www.peregrineadventures.co.uk Clear mountain air is often cited as one of the benefits enjoyed by travellers to the worldأ¢â‚¬â„¢s remote uplands. However, adventurous visitors to the kingdom of Bhutan will be unique in travelling to a smoke free country, where the sale of tobacco is banned and, since March 2005, smoking in all public places is similarly prohibited. Peregrine Adventuresأ¢â‚¬â„¢ dedicated Himalaya brochure features a challenging new Bhutan Laya Chomolhari 18-day wilderness trekking tour, led by expert Rod Griffith, offering breathtaking (!) mountain views of Chomolhari (7314m) the countryأ¢â‚¬â„¢s highest mountain, and great walking amongst remote high passes and hidden villages, departing Paro 9th October 2005.

Bhutan is the least trekked and most unspoilt country in the Himalaya. This exhilarating tour offers the trekking connoisseur pristine walking through superb rhododendron forest and high alpine yak grazing pastures combined with the crossing of several high passes over four thousand metres and magnificent views of the peaks of Jitchu Drake (6794m) and Chomolhari (7314m). The trek begins in Paro after exploration of the town and a visit to Taktsang Monastery, the famous أ¢â‚¬ثœTigers Nestأ¢â‚¬â„¢. The trail initially passes through verdant forests of oak, maple and birch before climbing above the tree line to a rugged alpine region close to the Tibetan border. The route continues through yak herder camps, past traditional Dzongs (forts built to repel invading Tibetan warriors) and small isolated settlements including Laya, one of the highest villages in Bhutan with its own distinct language and dress. Descending from the high trails to Tashitang, trekkers transfer to Bhutanأ¢â‚¬â„¢s capital, Thimphu where a day of sightseeing completes a unique adventure.