A visit to Bhutan would not be complete without a hike to the “taktshang”, the famous Tiger’s Nest temple in the Paro Valley. It is one of the first images that will come up if you start looking into Bhutan.  This landmark lies at an altitude of 3,120 meters and can only be reached by a walk that takes several hours.

The monastery was inaugurated in 1692 and includes the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century. One of the legends that revolve around the temple’s name is it that Padmasambhava fled there on the back of a tiger that he had tamed. Padmasambhava, also called the eight-named guru and bearing the honorary title Rinpoche, brought Buddhism to Bhutan. The monastery is dedicated to him.

It is not on the Trans Bhutan Trail and thus not part of the race but all athletes will get a chance to see the Tiger’s Nest as part of the acclimatisation process.