The Kingdom of Bhutan,
or the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is a small landlocked country
bordered by Tibet on the north and northwest and surrounded by
northern India. High Himalayan peaks form the western and northern
boundaries and Bhutan's elevation ranges from 100 to 7541 m. In
fact, Gangkhar Puensum, on the disputed border with China and the
country's highest point, is widely recognized as the world's highest
unclimbed peak.
Military checkpoint.
Los Alamos
Mountaineering Club (LAMC) member Erik Shores was fortunate to visit
Bhutan in May 2010 and will discuss the trip during February's
meeting. He will share pictures from the Druk Path, one of the
countries popular trekking destinations, and his travels around Paro
and Thimphu, the capital. High mountain climbing has been banned
since 2004 and Shores will discuss the history of mountaineering in
a country that didn't really open to foreign tourists until 1974.
Tiger's Nest, a monastery reputedly held on to the cliff face by the
hairs of angels.
The Royal Government
of Bhutan is famous for the concept of Gross National Happiness in
lieu of GNP and also requiring visitors travel with a prepaid and
pre-planned itinerary. In the spirit of "high value, low impact"
this second point comes with a daily fee of $200-250 USD per person!
Travel logistics will obviously be discussed.
Chile from the Paro market; hot dishes are ubiquitous and this
New Mexican was at home!
Erik Shores has been a
member of the Mountaineers since 1998 when he took the LAM climbing
school with friends Bill Geist and Lori Daane. He's climbed and
hiked extensively around the western states with close friends and
fellow mountaineers and, when convenient, collects state highpoints.
Erik enjoys trail running and long solo hikes in the wilderness; two
favorite spots in New Mexico are the Truchas and Latir Peaks.
Traveling to coastal areas provides opportunities for sea kayaking
and diving. A snowboarder since 1999, he took his first ski lesson
at Pajarito Mountain in March 2010. In short, regarding outdoor
pursuits, he fashions himself as a jack of all trades and master of
none.
