Toughest Trek in the World - Snowman Trek
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Laya Trek with the spectacular Thimphu Tshechu
A wonderful trek, crossing the Shinge La Pass (4,900m), and meeting the charming local Laya people, with their conical hats. Enjoy a soothing time in the Hot Spring right after the trek. Time with the Thimphu Tshechu (13-16Sep). Otherwise, this trek is suitable for May, and October as well.
Max height - 4,900m
Demanding Trek that requires a good level of fitness! Rewarding experience.
Day 1 Arrive PARO
Arrive Paro by flight. If you fly
from Kathmandu to Bhutan, you will be rewarded with one of the most spectacular
mountain scenery. From the left side of the plane, Everest, Makalu,
Kangchenjunga, three of the world’s highest mountains, are clearly visible.
Once you arrive in the Paro Valley, enjoy the splendid views of alpine forests,
small monasteries, temples and farmhouses. In Paro, you will find a single road
lined with willows, clear mountain streams, and families working in the
roadside fields and one of Bhutan’s most impressive Dzongs (fortress
monasteries) creates a memorable first impression. Once you touch down at the
Paro airport, we will take an hour drive to the capital, Thimphu. (L/D)
Day 2 THIMPHU (Festival 13th-16th September 2013)
Today, you will visit the great
Tashichoedzong Palace, which houses the offices of the King and the summer
residence of the Je Khenpo, the spiritual head of Bhutan. If those who arrive
in Thimphu from the 13th to the 16th of September, you
will get to witness the spectacular Thimphu Festival. There are a large number
of different dances, subdivided into three categories: those that are designed
to drive away evil spirits and those that celebrate the Buddhist faith in its
many guises. To be able to join in this annual festival is indeed a most
enthralling experience for all. On the weekend, you will be able to visit the
local market. Have a visit to the
Traditional School of Arts to see the locals learning the traditional skills of
making masks, carving, painting and etc.
(B/L/D)
DAY 3 DRIVE TO PARO. Begin Trek to SHANA
After breakfast, drive to Paro to
the end of the road at Drugyel Dzong (2,530m). If the weather is clear, we
could see the distant Chomolhari (7,314m), three days’ walk away. Before
setting off on trek, it is worth visiting the old fort, which protected the
Paro Valley from Tibetan invasions from the north. Unfortunately, only the
outer walls remain, as it was gutted by fire in 1651. Soon, we will start our
trek, by following the river for about 3 hours, stopping for lunch by a bridge
across the river, next to a chorten. Later, we enter a magnificent rainforest
of more open pine forests as we gain height. There are small hamlets on the
way, their houses magnificently built in traditional Bhutanese design. Arriving
in Shana and passing through the army camp at the entrance of the village, you
will see a noticeable change in the style of the houses. The three storey
buildings of the lower valley are replaced by single storey houses which retain
the traditional system of roof structure, where overlapping coarse planks are
held in place by large stones. To reach our camp=site, we cross a cantilever
bridge and follow the opposite river bank for 30 minutes. Altitude 2860 m.
(B/L/D)
DAY 4 TREK to Soi Thangka
Today is a longer walk, and we start
7 30 am. We continue along the river through a magnificent forest of pine and
spruce, mixed with oak, birch, and maple. The autumn colours of the leaves
contrasts with the Pale Spanish moss (old man’s beard) festoons many of the
trees. We take lunch by the first bridge which crosses the river and follow the
right bank for a further two hours to a junction of two valleys, marked by a
large chorten. We turn north toward Chomolhari, which is visible at the head of
the valley. Our camp at Soi Thangka is only a half an hour’s walk away, beside
a purpose-built lodge. These lodges, often in idyllic locations, consist of a
simple kitchen and an eating sites in this manner, the Bhutanese Tourism
Authority (BTA) manages to keep disturbance of the local environment to a minimum. (B/L/D)
DAY 5 TREK to Jangothang
Today, we trek to Jangothang, a
beautiful grassy meadow beneath the enormous east face of Chomolhari. We pass a
small army post at 3600 m and a chorten a little higher and then, leaving the
forest behind, we enter more open country and encounter our first yaks. Our way
continues through lovely juniper forest, to a tiny hamlet where we take a
cooked lunch. As is the case with every meal in Bhutan, chilies are also
provided, and we may be able to try the local thomba (beer made from barley),
tsampa (roasted flour) or even Tibetan butter tea. Our camp is a little further
on, by a ruined dzong (4,040m) beneath the huge east face of Chomolhari.
(B/L/D)
DAY 6 REST DAY AT JANGOTHANG
Today is a scheduled rest day,
intended to aid everyone’s acclimatization before the crossing of the Nyele La
to Lingshi. There are plenty of options for a walk, and one possibility is a
hike up the ridge behind the ruined dzong to a grassy summit at approximately
5000m, from where there is an incredible close-up view of Chomolhari.
