In the largely impenetrable Black Mountains, in whose shadow threads the Trans-Bhutan Trail, ghostly forests of bearded hemlock can stir up ancient superstitions. “Please walk around that stupa shrine clockwise,” counsels our leader Dorji Bidha, one of only a handful of female guides in the country. “It is good for meditation and purifies bad karma. We don’t want to unsettle Nyala.” This is the man-eating demon who was once believed to haunt the dark mountain fastness. Happily, the Trail, newly restored during the pandemic, offers access to the deep V of this valley and river-filled gorge, which the tarmac road could never reach. Its repair, resurrection and relaunch in September last year, is, of course, a boon for travellers. But, more importantly, being the historic connective tissue on which the nation was built, it has once again galvanised communities by bringing local people together with a shared purpose during the pandemic. Thanks to the initiative
HIDDEN KINGDOM
Aug 09, 2023
5 minutes
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