Before the sun even touches the snow peaks, he is already awake, checking the trail, making sure everyone has enough tea, making sure the lunch boys have done their work, the horses are ready, and the cooks have already started preparing breakfast. And somewhere in between all that, he is probably teasing the slowest trekker with one of his legendary jokes.
Ugyen is known for his wittiness, but even more for the immense care he shows to every traveler around him. If you are a slow person, he would wake you up first, feed you properly, and then help you pack your bags before everyone else leaves. He is also the kind of person who would cook delicious meals just to make the trekking experience feel warmer and more comforting. It is his love language, and honestly, it is something that stays with you long after the trek ends.
“Uncle Ugyen” is what I call him, and he has always been the reason behind so much laughter around us. Since he has been a close friend of Namgay — my dad — ever since we were little, we grew up seeing him around and knowing the kind of person he is.
My dad jokingly calls him Bjob Ugay. “Bjob” is a term we use for highlanders, so growing up, I was always confused because Uncle Ugyen was born and raised in Thimphu. One day, I finally asked my dad, “Why do you call Uncle Ugyen Bjob?”
That was when my dad started telling me stories about their trekking days together. He told me how Ugyen was always the happiest one in the group — the one coordinating everything, making sure everyone was alright, and somehow finding endless happiness in the mountains. That was when people started calling him Bjob. Not because he was born in the highlands, but because his heart belonged there.
His love for the mountains became a part of who he was.
For him, trekking was never just about reaching the campsite. It was about listening to the forests, understanding the weather, and helping guests fall in love with Bhutan one step at a time.
He carries books with him — sometimes books about plants, birds, or trails — simply because he wants to learn more and explore more. Even after all these years, his curiosity has never faded.
One time, when we were trekking to Bumdra together, I was really sick with a cold. I thought he would let me rest at the campsite, but instead, he took me on a short hike to a field filled with Gentian flowers. He told me to pluck as many as I could, so I did. When we got back, he asked the cooks for a cup of hot water, dropped the flowers inside, and told me to drink it.
I was skeptical at first, but I trusted him anyway. To my surprise, my sore throat slowly started feeling better after that.
That is the kind of person he is. Trekking with him is not only about seeing beautiful places, but also about understanding the little things — why certain trees grow in specific places, why certain plants survive there, or what kind of birds you might catch a glimpse of along the way.
He is always explaining things, and somehow he makes learning feel effortless and fun. The trek never feels exhausting with him around. It feels exciting, meaningful, and full of discoveries.
I once asked him if he ever got tired of walking the same trails over and over again. His answer stayed with me for a long time.
He told me that just because he has walked a trail many times does not mean he knows everything about it. The same trail can still surprise him in new ways every single time, and those little surprises are what keep him excited to return again and again.
For him, every trek is another chance to learn something new.
The mountains were always home to him — a place where his heart truly belongs. And every trail is something he deeply respects because of his love for nature and his connection to the mountains.
He does not simply guide people through Bhutan — he interprets it for them.
If you ever go on a trekking journey with him, he talks about the stories hidden between the trails, the myths that still linger between old trees and tangled roots. Stories that have existed quietly for hundreds of years, yet somehow come alive when he tells them. He helps you understand why things are the way they are.
It feels like earning knowledge through every step you take beside him.
For now, I will keep those stories to myself so that one day, when you come to Bhutan and happen to have him as your trekking guide, you can experience them for yourself.
When the climb gets steep and everyone starts questioning their life choices, he somehow appears with a joke timed perfectly enough to make the whole group laugh again.
He loves teasing people and making them feel at home, even in a completely different country. Whether it is a dad joke, a dry joke, or one of his sarcastic comments, he somehow always gets people laughing through the trails.
And honestly, laughter feels different in the mountains. It stays with you longer.
Some guests remember the mountains. Many remember how cared for they felt because of him.
He wakes up early in the morning, makes sure everyone is well rested, pours warm tea, and checks if you have eaten enough breakfast before starting the day. He helps guests pack their bags and makes sure there are tea and biscuits ready for snack breaks along the trail.
He pays attention to people quietly. He listens, watches how you are feeling, and constantly makes sure you are okay throughout the journey.
He especially waits for the slower trekkers so they never feel left behind or scared. Sometimes he even carries their bags himself. I remember one trek where he genuinely looked like a horse carrying everything — a huge backpack on his back, smaller daypacks hanging from both arms and even around his neck — all because he wanted the guests to walk comfortably.
That is his way of showing kindness, a gesture many people overlook nowadays. Trekking with him feels safe, protected, and full of care.
One time during a trek, I noticed that he kept turning around every few minutes just to check if I was alright because I was the only girl in the group. And every ten minutes, he would stop just to pull ticks off my pants and shoes before I even noticed them.
That is simply who he is.
Long after the trek ends, guests may forget the exact altitude of the mountain pass or the number of walking hours in a day. But they always remember the man who walked beside them with patience, wisdom, kindness, and laughter.
We recently had three solo trekkers journey with him, and every single one of them spoke about how protected and cared for they felt throughout the trek. Even during bad weather, they said he was always there — making sure everyone was safe while somehow still making people laugh their way up the mountains.
And I think that says everything about him.
Some people guide you through places. Others leave a mark on your journey itself. Uncle Ugyen has spent years walking Bhutan’s trails, but somewhere along the way, he also became part of countless people’s memories of Bhutan.
Not just as a trekking guide, but as someone who made strangers feel at home in the mountains.