Alternatively, a 2 –hour hike to a lake above camp provides a stunning location
for photographs of Jutchu Drake. Green grass grazing yaks, stunning mountain
scenery - it doesn’t come much better
than this. For a spectacular view of Jitchu Drake close to camp (even better at
sunrise if you can get up sufficiently early), follow the river for 20minutes
to a lone house and here the mountain is presented before you. No matter what
you choose to do today, the cooks will have had all day to prepare dinner and a
veritable banquet will be waiting at the end of the day. (B/L/D)
DAY 7 CROSS NYELE LA TO LINGSHI
One of the longest days of the trek,
as we climb to cross the Nyele La to reach Lingshi. We follow the river for a
while, crossing on a bridge close to the house at the end of the Valley where
Michael Palin met with the Bhutanese composer during the filming of his
Himalaya series. Climbing steeply at
first, this path offers views toward Chomolhari and Jitchu Drake which are some
of the finest in the trip. We are now along a broad hanging valley to the final
steep slopes adorned with prayer flags. From the pass we descend, steeply at
first, to follow a long ridge before finally dropping through forests of
rhododendron and pine to our camp beside the river. (B/L/D)
DAY 8 TREK TO CHEBISA
Today a shorter day, yet one of the
most fascinating. After our breakfast, we climb up to Lingshi Dzong. If the
monks allow, we will arrange a guided tour. Please remember to leave a donation
on the way out, as the cost of maintaining these old buildings is high. From
the dzong, a delighthful path contours the hillside, passing numerous farms.
There are good views across the valley to the Basingthang Peaks and we have
plenty of time to sit and watch the kestrels (almost identical to the European
variety) ‘wind hovering’ above the ridges. After a couple of hours, the path
turns a corner and there is a fine view of Tserim Kang, before we descend to
Gang Yul (meaning ‘village of the pass’). Set beneath enormous limestone cliffs
and dwarfed by the enormous east face of Jitchu Drake, Gang Yul’s situation is
one of the most impressive in Bhutan. Home to about 150 people, living in a
dozen or so beautifully designed house, this village offers endless photo
opportunit8es and it is worth spending some time here – you may even be lucky
enough to be invited into a house to try chang and roasted rice. Leaving the
village, the path continues along the hillside for another hour to Chebisa,
only a few hours from Tibet. Try climbing the hill by the side of the entrance
chorten for an even better view of this fairytale setting. There are two parts
to the village, with the upper section seeming to be the oldest, consisting of
four houses. The architecture in this valley is particularly interesting, with
traditional windows, wooden slatted roofs, an assortment of intricately carved
ladders, and an ingenious system of insulation which involved packing the
roof-spaces with straw and wood. Altitude at Chebisa – 3850m. (B/L/D)
DAY 9 GOBU LA TO SOMOTHANG
From Chebisa, the path gradually
climbs steep slopes high above the river to Gobu La at 4405m. Although climbing
for most of the morning, this is a lovely walk and there are some excellent
views. In this part of Bhutan, bharal (blue sheep) are very commonly sighted.
Resting on the pass, watching the eagles soar by is very memorable and it is
difficult to leave such a picturesque spot. We take a short walk down through
the rhododendron forest to our lunch spot by a stream. In the afternoon, we
walk through forest of silver fir, and juniper. Descending to the main river
(Shagipasa), the scenery offers some of the finest scenery in Bhutan. From the
river, the path contours across the hillside and then climb steeply into a side
valley, where we set up camp at a site known as Somothang (3,985m). (B/L/D)
DAY 10 JHARI LA TO ROBLUTHANG
Start early today for the climb up
to Jhari La (4720m). The views from the pass are stunning, especially the view
of kang CHe Da (7000m). Then proceed to Shinge La, the lowest point of the
horizon opposite, which presents daunting prospect, high above the valley. As
we descend through more glorious pine forest into Tsharithang, we keep a look
out for Takin (small deer) which are quite common in this part of Bhutan. The
scenery on this day‘s walk is absolutely breathtaking – it inspired Victor
Saunders, one of Britain’s most travelled climbers, to comment that this was
the best walking he’d ever done! Next, we cross a river and camp in a very
scenic location just half an hour’s walk up the hillside, at a place known as
Robluthang. (4200m). (B/L/D)
DAY 11 SHINGE LA TO LIMITHANG
Today, we take a yak trail, to a
beautiful hanging valley and soon take the left side of the valley to Shinge La
(4900m), the highest point of the trek. The final climb is strenuous. You will
see prayer flags fluttering in the wind, and this marks the boundary of the
