Join us on June 2nd 2020 for a marathon in Paro – one of the most charming towns in the Himalaya. Paro, an ancient Kingdom with its own Dzong that remains as the seat of local government is a serene and holy valley and a wonderful venue for a marathon.
Choose from a full or half marathon both scoring you a medal if you finish within the allocated 7 hours.
All experience levels are welcome
Non running partners, cheer-squads and cyclists are welcome to join and will be catered for with bikes on both the reccy and the marathon day as well as all the downhill roads of substance ( 35 km, 40 km and a 55 km) along the way.
Trip length : 9 Days
30 May – 7 June 2020
Cost: USD 2980
Single Supplement USD 380
We can book your flight immediately with no up-front payment.
Flights in are the limiting factor -so do book your tickets with us as soon as you can, even if you haven’t yet fully made up your mind!
Prices may go up with the price of fuel and changes in exchange rates, but they will be pretty much as follows.
From Bangkok USD 980 ; From Delhi USD 620 ; From Kathmandu USD 410
Flight prices are set by the Bhutanese government.
We will book for you without mark-up and service charge.
Book now by emailing bruce@bikeaways.com
The Team
Our team in Bhutan love running, almost as much as they love cycling.
And they like a beer too.
They’ve run most of the running events in Bhutan before – such is the physical prowess and quality of partners we have.
The point is that they are fit and fun, and know how to support a marathon team.
This year they’ve offered to host us, to cheer us, take us up the Tigers Nest a couple of days before the event to get our haemoglobin primed, reccy the trail with us, and put us on a group table for the dinner and awards ceremony at the end of the night. We will have staff to ride with the non runners on reccy- day and the marathon day.
The Coronation Marathon Route Description
The Bhutan Coronation Marathon starts in Paro town climbing to the iconic airport lookout and around to the landmark Drukyul Dzong (Paro Fortress) continuing in a loop around the valley before returning to finish in the center of Paro town. June 2 to commemorate the 4th King’s coronation, hence the name.
Weather
Early June is about the last window of opportunity to visit Bhutan before the rain comes and the clouds block all views of the mountains. Its a wonderful temperature – shorts and t-shirts – without getting too hot.
Flights Visas and Marathon registration
We’ll organise your visa, help you book your air tickets into Bhutan (from Bangkok, Nepal or Delhi), register you in the ULTRA, put you up in nice hotels with even nicer guides and drivers who want to share the culture of Bhutan that they are so proud of. You’ll be with a team who understands your upcoming race needs; your need to maintain focus on your race preparations and who’ll help craft good memories to take home along side your Bhutan Marathon medal.
Itinerary
Day 1 , Saturday 30th May / Arrive in Paro and explore Bhutans most charming town. 2250 m.
You will be met at the airport and welcomed by our team with ceremony .
Flights will be arriving at different times. Most people route through Bangkok, Kathmandu, Calcutta or Delhi whose departure and arrival are as follows.
It’s then a short ride to the hotel where you’ll have a chance to relax before exploring the town in the afternoon/ evening with your guide team.
The Rinpung Dzong, a monastery fortress is the sight of the day.
Every town has a Dzong, which was the seat of the ruler in former times. Paro’s is known as the jewel heap. Bhutan’s founding father Shabdrung Nawang Namgyel, built the Dzong in the sixteenth century, setting a pattern for the spiritual culture and architecture across the land.These citadels function as the centre of religion and government to this day.
At the Dzong we will visit a couple of temples to get an insight to the spirituality that is prevalent in Bhutan.
In the evening we will have a briefing about the trip.
Day 2 , Sunday 31st May / Hike to the Tigers Nest Monastery. 3120 m
Today we trek up to the Tiger’s Nest also known as the Taktsang Monastery, which is perched on a cliff 900m above the Paro Valley
This is where Guru Rinpoche meditated in order to subdue the evil demons that were residing within it.
