by The Rás an Fhir Sneacht is an event that has a lot of fun in its great locations. It is the world’s tallest ultra-marathon, widely regarded as the toughest and, although it is invitation-only for athletes with a track record of competing in extreme races, it still has an alarmingly high dropout rate . .
In its first iteration in 2022, the 125 mile route – covering some of the most difficult terrain in northern Bhutan – required the 29 athletes who took part to run at an average altitude of 4,267m (14,000ft) over five days and multiple climb The Himalayan passes over 5,470m (17,946 feet).
The effects of altitude sickness are usually felt at around 2,500m (8,202ft), and the symptoms can be brutal, including headache, dizziness, vomiting and confusion. Extreme altitude, estimated to be over 5,500m (18,044ft) can be fatal.
At least 12 of the starters in the first Snowman Race – all experienced ultra-marathon runners – had to be airlifted off the track or helped back to base camp when they ran out of puff. In the end, the consensus among those who stood hopefully on the front line, in Gaza town, was that it was the hardest thing they had ever done.
Fortunately for those of us who don’t enjoy pushing our bodies to the limit of human endurance, there’s a much gentler alternative. The Snowman Trek traverses much of the same terrain and – although it can take up to three weeks to complete the entire stretch, and still requires walkers to climb and descend thousands of meters on the side of the mountain – there it is much more accessible to the average walker.
However, since more people have reached the summit of Mount Everest than have completed the Snowman Trek, it would be fair to say that it is, in a word, challenging.
Curious but eager to live the experience, I opted for a relatively short period of the route – but just six miles from the start of the trail at Tongchu, my rest breaks were already becoming longer and more frequent. Dizzy, I braced myself against my trekking poles, and a nearby yokel munched on a mouthful of wiry grass.
On the plus side, the breaks allowed me to breathe in the stunning valleys and peaks of the eastern Himalayas. From a whitewash, the densely forested valley dropped steeply to a raging river of milky blue meltwater. It was joined below me by another river from a side valley that reached far away, terminating abruptly in the angular peak of Tsenda Kang.
As I approached myself for the next stretch, a caravan of mules came before me with gas canisters, sacks and boxes strapped tightly to their backs. The herdsman, in a traditional “go” of his knees, gave me a nice wave as he walked down – probably already on his second ascent of the day – on to the villages in the highlands.
I continued, although rhododendron forests and glacial lakes, large stretches of sparsely visible but still home to the Himalayan blue sheep and the elusive snow leopard, the way – once these remote communities were connected to the outside world – passing glaciers and waterfalls, rickety bridges and sky-scraped mountains on either side. I found myself in a constant state of surprise.
Eventually, the path passed through the cluster of houses in Lunana (made famous by the 2021 film). Lunana: Yak in the Classroom, the first Bhutanese film to be shortlisted for the Oscar for best foreign film). A prayer bell inside a white-painted “chorten” – a type of stupa – kept ringing continuously, powered by the waters of a mountain stream, and women from the village of Laya (at 3,820m/12,532ft, the highest community). in the country) who passed around in distinctive conical hats holding colorful strands of beads.
I had reached the end of my stretch, and so I descended – from one of the most remote places in one of the most remote countries in the world, into the Punakha Valley beyond Gaza. I then built a tent house at Pemako resort on the slopes above the Mo Chhu river. Carrying a cold local beer, I waded into the heated pool and sat, gazing through a gap in the trees, still able to make out the white peaks where the snowmen run.
Fundamentals
Julian Ryall was a guest of the Bhutan Department of Tourism.
For details on the Snowman Race, and updates before the next event, visit snowmanrace.org.
Pemako Punakha (00 975 77 10 00 93) has doubles from £872 per night.
KE Adventure Travel (01768 773966) has a 30-day Snowman Trek group tour from £11,895 per person, including flights, all meals and all accommodation. Taking place 20 September and 6 October 2024.
