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Later, an optional run or hike to Sangayang viewpoint (2,685 m) gives you your first chance to move fast at altitude. It’s not about racing – it’s about listening to your body.

November 14th, Thimphu to Punakha – moving through landscapes

As you travel east, the scenery shifts dramatically. At Dochula Pass (3,116 m), we stop for a visit of the 108 chortens that rise there against the backdrop of the Himalayas – quiet and powerful.

Afterwards, you’ll hike a 8 km section of the Trans Bhutan Trail (Thinleygang to Sew Drangsa) before descending into the lush Punakha valley, where you’ll explore the stunning Punakha Dzong (1,200 m). It is a Buddhist fortress-monastery and the administrative center of Punakha District. Built in 1637–1638 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, it is the country’s second oldest and second largest dzong, and one of its most impressive buildings. It served as Bhutan’s government seat until the capital moved to Thimphu in 1955.

November 15th, Phobjikha Valley – space to breathe

In the wide, glacial Phobjikha Valley (3,000 m), time seems to slow down. This is a place for quiet miles, easy movement, and deep breaths. If you’re lucky, you may even see the rare black-necked cranes that migrate here each winter.

November 16th, journey to the start – Trongsa

The final approach takes you over Pele La Pass (3,423 m) and into more remote Bhutan. A hike to the ancient village of Rukubji (3,000 m) gives you a chance to feel ready.

In the afternoon, we arrive in Trongsa and finish the day with the official gear check.

November 17th, the day before the race

After the race briefing, you’ll have time to rest, reflect, and explore the remarkable Trongsa Dzong – your start line.

The nerves will be there. But so will something else: calm, focus, and a deep sense that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

If you opted for the short itinerary, you will arrive in Bhutan on Nov. 14th. The next day you will also do the Hike to the Tiger’s Nest. Then, on the 16th, you will travel straight to Trongsa, with a stop at Dochula Pass on the way and Punakha Dzong on the way.

For more than 20 years I have used a paperbased process for athletes to sign up to my Arctic Ultra events, i.e. you had to print a pdf-file, then scan and email it and later on send or hand in the originals. Originally, this also has been the process for the Bhutan Ultra.

Last winter we tested a process that was mainly done online – the only exception being the Medical Certificate which eventually does need to get printed because a doctor needs to fill it in and sign it. This new way of doing it worked really well. So, as of today, I am rolling it out for all events, including the Bhutan Ultra!

You will get to the forms below. Alternatively you can click on this link: https://form.jotform.com/261112821718047

Our winter season is coming to an end. We had an amazing the Yukon Arctic Ultra in February and the 5th edition of the Lapland Arctic Ultra, which started March 1st, was great, too!  We had a record race roster and started into a true winter wonderland! Further down bellow you will find some impressions.

Now the focus is on the Bhutan Ultra and Rainforest Ultra. Thanks to everyone who has already expressed an interest! I’ve resumed talks with the Trans Bhutan Trail management, and we are all really looking forward to making our first 200 km ultra in Bhutan a reality.

Like in Brazil, the only thing we still need is more international competitors. So, I will spend the next couple of months reaching out to the ultra running community again and hopefully I will find 30 brave souls who will give the Land of the Thunder Dragon a go.

For anyone who will join us, I guarantee you a trip you will never forget. Just the places you will see before and after the race are worth the visit. Let alone running and hiking 200 km on the eastern part of the Trans Bhutan Trail.

I am fully aware that it’s not a cheap trip. But if you compare our entry fee to any trekking trip to Bhutan you will see that we are actually very competitive with the pricing. Also, please keep in mind that the entry fee does include the USD 100/day visitor fee. A fee that is collected to help finance Bhutan’s health system and education.

If you want to be part of the first edition Bhutan Ultra, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Also, feel free to contact me with questions at any point in time.

Impressions from the Lapland Arctic Ultra 2026 – photographed by Jonas Palsson:

The date for the Bhutan Ultra 2026 is now confirmed!

Long itinerary: Arrival in Paro, Bhutan on November 11th

Short itinerary: Arrival in Paro, Bhutan on November 14th

The first few days will be spent exploring and acclimatizing as we travel eastward to Trongsa. The race starts on November 16th.

