BICYCLING IN BHUTAN
“Good morning, Sir!” school children call out to me and wave their hands. It is 4 p.m. and I am on my way to Ha and feeling the cold since the sun has vanished behind the mountains. As a bicyclist in Bhutan you are subject to much curiosity. There is very little traffic on Bhutan’s ever winding roads. You may encounter a few trucks, and from time to time, a taxi cab but bicyclists are a rare sight.
The local population, especially the youth, also show great interest in the appearance of cyclists in their checkered tricots on trekking or mountain bikes. A high-end transmission gear is a must as there are no flat sections of road in Bhutan.
We cycle up and down with an average of six to seven curves per kilometre. Even cars manage little more than a cruising speed of 25 km. per hour – an asset for the bicycling pioneers, as speeding is unknown on Bhutan’s winding roads.
If there are superlatives for cycling in the mountains, Bhutan deserves them. Most of the roads are tarred and take you through what is one of the planet’s finest alpine scenery. The minimal traffic (in some regions less than five vehicles per hour) allows the bicyclist to feel like the king of the road.
Even extensive ascents of 30 kms and more are not frightening since the gradient is usually as gentle as the soul of the Bhutanese. Indian-made Tata-trucks are not designed for extra-steep climbs, so you cycle on a comfortable seven to eight percent uphill grades across passes of 4,000 metres and beyond. Thus, delightful descents are even more enjoyable as very little of the accumulated energy is lost through the constant use of brakes.
There is 550 kms of road connecting Thimphu in Western Bhutan with Trashigang in the East. This provides a classy adventure of 10 days for the dedicated cyclist. Less time consuming is the two-day cycling trip from Thimphu to Ha, and then crossing almost 4,000 metres at Chele La on the way to Paro.
There are two stages of about 80 kms each when you bicycle through the scenic Ha valley and across one of the world’s most fascinating mountain passes to the pastures of Chele La, scattered with edelweiss. Enjoy the magnificent panorama of Jhomolhari and Jichu Drake from the top of the pass, followed by a breathtakingly beautiful 36 kms descent to Paro.
By Martin Uitz
Starting and arrival points: Chhuzom
1st stage (83 km): Chhuzom (2,100m) – Tsongkha – Tsibji – Ha (2800m)
Altitude difference: 1,380 m
2nd stage (81 km): Ha – Chele La (3,988 m) – Bondey/Paro (2,350m) – Chhuzom
Altitude difference: 1,290 m
Accommodation facilities in Ha: 2 hotels, simple restaurants in Tshongkha, Tsibji and Bondey
Best season: March, April, May, September, October, November
Recommended type of bicycle: Trekking bike, 28 inch tyres
Paving: Asphalt