Guru Rinpoche is famous amongst all gods and deities in Tibet for founding the. Monastery system – setting up the first one at Samye in Central Tibet, from where he flew on the back of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal – a revealer of portals into sacred Bhuddist knowledge whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip.
It’s a 2 hour hike to the monastery, which at almost 3000 metres altitude will have a few people puffed out.
You may also choose to ride a horse on the ascent to rest the legs ahead of the marathon.
Lunch in the Tigers nest restaurant comes with impressive views of this cultural landmark perched on the sheer cliff-face
Later in the afternoon we drive the Paro circuit as a reccy of the Marathon two days hence.
Day 3, Monday 1st June / The Chelai Pass (3900m) – day trip from Paro. 32 Km downhill riding.
An hour long drive brings us to the little visited Chelai pass at 3900 metres in altitude. This is the highest motorable road in Bhutan. The Chelai region is known for its luxuriant forests, mountain views, birds and wildlife.
There’s a small a nunnery amidst this alpine splendour – at which we might be invited for tea – then we ride 32 Km on one of the best downhill rides in the country. This is all downhill so the ride will not have an overly significant impact on your leg muscles for race-day tomorrow, but you are of course welcome to ride in the support van instead.
Day 4 / Tuesday 2nd June 2020/
Race Day (or bike ride if you’re not a runner)
Today is the The Bhutan Coronation Marathon which has been described as a grand circumambulation of the Paro Valley – a Kora if using the Tibetan word for circumambulating holy places. Runners first climb the slope to the airport lookout and then proceed to the ancient Drukyul Dzong before returning to finish in the center of Paro town. June 2 commemorates the 4th King’s coronation, and means that this years race is on a Tuesday rather than a Saturday – the usual race day.
Altitude : 2900m
Day 5, Wednesday 3rd June / Paro to Gangtey and Phobjikha
Today is a driving day – which having done a marathon the day before may be a welcome rest from being on your legs.
We pass through Thimpu the capital city (we’ll stop on the way back) – drive on up the Dochula pass (3050m) and drink in views of the eastern Himalaya (weather gods being on our side) and continue on past Punakha ascending to Lawa La, another pass at (3300m) where we mount the bikes for a short but exhilarating descent into the enchanting glacial Gangtey Valley.
We pay our respects with a nod to the the exquisite 16th Century Gangtey Goemba (Monastery) as we whiz by down the hill. We will visit the next day on the way back out of the valley.
Gangtey, which means Hilltop, sits above the Phobjikha Valley, a glacial bowl that spreads out below the Goemba , famed for the rare and beautiful black neck crane.
Yak herders and farming villages coexist with these sacred birds – which legend holds circle the Goemba beef they migrate to Tibet in the summer months. Pine and Bamboo forests mark the perimeter – sedge and marsh the breeding grounds . Refreshingly for Bhutan, the terrain is relatively flat, a wide and open valley.
The Phobjikha Valley Crane Information Center offers a good introduction to the ecology and behaviour of the cranes and other wildlife in the valley, and we pull in to pay a visit to one of the rescued Cranes – the rest would have flown North for the summer at this time off year.
Day 6, Thursday 4th June, Gangtey
Today there’s an option for a pre-breakfast single track mountain bike ride along the pine tree clad edge of the valley – or you can choose to sleep in a little and save your riding for a little later in the day.
We also take a walk along the beautiful nature trail which runs across the roosting area of the highly endangered black-necked crane (though they only flock here each November until April) to a small monastery where you have the opportunity for a meditation session with a local monk and a discourse on local Buddhist practices and beliefs.
We enjoy a circuit ride around the greater valley area, stop in on some of the villages along the way, enjoying a picnic in an alpine meadow near the southern villages of Phobjikha.
Altitude : 2900m
Day 7, Friday 5th June / Gangtey (3000m) to Punakha (2200m) 70km downhill on the Dochu.
