I had an amazing time on my recent trip to Bhutan and my training and guidance certainly prepared me to gain the most from my experience. Bhutan is a beautiful country in the Himalayas with spectacular, mountainous landscapes. The greatest challenge is to climb to the amazing Tiger’s Nest Monastery – at a height of 3120 metres above sea level. Despite having reduced lung capacity due to lung surgery, I was determined to achieve this. So over the past fifteen months I have completed a program incorporating climbing, cardio and strength-building exercises, along with walking and yoga. Once I arrived in Bhutan, my tour included a number of hikes through the countryside to prepare for the climb to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (an uphill climb of about five kilometres). I found that, as long as I walked at my own steady pace, I was able to complete each of the hikes. Better still, I made it all the way up to Tiger’s Nest Monastery – including the extra 700 steps to go into the Monastery itself. I was never the fastest – nor the slowest – and managed to stay close to the group all the way. Afterwards, I felt no stiffness or other ill-effects, which I am certain was due to my prior preparation.
So I am quite pleased that my preparation and training paid off and I was able to achieve my goal of climbing to Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan. I would like to give thanks to you for your guidance, to Barbara who designed my programs, and the staff and members of the Green Apple who supported and encouraged me along the way. It just goes to show that with persistence, determination and hard work – anything is possible!
Yours sincerely
Sharon Butterfield