2 August 2015 / leggypeggy

Tackling the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan

Bhutan, Buddhas, horses, monastery, Prayaan India Overland, prayer wheels, statues, temples, Tiger's Nest, travel, walking

The final approach to Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Photo by Gary Foster

Everyone who knows anything about Bhutan and who also knows that I’ve been there asks if I saw Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Yes, yes, of course I saw it.

Frankly, I’m relieved if that’s how they phrase their question. Because if they ask have you BEEN to Tiger’s Nest Monastery, I have to hang my head and admit that I got halfway there.

Getting to the halfway point was enough of a struggle that I was easily discouraged from tackling the rest.

The gentle slope on the way to Tiger’s Nest. It doesn’t last long. The monastery is that little white spec on the lump of hill in the middle of the pic

So trudge along with me.

We were up early and ready to go. Our guide for the day (I can’t remember his name), Anand, Deepti, Poor John and I were set to scale the hill that leads to this famous monastery. The promotional hype says it ‘clings to a cliff 3120 metres above sea level’ overlooking the Paro Valley. This is true, especially the clinging to the cliff bit.

The hype also says you can make it to the monastery in two hours, and that the ‘weak and weary’ (my quotes) can take a horse to the halfway point and even a bit beyond. This is only half true, and the two-hour comment isn’t at all true.

Near the bottom of the climb

So off we set. It’s a nice gentle start up the hill and I briefly thought if most of the climb is like this, I’ll be fine. I can walk for hours on the flat or even the gentle slopes of a well-graded switchback.

But then the hard slog began and the horses appeared.

I think I’d like to take a horse, I told the guide. No, you don’t want a horse. They’re unreliable. Some fall down and some people even die when their horses throw them over a cliff. Oh yeah, the monastery ‘clings’ to a cliff.

Not confidence inspiring horses

I wavered. I know how to ride a horse. I’ve even owned a horse. But one look at the beasts was enough to convince me that they weren’t any keener than I was to walk up that hill, so I passed up the opportunity. Better that my own legs give up and I collapse in a small heap on the ground.

The plus was that I didn’t get chucked over the side by an uncooperative horse. The minus was it took me a very, very long time to get to the halfway point.

The gentle slope ran out almost immediately. Then the ladder kicked in—not a real ladder, but a slope that seemed like one. Poor John (sometimes called He Who Walks Everywhere) and Anand strode ahead. Deepti and the guide lingered with me, but I shooed the guide on.

Deepti is young, fit, energetic and good company. It was a pleasure to have her with me—she walked and talked, while I huffed and puffed and gasped and struggled and dawdled. Of course, I’m exaggerating, but the walk up is long, steep AND rather boring.

Visitors build cairns on the edge of the path to Tiger’s Nest

I look back at my photos and most are of the monastery inching slightly closer in every frame. I have photo after photo of the monastery, but very little else. I usually find lots of things to snap—flowers, people, scenery—but this stroll was all about reaching the monastery. For me it was all about reaching the halfway point, which I managed in an hour and 40 minutes.

When we finally arrived, I urged Deepti and the guide, who’d waited for us, to go on without me. I’ll be fine waiting here. And believe me there were plenty of other stragglers who didn’t press on to the top. Quite a few had ridden horses to the halfway point, and one even saw a horse stumble and toss off its rider. So I allowed myself a slightly smug smile that I got that far walking.

There wasn’t much to photograph at the halfway point, except a gigantic prayer wheel and endless views (mostly the same) of the monastery in the distance. But there were plenty of people to chat to and a restaurant (but we were going to lunch somewhere else later). Oh, and there was lots of hot tea and biscuits to revive us. I particularly liked the cheesy snacks, but more about that soon on another post.

Prayer wheel at halfway point to Tiger’s Nest

It was a while before the others returned, and they had many tales to tell.

Poor John, who took just under two hours to get to the top, was quick to say you would have hated the second half of the trek. A lot of steep up, then a lot of steep down and then more steep more. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Then Anand and Deepti added the fact that no photos were allowed inside the monastery. Oh yay! Another reason for my ancient self to stay behind.

And then an absolutely corker of a story from all of them.

It seems that way back when the monastery was first built, there was a huge Buddha statue created to be displayed at the top. He’s there now, but can’t be photographed.

The view of Tiger’s Nest from the halfway point

Now I hope I get this right, and feel free to correct any mistakes.

The story goes that this Buddha weighs about 8 tons (way more than I weigh). When it came time to carry him (I’ll assume it’s a him) to the top, the locals pondered how to get him there. He was way too heavy for the locals to lug up there.

After some discussion, they decided to break the statue into pieces and carry up each piece individually (a plan I would have supported). But apparently the statue interrupted and insisted that he should not be dismembered. In fact, he said they should just leave him alone and he’d get himself up there.

And apparently that’s exactly what he did because the locals awoke in the morning to find the Buddha positioned in the monastery. Such a pity that I couldn’t figure out how to get him (the Buddha) to teleport me up there too.

That said, I’m really glad I didn’t tackle that last struggle. I always take time to go up a slope or hill, and always take caution to go down. As I often say to Poor John, The chances of me falling are slim. The consequences of me falling are huge.

The guide was quick to point out that just a few weeks before we were there and on the last leg of the uphill trek, a Thai woman leaned back against a railing to take a pic, and fell to her death.

So no regrets that I didn’t go the distance.

Getting closer. Photo by Gary Foster

A bit about Tiger Nest’s Monastery
First built in 1692, Tiger’s Nest Monastery is Bhutan’s most important and most visited site. Also known as Taktshang Monastery, it overlooks the Paro Valley and really does hang off a cliff at 3120 metres above sea level. I’m so glad I started much higher up than sea level.

The monastery has four main temples and a few dwellings. Most buildings have balconies with amazing views. The main courtyard has a prayer wheel that is rotated every morning at 4am. There are also eight caves. Monks of the monastery are supposed to live and meditate in these caves for three years.

The Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, which is carved into rock at the monastery, also has a statue of a tiger. This is important because tigers are respected symbols of the monastery. Legend says the monastery’s site was chosen by a tigress, which also explains its name.

All of the monastery burnt down in 1998 and has since been rebuilt.

Note: You’ll see that some of the photos are by Gary Foster. Gary travelled with us in India earlier this year, but he did not join us in Bhutan. That’s because he visited there in 2011. He graciously sent me his photos. Poor John won’t carry a camera, so I have to rely on Gary and others in these circumstances.