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Bhutan Ultra

Learnings from the recce part 1

Here are some learnings from my November 2024 recce (part 1):

Acclimatization and effort
Although I didn’t acclimatize perfectly, I managed to handle the daily stages. Due to the altitude, the climbs were demanding, i.e. I did have to work harder compared to when I am hiking and running at home, in the German Alps. This highlights the importance of acclimatization, especially for athletes who don’t have the opportunity to train at high altitudes regularly.

Training for elevation
It’s expected but worth emphasizing: even if you don’t have access to mountains at home, it’s essential to train your legs for both uphill and downhill terrain. If you come to this ultra without incorporating elevation into your training, you’re unlikely to succeed.

Trail characteristics
The Trans Bhutan Trail TBT traverses the heart of the country. While the elevation peaks close to 4,000 meters, most trails wind through forests. Open areas and pastures offer breathtaking views, but many kilometers are under tree cover. This makes it feel less like a high-alpine ultra marathon than you may expect. It’s stunning nonetheless and it’s super interesting to see the changing colors as we move east. Initially, it feels like fall (which it is) but within a couple of days the trail features section that feel like a jungle and green is the predominant color again.

Trail challenges
The trail’s difficulty reminded me of alpine trails. Elevation gain is one factor, but equally critical is the need for experience running or hiking narrow single tracks with steep drop-offs on one side. If you’re afraid of heights or uncomfortable on such trails, this ultra may not be suitable for you. There are many sections where a misstep could have severe consequences, and it’s impractical to install ropes or position rescue crews everywhere. Therefore, it’s more important to be comfortable with technical, challenging trails than to be a seasoned ultra-runner.

Hiking vs. running
I designed this ultra to be achievable for hikers. After the reconnaissance, I still believe it’s possible. We hiked all the uphills, but on some downhills, we moved at speeds close to trotting. Keep in mind, I carried a heavy backpack (about 10 kg) and frequently stopped to take waypoints with my GPS and discuss trail features.

For the longer stages, we’ll begin at 6 am and aim to finish by 5:30 pm. In some cases, we’ll offer guide-assisted escorts for athletes who don’t meet a specific cutoff. This means participants can continue to the finish without being unranked the next day. However, solely hiking is challenging, especially if you struggle to make up time on the technical downhills, which include rocky trails, thousands of steps, roots, and wet sections.

I’ll soon confirm the stage lengths, checkpoint distances, and daily elevation gain so you can plan accordingly.

Shorter distance option
To accommodate varying skill levels, I am planning on introducing a shorter-distance option. Participants in this category will cover fewer kilometers each day (e.g. 30 km instead of 40 km). They’ll then be transported to the daily camps to join the others. This allows more time at camp to immerse in the local culture while maintaining the same overall itinerary.

I estimate the shorter race will cover 120–150 km over six days. Details about the exact distance and logistics will follow soon.

Welcome to the Bhutan Ultra

My name is Robert Pollhammer and I am the Race Director of this new and exciting race. I have been organising ultras for more than 20 years and I still love it. My longest standing event is the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra. I also love the mountains. So, it’s been very exciting when I was asked to present my ideas for an ultra race in Bhutan in 2020! Initial planning was going really well but then Covid-19 happened and the project came to a halt. I was able to keep the dream alive and we finally kicked things off again earlier this year. Good things take time!

So, thanks to the Bhutan Ultra, from 2025 onwards, I will be able share my passion for mountain trails with ultra runners from all over the world.

I could not have planned the Bhutan Ultra without Discover TBT, the Bhutanese agency in charge of anything to do with the Trans Bhutan Trail (TBT). It has been a real pleasure working with Discover TBT and it will be amazing to host our athletes with their support.

Bhutan is special and so is the TBT. There is the concept of Gross National Happiness and the fact that it’s one of the world’s few carbon negative countries. There probably is no place on earth where the environment is protected as well as it is in Bhutan. Add to that an incredible cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. The more you find out about Bhutan, the more you will want to see it with your own eyes. The TBT is one way to do it. It is an historic trail that connects the West with the East of the country and it was only recently re-established. The Bhutan Ultra will take place on the second part of the TBT, i.e. it will take us through the East. The great thing is that our participants will also discover the West as part of the days that are allocated for acclimatization. So, our athletes will get to see a lot of Bhutan and experience its nature, culture and people in a unique way.

The Application & Waiver is ready. Anybody interested in signing up, please email me at info@thegreatoutdoors.de and I will provide you with the paperwork. Also, please feel free to email me if you have any questions.