Grade: Moderate - Demanding
Season: March to May & September to November
Trip Duration: Total 10 days trip (3 nights hotel, 6 nights camping, and 7 days trekking) |
Day 1 Arrive Paro ( by Druk Air)
The flight into Paro on our national carrier, Druk Air, is a befitting introduction to the spectacular beauty of our country. The journey offers you wonderful views of the Himalayas and an exciting descent into Bhutan. You will be met on arrival by Bhutan Scenic Tour Guide and transfer you to your hotel to settle in. After lunch visit the Paro Dzong and the National Museum. The evening ends with a walk through Paro’s main shopping district. Tour/Trek briefing over dinner |
Day 2 Paro
Day excursion to Taktsang Monastery / Tiger’s Nest, the most spectacular monastery and probably the most photographed one in Bhutan, in a way a symbol of Bhutan. It is said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery hence it is called “Tiger’s Nest”. The excursion to monastery’s view point takes about 5 hours for round trip. Lunch will be served at the cafeteria, followed by a short walk back.
Evening at leisure. Overnight in Paro. |
Day 3 Paro - Shana (start trek)
Distance 15 km/9.3 miles; Time 5 hour
Drive up to Drukyel Dzong (north of Paro) where the motor-able road ends. The ruins of Drukgyel Dzong with Mount Chomolhari behind – a wonderful vista for the start of this trek. Our trekking staff and the first group of pack animals are met here.
The trek to Shana starts along a dirt road for 1 hour through a wide, rich, cultivated valley, beneath forest-covered mountains, following the Paro Chu (river). Beware of the sun, which can be very fierce at this altitude. The first small settlement encountered is Tsento Zampa, where the traditional Bhutanese farmhouses with bright red chillies drying on their roofs in season. Farmers in this upper valley mostly grow red rice, potatoes and wheat.
The trek continues on the east side of the river, gently through the forests alive with numerous birds and brightly colored butterflies. And after 2.5 hours the big military camp at Gunitsawa is reached. The camp has a school and some shops, and your trekking permit will be checked at the camp entrance. After 20 minutes through forest, you will suddenly see the camp in a big open field at Shana, near the river. Looking back from camp you can see a big snowy peak, Jo Drakey. Altitude of Shana: 2890 m/9480 ft. |
Day 4 Shana - Thangthangka
Distance 22 km/13.6 miles; Time 7-8 hour
Today is a hard day, with a lot of distance to cover. The altitude gain is also above the limit. The trail after lunch is rough and stony with many rises and drops.
Following the river upstream from the campsite about 10 minutes is the old ruined Shana bridge, destroyed by major flood caused by glacial lake outbursts in 1950’s. This bridge was used in the old days by travelers coming from or going to Phari in Tibet. The trail climbs steadily through a heavily forested area of oak, rhododendron, bamboo and ferns. After crossing a small house, Shing Karap is reached. Not far after Shing Karap, we pass a junction en-route, where another path leads up the easy, forbidden pass of Tremo La and onwards to the city of Phari in Tibet. This used to be the old trading route.
Following the main river upstream, the trail makes a short steep climb and descent followed by a big bridge at 3250 m, crossing to the east side of the river is Thongo Zam, a possible lunch spot. The trek to Thangthangka continues for about 3-4 hours through the forest consisting of birch, fir,larch, maple, blue pine and rhododendron. After a short climb we reach Seyende Zam where there is a big chorten (stupa). On clear weather we can see Mt. Chomolhari to the North. We finally continue further up about 20-30 minutes until we reach our camp in a meadow. Altitude of Thangthangka: 3575m/11,730 ft. |
Day 5 Thangthangka - Jangothang
Distance 17 km/10.5 miles; Time 4-5 hour
After enjoying the view to Chomolhari and breakfast, walk for 1 hr until we pass a small army post. The trail slowly leaves the forest line and gradually climbs into a beautiful valley, passing Tegethang, a winter home of yak herdsmen. Lunch will be served in one of these huts. Lots of yaks will be seen today before we arrive at Jangothang, the Chomolhari base camp. This valley is wide, and high mountains like Chomolhari, Jichu Drake overlook the camp and visible nearby are the ruins of an old fortress. Altitude of Jangothang: 4044m/13,260 ft. |
Day 6 Jangothang
A rest day at Chomolhari camp will help with acclimatization. There are some good hikes from Chomolhari camp, and is important to hike today so that you will acclimatize. Watch out for a herd of Himalayan Blue Sheep in this valley. |
Day 7 Jangothang - Dhumzo
Distance 20 km/12 miles; Time 7 hours
In the morning after passing the house of a yak herder and cross a brook, we climb up at the eastern side of the valley, climbing in a zigzag fashion for the first 200 meters in altitude. The route then slightly ascends through another valley with two beautiful lakes of “Tshophu”. Here the route offers spectacular views to the steep ice-slopes of Mt. Chomolhari and Mt. Jichu Drake. From the first lake the path gets steeper and reaches an altitude of 4,600 meters. From this point descend of a few meters and continues up the valley to the top of the pass “Bhonte La” pass at 4,890m/16,040 ft. On the other side of the pass you descend through a gravel and pastures steeply emerging to the valley of Yaksa. Camp in a meadow. Altitude of Dhumzo: 3,800m/12,460 ft. |
Day 8 Dhumzo - Thombu
Distance 11 km/7 miles; Time 4-5 hours
We gradually climb through the forest of rhododendron, birch, oak forest draped in moss up to Takhung La pass (4,540m/14,880 ft) where we once again get stunning views of Mt. Chomolhari, Soe Yaksa valley and surrounding mountains. On a clear day climb up from the pass to small hills to get a view of Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586 m/28160 ft)), Makalu (8463m/27,760 ft) in the distance. Drop down gently to reach our camp at Thombu, a wide and beautiful campsite. The valley is flat and there are several yak herders camp. Altitude of Thombu: 4120 m/13510 ft. |
Day 9 Thombu -
Paro (trek- ends)
Distance 28 km/17 miles; Time 8 hours
Cross the valley through a rhododendron bushes up to a small pass of Memla (4,270m/14,005 ft). From the pass, on the right, climb a little hill for a great view to Kanchenjunga and to the southeast the big snowy peak of Djo Drakey (5570 m/18,270 ft). Follow the ridge from the pass which is one of the best parts of the trek. Edelweiss grows in profusion along the trail. Drop down steeply for almost 2-3 hours until we emerge at Gunitsawa. We take the same route back to Drukgyal Dzong, where our transport will be waiting to take us to the hotel for a hot bath. Overnight at the hotel. |
Day 10 Depart Paro (by Druk Air)
Drive to the airport for flight to onward destination. |
