The Tiger’s Nest is located in the Kingdom of Bhutan, nestled in the Eastern Himalayas and surrounded by two giant countries, China and India. Being an avid hiker, to hike the Tiger’s Nest was only attainable in my dreams due to the ‘high value, low volume’ tourism policy. The Royal Government of Bhutan has placed a minimum fee of USD200 to USD250 per person per day for entering Bhutan. That is about RM880 to RM1100 per day, excluding visa. It is a country that I thought I would never get to and yet, towards the end of 2022, here I am setting my small self on the only zero carbon country in the world.
We were set to hike Tiger’s Nest on the 1st of January 2023, but again, my hopes were dampened as there is rumor that it might snow and having snow on the first day of the year is thought to be truly auspicious and the government will declare that day as a national public holiday. I prayed again and again for a clear day. As we have to wake up early at 5am on the day of the hike, I was unable to sleep due to excitement. New year in Bhutan was rather peaceful – no fireworks, no hard drinking and no rave partying. Just a bonfire with close friends. I must have dozed off just before new year.
We had breakfast at the hotel in the morning and were transported to the foothill of Tiger’s nest in twilight. As we reach the foothill, we saw a herd of horses awaiting to carry those unable to walk halfway up. A handful of us decided to walk all the way, as the Bhutanese saying goes – ‘There is no enlightenment without suffering’ and no Bhutanese will ever take a horse up Tiger’s Nest. And then it snowed. The first snow of the year but since everyone was already at the foothill, it was too late to turn back now. What an auspicious start to the year indeed! We get to experience snow and being able to hike this sacred monastery!
I started walking. The snow was pleasant and mild at lower altitude (about 2,400m asl). The footpath was mostly dirt trail without any signage for navigation. I remembered my guide, Thinley said ‘Just keep to your right at every junction you see and you will be on the right trek’. For the first 20 minutes or so I could see how remote we were – surrounded by dense forests at every turn. The air was clear and clean but dry and thin. Due to the high altitude, my breath was shallow and raspy. I also couldn’t seem to stop my nose from running! I passed by fellow hikers and realized I was alone at one point. I stopped at a junction to take a few sips of warm water from my hot flask. I suddenly saw a brown robe-like Gho (traditional Bhutanese man dress) flickering several meters in front of me and followed it. It was our photographer Ugyen and was relieved that I wasn’t alone again. This was his 4th time hiking the Tiger’s Nest and we shared stories about our hikes in the Himalayas. We reached the Taktshang Cafe tea house about half an hour later.
The intermittent snow flurries prevented snow from accumulating but enough to dampen the concrete floors surrounding the cafeteria. I had to tread carefully as the pavement gets more and more slippery. From the cafeteria you can see the Tiger’s nest perching obscurely behind several cliff-like monoliths. We are only halfway at this point. I took a few sips of warm water from my flask and decided to press on. The temperature plunges as the altitude rises. The light snowfall grew heavier and heavier.
How delightful to experience a part of the world untainted by human atrocities that even wild birds are unafraid of humans.
As I ascend higher, yellow-billed blue magpies called out to me while pacing playfully behind snow powdered shrubs. How delightful to experience a part of the world untainted by human atrocities that even wild birds are unafraid of humans. The magpies tailed as I trod along. At a small intersection, a voice suddenly called out to me “If you have some biscuits, the birds will come to you.” I turned and saw another guide adorning an ushanka-hat and clasping Tibetan beads behind me. I reach into my knapsack and took out a packet of noodle snack and scattered it near the birds. Immediately they started approaching me. I was appalled and scattered more snacks on the ground – more magpies flew over and approach me! I have never experienced anything like this. My excitement was cooled off by the subzero temperature as my bare fingers were stiffing up and my nose was running profusely. I continued my hike to warm myself up.
I followed the very warm looking and bird-savvy guide, Ngawang while he hummed some mantras away. His humming was calming and serenading and I could feel this deep sense of inner peace within me. And then I saw it. The Tiger’s nest just right before my very eyes now. Dawn was sneaking behind it while leaving fog-like evaporating snow surrounding the monastery. The fog was shifting fast in the wind revealing a spine-chilling 900m cliff beneath the monastery. I thought it should be called a Cliff Swallow’s nest. Alright then, only to descend about 300 steps or more and to ascend another 100 steps before reaching the temple. The steps were dangerously slippery at this point as the sun rises. I moved carefully and finally reached the monastery.
There were strict securities at the monastery and we were not allowed to take any photos, wear any headgears or bring our phones and bags in at this point. As I went in, I realized that there are 8 hidden temples in this monastery. One is free to roam around all temples but only the second temple is the biggest and most important of all where Guru Rinpoche, the founder of Tiger’s nest meditated. There was a certain warmth in this monastery due to the cave-like structure, the amber glow of the butter lamps and the crimson-colored drapes. This monastery which has existed in some form since the ninth century is not without its scars. Burned down in 1998 due to an overturned butter lamp incident, part of it was rebuilt with wood. I sat on the stone floor with socks sodden from sweat and melted snow while taking in my surroundings – the monastery-temple was filled with sacred silk temple hangings decorated with images of Buddhist figures known as thangkas, statues and holy relics collected over centuries. There was also an old photo of the temple in black and white that if you look closely enough – you could see the face of Guru Rinpoche himself manifest.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HIKE THE LYCIAN WAY?
I exited the monastery very cold but with a warm heart. Now, to climb the 300 steps back! The halfway-point cafeteria is now packed with tourists seeking food and warmth with most of them too cold and tired to finish the trek. I was reunited with my 74-year-old mother who rode the horse halfway up. I escorted her down the mountain while reciting my freshly brewed experiences.