After a relaxed breakfast, we transfer up to LaWa Pass again and ride to Wangdu Phodrang down the long passes that we drove up the day before. This is fifty five kilometres of almost pure downhill through a nature reserve and in to the celebrated Punakha Valley where we visit Chimmi Lhakang, a temple dedicated to Drukpa Kuenly, known affectionately as the Divine Madman.
Drukpa Kuenly is Bhutans most convention-defying free-spirited monk. His own poem to Pema Lingpa ( his teacher) best captures his attitude to life and religion:
I, the madman from Kyishodruk, Wander around from place to place; I believe in lamas when it suits me, I practise the Dharma in my own way. I choose any qualities, they are all illusions, Any gods, they are all the Emptiness of the Mind. I use fair and foul words for Mantras; it’s all the same, My meditation practice is girls and wine; I do whatever I feel like, strolling around in the Void, Last time, I saw you with the Bumthang trulku; With my great karmic background, I could approach. Indeed it was auspicious, to meet you on my pilgrim’s round
It is from the Divine Madman that the cult of the penis originates – gigantic representations now painted on temples and houses as fertility symbols. These can be seen around the country but are most prominent around Punakha.
From the temple we keep riding for another ten kilometres or so to our hotel on the Punakha River and very close to a fantastic early morning market.
Day 8, Saturday 5th June / Punakha, Thimpu and Paro
Warm and fertile, Punaka was Bhutan’s capital for 300 years till 1955.
It’s still the summer capital for the monk body.
This beautiful valley centres on the confluence of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho Chhu (Father River) above which sits the Punakha Dzong . Bhutan`s first king was crowned in this dzong in 1907, and all royal ceremonies were conducted inside this fascinating structure up until the 1950’s..
The Dzong, one of the oldest and most beautiful in the country is also known as Pungthang Dechen Phodrang – the Palace of Great Happiness.
We enjoy a scenic 30km circuit ride of the valley on a mix of sealed and unsealed roads, with spectacular views of the river valley, life along the riverside and the imposing castle of happiness.
There’s an exhilarating suspension bridge; the longest and highest foot bridge in the country; stretching over 200m above the Pho River.
After a picnic lunch by the Punakha River we tour the Dzong, whilst the team packs the bikes on the back of the truck and shuttles us back up to Dochula for another fanatic downhill ( a mere 18km) into Thimpu.
Thimpu is the capital of Bhutan – and a fitting place for a last night celebratory dinner.
Day 8, Sunday 7th June / Transfer to the Paro Int’l airport for your onward travels
The tour concludes with breakfast and the transfer to the airport. We will be checking in two hours prior to flight departure to ensure the best seats on board.
Included
- Government mandated sustainable development contribution
- Accommodation at comfortable, clean and well located 3 and 3.5 star category hotels, including homestay in Gangtey on twin sharing basis. These are all government approved and certified hotels/homestays.
- Single travellers can be paired up with other single travellers of their own sex – or you can purchase a single supplement for USD 280 for the 8 nights of the trip.
- All meals and tea and coffee at break stops along the way.
- Service of experienced professional, english speaking and licensed guide, driver, and support team
- Private transport and driver within Bhutan
- Monument /museum entrance fees
- Airport transfers by private vehicle
- Route permits and Visa (send us a passport scan so we can process it)
- Bike – either a Trek4300D or Trek Marlins, Bike rental is included. If you want to BYO bike and we can discount you some dollars.
Not Included
- International flights
- Tips for guides / drivers (recommended at USD 5-10 per day depending on size of the group.
- Drinks at meals (wine, espresso, etc), laundry, shopping and other personal expenses
- Any excursions not mentioned in program
- Alcohol and soft drinks, and other personal items
Payment
Please pay a deposit of USD 400 to secure your place. You can get 70 percent of your deposit back up to 90 days before your trip departs if you decide to cancel.
Flights can get booked out. Very few agencies book Bhutan flights. We can. Bangkok, Delhi and Nepal are the usual entry points.
Full payment is due one month before the trip starts.
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