Dagala Thousand Lake Trek

We begin our trekking in Bhutan from Gynekha village, a 45-minute drive from the capital city of Thimphu. It’s a 5-hour trek with an ascent of 550 metres and a descent of 210 metres to Gur (3290 metres), an alpine yak pastureland.

From Gynekha, we descend briefly towards the river. We cross the river and keep walking upward until we reach a massive rock platform, an excellent viewpoint for the picturesque valley below. Now it’s another two hours of trekking to get to Gur.

At the end of our 7-kilometre trek from Gynekha, we can see the scenic meadow just under our main route.

Today, we set out for the spectacular Labatama Valley. We trek for 5 hours, feasting our eyes on the unique mountain vegetation of green Bhutan all along our 12-kilometre trail. We climb up high ridges, ascending 1220 metres and taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape. During springtime, our trail winds through asparagus plants and rhododendron-adorned meadows PagaLabsta Pass (4250 metres) is the first pass that we cross. A massive rock cairn marks this point, offering spectacular views of Mt. Kanchenjunga and several Bhutanese mountaintops. While descending the pass, we can see the Dagala mountain range in its complete grandeur, together with yak pasturelands andherder camps.

After completing a descent of 110 metres, we enter the Labatama Valley, which indeed is a unique Bhutan experience. We climb to the other side of the scenic valley, passing yak herder huts before reaching our destination. Finally, we arrive at our campsite beside the turquoise-colouredUtshoTsho Lake (4300 metres), which is home to plenty of golden trout.

Today, we relax and recuperate in this paradisiacal valley. The lakes of Labatama are the very soul of this Bhutan Tour. So, how about doing short, pleasurable hikes to one of these nearby stunning lakes – ReliTsho, Hen Tsho, and Jama Tsho?

All of these lakes are full of rainbow trout, so if you’re keen on trout fishing which requires a permit, we can arrange one for you.

We resume our trekking in Bhutan, climbing along the west of DalaTsho Lake. Our destination is the remote village of Panka (4000 metres), requiring us to trek 8 kilometres from the Labatama Valley. Our 6-7 hour trail ascends 260 metres from DalaTsho to a 4520-metred saddle.

From this point onwards and all through the descent of 520 metres towards Panka, we can enjoy fantastic views of  Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, and several Bhutanese Himalayan peaks, including Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. For even closer views, climb a 4720-metred mountaintop near the saddle.

After taking this one-of-a-kind Bhutan travel experience, we pass a few yak herder shacks towards DocchaChhu River on our trek downhill. On the way to Panka, our trail ascends and descends many times as we follow the river, staying uphill.

Today, our 8-kilometre trail crosses several passes, requiring only moderate climbs. We’re heading for the 15th-century Talakha Monastery (3080 metres). It’s a 5-6 hour trek with an ascent of 180 metres and a descent of 110 metres.

All along our upward climb, there’s a good chance of spotting exotic flora and fauna. For instance, different species of mountain birds and a large variety of blue poppy (during June and July).

Once we cross the last mountain pass, i.e. Tale La (4180 metres), we begin our long downward climb towards Talakha Monastery. We’re going to camp overnight right next to the beautiful structure that offers a spectacular view of Thimphu. Enjoy the refreshing environment and wake up in the Happiness Kingdom to the monks’ early morning prayers.

Today, we end our trekking in Bhutan with a 6-kilometre trail to Chamgang, a developing town of Thimphu district. From Talakha Monastery, we walk down briefly and take a feeder road leading to Chamgang. We descend 440 metres while walking for 3 hours towards our destination. From Chamgang,  our waiting jeep will drive us to Paro.