Regardless of distance – whether you’re doing 150 km or 200 km – all participants will complete six daily stages. The departure day from Paro Airport is November 27th.

Of course, it’s possible to extend your stay in Bhutan if you wish. Just let us know how long you’d like to remain and what additional experiences you’re interested in. We’ll connect you with the Trans Bhutan Trail Management team, who can help plan your additional itinerary and provide quotes for further adventures.

We also offer a special program for friends and family. They will join us during the acclimatization days and enjoy additional sightseeing while the race is underway. On certain race days, we’ll organize visits along the trail – wherever feasible – so they can cheer on the athletes.

Please note that friends and family members should be reasonably fit, as we’ll be active at relatively high altitudes. They don’t need to be “ultra-running fit,” but they should be comfortable with very active days in a mountain environment. Naturally, the itinerary can be adjusted if someone needs a lighter day.

If you have any questions about bringing friends or family, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

That depends on reaching the minimum number of participants. Launching a new race is always a bit tricky – many athleres prefer to sign up once they see others on the roster.

To make things easier and fair for everyone, here’s how we’ll handle this for 2026:

• The down payment (€450) is fully refundable until the race is officially confirmed.
• We expect to know by spring 2026 whether we have enough participants. Once confirmed, the down payment becomes non-refundable.
• Those who sign up early not only help make the race happen but also secure the lowest possible entry fee.
• Booking flights in spring or shortly after should still offer good availability and prices for November travel.
• If, by spring, we’re still short on numbers, we’ll communicate transparently and cancel the event if necessary.

Copyright: Tourism Bhutan

If you’d love to experience Bhutan but don’t want to race, check out our “Laya Run & Royal Highland Festival” adventure trip.

It’s separate from the Bhutan Ultra and offers active travelers a chance to discover Bhutan while participating in a unique mountain run and cultural celebration.

You can find all the details here:

👉   bhutan-ultra.com/laya-run-royal-highland-festival/

As always, it has been an incredibly busy winter for us. The Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra in Canada was especially brutal this year. Almost every night, temperatures plummeted to –40°C. We welcomed 46 athletes from 11 different nations at the start line, yet only six managed to reach the finish. Here are some striking moments captured by Mark Kelly:

After a brief “break,” we headed straight into the Bright Equipment Lapland Arctic Ultra. On March 2nd, 55 athletes from 14 countries hit the trails with us in Överkalix, Sweden. Fortunately, the weather was far kinder than in Canada, resulting in a significantly higher finisher rate. Here are some highlights, beautifully photographed by Isak Sandling:

Immediately following our winter ultras, we shifted gears to plan for next winter. That process is now complete. Start dates are set, and the necessary paperwork for both races is in place.

Now, our focus turns to our upcoming ultras in Brazil and Bhutan.

First off, we want to apologize for not sharing more updates over the last few months. The intensity of our winter events kept us fully occupied.

The big question is whether we will gather enough athletes to launch the Bhutan Ultra on the Trans Bhutan Trail successfully this November. At present, we don’t have enough participants registered to make it viable. The uncertainty lies in how many athletes are still planning to sign up but haven’t done so yet – and how many we can reach before the entry deadline on August 31st.

One of our biggest challenges is timing. We can’t, and don’t want to, cancel at the last minute – it wouldn’t be fair to those who have committed early, planned their trips, and possibly even booked flights. At the same time, we recognize the growing trend of last-minute travel decisions. So, we’ll tackle this the way an ultra-athlete approaches a race. Step by step.

Step #1 will be to try and find 15 athletes by the end of April. Should we fail at that, we will likely cancel the Bhutan Ultra 2025 and give it another go for 2026. If we get 15 athletes by April 30th we will initiate Step #2, which is to keep planning with a 2025 Bhutan Ultra and to continue reaching out to see if we can get a full race roster. A total of 50 athletes is our goal.

If you believe in what we do, we’d love your help in spreading the word! If you’re interested in participating, please reach out. And even if this year doesn’t work for you but you’d like to join us in 2026, let us know – we value any feedback that helps us bring the Bhutan Ultra to life.