Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [160]
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YAKS
Westerners tend to oversimplify the many manifestations of the yak into this single word, yet it is only the full-blooded, long-haired bull of the species Bos grunniens that truly has the name yak. In Bhutan the name is pronounced ‘yuck’ and females of the species are called jim. Females are prized for their butterfat-rich milk, used to make butter and cheese.
Large, ponderous and clumsy looking, yaks have the ability to move very quickly when startled. They are used as pack animals for seasonal migration to alpine pastures in Laya and other high regions of western Bhutan. If you are trekking with yaks, give them a wide berth, and don’t put anything fragile in your luggage. If an animal becomes alarmed, it charges up a hill and your baggage falls off and gets trampled as the yak bucks and snorts when its keeper tries to regain control.
Though some yaks are crossbred with local cows, there are many purebred yaks in Bhutan – massive animals with thick furry coats and impressive sharp horns.
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TREKKING FOOD
You can rely entirely on the camp meals and not carry any food with you to Bhutan. You might carry a small supply of chocolate bars or trail mix for snacks, or a few packets of seasoning to liven up soups, but it’s not necessary. Your cook can look after any special dietary requirements if given advance notice.
Because there is almost no fresh food available on trek routes, the entire supply must be carried from the start of the trek. As you begin the trek, fresh vegetables and meat are available and camp meals tend to be even better than those available in Thimphu. On a longer trek, the fresh food goes off after the first week or so and you are largely reduced to tinned food.
Meals usually include a rice dish, a potato dish or, frequently, both. The cook prepares meals over stoves fuelled by bottled gas, and most Bhutanese trekking cooks are adept at producing a reasonable variety of Western and Asian dishes. They often add interesting Bhutanese touches, such as cheese sauces, but know to avoid hot chillies unless you specifically request them.
The midday meal is often a packed lunch and may consist of fried rice or noodles, boiled potatoes or chapatis. It is normally accompanied by tea from a large flask. Sometimes the cook loads a lunch horse with a gas cylinder and a basket of food and produces a hot lunch on the trail, but this is infrequent because on most trekking days there is not a good place to cook and eat at the right time.
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CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT
There is no trekking gear available in Bhutan; you must bring all your equipment. Everything on the Personal Equipment Check List is useful, and most of it necessary, on a long trek. All of this gear (except perhaps the sleeping bag) will pack into a duffel bag weighing less than 15kg.
Some gear will not be necessary on your trek. You might be lucky enough to trek during a rare warm spell and never need a down jacket. It might be so cold and rainy that you never wear short pants. However, these are unusual situations, and you should be prepared for extremes.
Make a special effort to reduce the weight of the baggage you bring on the trek. Each pack animal carries 30kg and it is expected that one animal will carry the luggage of two trekkers. Hence, any baggage over 15kg is a complication.
What is Provided
The trek operator will provide two-person tents with foam mattresses, as well as eating utensils and kitchen equipment. Government rules specify that the trek operator should also provide a first-aid kit and a pressure bag (Portable Altitude Chamber) for high-altitude treks, but you should still carry your own supply of basic