Laya District. Then, we descend a path into the centre of the valley, to a
clearing by a huge rock. Continue the descent and you will see a bank of
moraine, which is holding back a very picturesque lake. The backdrop to this
beautiful valley is Kang Che Da, the Great Tiger Mountain. We camp at
Limithang. (4050m). (B/L/D)
DAY 12 TREK TO LAYA
Today, is a beautiful walk, but
comes with many ups and downs. We cross
a bridge and follow the left bank of the river on an undulating trail
through more forest of spruce and juniper. As we descend, we start to see
Spanish moss once again hanging from the trees.The path then gradually climbs
above the river and soon we see the first houses on the outskirts of Laya
(3750m). The people of this fascinating village are very friendly and they
present a most unusual and striking picture, with their pointed hats, hair
covered in mustard oil and highly decorative jelwellery. We have the afternoon
free to look around Laya or to visit a hillside monastery. Then we camp
overnight on one of the village fields. (B/L/D)
DAY 13 TREK TO BALE LA
From Laya, we descend to the Mo Chu
to begin our 3-hour walk-out to Punakha. The main path from the village
descends to the lowest house, passes through a large entrance chorten and drops
down to the river. During the monsoon, from June to August, this valley
receives a great deal of rainfall and as a result the jungle is particularly
lush and impressive. We pass through an army camp and continue on a trail
alongside the Mo Chu (Mother River). Finally, we make a long and gradual uphill
trek from the BTC hut at Kuona to our camping site known as Chamsa (3700m) in
the forest about an hour below the Bale La. (B/L/D)
DAY 14 BALE LA TO GHASA
A relatively short day, with only an
hour’s gradual climb to the Bale La (3800m) which marks the high point of the
trek to Gasa. As the mist rises in the late afternoon, it transforms the cliffs
and forests of the valley into the appearance of mysterious Chinese wall
hangings. Huge banana plants, bamboo and an array of exotic plant life make
this part of the trek a botanist’s paradise. We have lunch near GHasa Dozng,
which used to control the routes to the religious areas of Lunana and Laya. Its
position, high above the Mo Chu, dominates the whole area and if the monks are
amenable we will get the chance to look inside this wonderful building. After
lunch, we walk for an hour to camp at Gasa Tsachu (hot spring). This is a famous
pilgrim site and many people come from all over Bhutan to bathe in these
springs. There is a choice of four or five spring-fed pools, and after our long
trek it is simply delightful to bathe, drink a few beers and just relax.
(2200,) (B/L/D)
DAY 15 TREK TO ROADHEAD, DRIVE TO
THIMPHU
After an early start, we continue
alongside the Mo Chu for 4 hours to Damji. Once again, although we are heading
down the valley there is still some climbing to do to negotiate a major ridge,
but after this half-hour ascent the contouring trail is a delight. As the
valley becomes more popularted we begin to encounter rice fields, scattered
little hamlets and villagers about their work. From Damji, it is a very
pleasant 2-hour walk to meet the word which is slowly pushing its way up the Mo
Chu Valley and which one day reach Gasa Springs. After lunch, we board our
transport and follow the river down to Punakha (1350m), the winter capital of
Bhutan for more than 300 years. Punakha Dzong lies at the junction of the Mo
(Mother) Chu and Po (father) Chu and , in winter, is home to over 1000monks.
After a brief visit to the Dzong we drive to Thimphu on Bhutan’s remarkable
east-west highway, which winds its way up to Dorchu La (3050m). The pass is
marked by many prayer flags and a large chorten. The road winds its way down
from the pass, passing through HOngsto, an ancient village founded in 1525 by
the 14th Drukpa hierarchy of Tibet, to arrive at the relatively
modern capital of Thimphu. Overnight in
the hotel. (B/L/D)
DAY 16 DRIVE TO PARO, HIKE TO
TAKSTANG
After breakfast, we return to Paro
and make the hike up to Taktsang Monastery. The Taktsang or ‘Tiger’s Nest’
monastery has a most stunning location, perched improbably on a ledge of a
cliff high above the Valley. The monastery was partly destroyed by a fire in
1998 but thanks in part to international aid, is now completely restored to its
former magnificence. To reach the monastery involves a return trek of around 4
hours. About half way up, there is a classic viewpoint for Takstang, looking
across the gorge to the monastic buildings which clinging, seemingly
impossibly, to the cliff wall opposite. There is a small café located at this
viewpoint and this makes a great rest stop. Overnight in the hotel, and enjoy a
great Bhutanese cuisine. (B/L/D)
DAY 17
DEPART PARO
We transfer
to the Paro Airport to catch the flight for your onward destination.
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