkey and a guide on the main route up.


[5] Safety - Watch the corners
Taksang Monastery Path - The Descent

Now that you've taken care of the ascent, you're right to be more concerned about the descent.

When descending with one walking stick (and no guide), I actually identified three, if not more corners, where possibly I might just propel off the edge if I do not go down to a crawling stance to reduce gravity force of forward movement. These dangers spots appear very safe, but wow, not!

When I first did this hike with a guide, I wasn't aware even of the danger.

This time around, with the guide taking care of one of my 2 sons, I became more attuned to danger spots. I had actually placed not only myself, but my 2 sons, in the fact of risks by not being prepared, and by assuming that since so many make the hike without undue incident, I need not take precautions.

[6] Time, Torchlight

Watch the setting sun! I dare say I was the last to make it down, with the setting sun chasing my back. The descent becomes more dangerous when you're running out of daylight - and have no torchlight!

You must set out for this trail as early in the morning as possible!

[7] Lunch

Watch the cafeteria hours! Lunch was NOT served as we crossed the lunch hour.

Having started the journey shortly after breakfast, the next meal would be dinner. If you're not one to skip lunch, or gets hungry on hikes, be prepared with some packed lunch if you can't meet the cafeteria timings. A hungry stomach adds to exhaustion. You need fuel to hike well.

The cafeteria is somewhere around the two-third mark of the Taksang Monastery hike.



Only the cat remains.  The cook has gone.

[8] Photographer

An American tourist that I used to handle hires her own photographer. Another Japanese who is a seasoned hiker, nevertheless, hires a Bhutanese guide who has DSLR training as his photographer. This is because they both own expensive, heavy DSLR body and lenses, and prefer someone else to take charge of this aspect while they hike.

Again, a small price to pay for additional safety. We've all heard the case of the tourist who fell over while taking a picture of the Taksang Monastery.


[9] Travel Light

At the start of the trail, everything weighs okay.  As the path gets difficult, even the light DSLR seems to weigh. 

This includes the attire.  Because of weather variation, we always wear 3 layers, ranging from light to medium to jacket.  The nice-looking jacket begins to weigh heavy along the path!  Must use lighter type jacket.

Other Experiences

I'm always the first to confess that in order to make it up to Taksang (and down of course), I'd prefer a whole retinue! --

*  One donkey, and a stron-nnnnng one at that.

The donkey on my first hike was so poorly kept that he had to take breaks ever so often. Every time he takes a break, he automatically goes right to the edge of the trail, which means that me the donkey sitter, also leg dangles at the edge ever so often. He struggles quite a bit along many parts of the journey; at one point, I even felt the urge to go off his back, and put him on my back instead. I'm not joking - it actually broke my heart. I offered to walk the way up.

*  One guide to hand-hold and propel me upwards.

*  One guide to fan me.  I perspire profusely whenever I do ascents.

*  One guide to carry the stuff.

*  If possible, all guides may as well combine forces to piggy-back me up and down.

*  Professional skiing sticks in case I need to show off

    (when takingpicture, must quickly transform from weakling to action hero).
    If no ski sticks, the walking sticks carved so nicely by the apa will do nicely too.
    He sells it at the commencement of the path.

I've worked alongside Bhutanese guides and see one or two who can propel themselves upwards vertically with seemingly zero effort. These Bhutanese are a different species of humankind altogether.  I am nowhere close to being in the same league.  Even teenage school kids whizzed up and down talking and laughing as I struggle and stop often. Sharp corners, loose stones, big blocks along the path, doesn't slow them one bit. One batch actually offer to help this slow crawling snail.

This trail really reveals the fit from the unfit.

On my way up, I came across an otherwise fit-looking lady from Singapore who was descending. Without a walking stick to carve into the sand to steady her, she had to move even more gingerly than me, finding her balance in the uneven path, and trying not to establish loose rocks from entrenched ones. She has a look of disbelief, apparently has never been told walking downways could ever be difficult.

An Indian couple in their 20s who descended with me, but soon overshoot me, told me they could move faster than me only because they are consistent hikers. Nevertheless, they too classify the Taksang hike as difficult.

Another Indian in his 50s turn around a third into the trail. He would only repeat it next time if he had the necessary backups.

The biggest surprise came when I reached Thimphu, and heard from a Bhutanese girl in her 30s who owns a tour agency that even she can't make it and had to turn back.

Aha, so there are even Bhutanese who can't make it.

Another, a yoga club member, told me that she couldn't manage the ascent without a donkey.


Error Information

Asking folks off the street about the Taktsang trail ended up being a misleading affair for me.

Three people told me that the car road now goes above Taksang Monastery and then it is only a short walk downwards. That is, no more hiking required. As a result, I had gone unprepared during this latest visit.

Not true, the original car road used to be farther away from today's existing site of trail commencement, but just by a little. You still need to hike upward a couple of hours, and down another couple of hours.

Some say there are at least 3 cafeterias for tired hikers to refresh.

Not true.

Even along the way, whenever we stop a guide or someone to ask how long more it would be before we reach a destination, the time given would be completely off. They would estimate, for example, 15 minutes, when it is a few times multiply that.


For Those Unsure of Their Fitness Level

Back to your original question, what would I have done having just gone through the path (in relatively good weather conditions):-

1st : Hire a donkey

2nd : Hire a personal guide, not just for myself, but one each for my sons as well. Safety reasons.

3rd : I'd hire one more extra guide as porter/photographer.

4th: Buy two walking sticks from the apa, per each unseasoned hiker

5th: Ignore's others' derision. Unless your fitness and ability in handling ascents and descents is established, it is better to overkill in preparation, than to stress, due to under preparation.

These measures add to the cost, but depending on your perspective and needs, it may not be a matter of luxury, but safety.

It is a contribution as well, to the livelihood of the hardworking guides and apas / amas involved in the walking cane / supply / donkey-hire industry.

To me, Taksang Monastery is the highlight of a Bhutan tour for those who have never been there.  I encourage everyone to make a trip at least once - but do so in safety and peace.