The Land of Peaceful Dragon with Jhomolhari Trek

We begin our trekking in Bhutan along the beautiful Paro Valley. We’re going to cover 17 kilometres to get to the scenic Shana village.  Our time-worn, cobbled trail starts from the impressive ruins of the 17th-century DrukgyelDzong at 2580 metres. From the site of this Bhutan dzong, it’s a 5-6 hour trek to Shana at 2870 metres.

Initially, we walk downhill briefly along a wide path. Then the trail climbs gently, passing through terraced paddies and millet farms. There isn’t much steep climbing on this trek, with just a few small, sharp ascents on hillsides. It’s an enjoyable walk, with sights of swift-running irrigation water and the surrounding blue pines.

At Gunyitsawa village, we cross the pristine Paro River on the traditional cantilever bridge, one of the finest specimens of Bhutan architecture. At the end of the bridge, we climb a bit up to the rustic landscape of tiny Shana.

Today, we set off on the 22-kilometre gradual upward trail from Shana to Thangthangkha village (3630 metres) alongside the Paro River. Experience the splendour of green Bhutan as we pass initially, through thick forestland of conifers and rhododendrons, and then later between patches of blue pines, maples, and larches!

It’s totally a 6-7 hour, moderately challenging trek. We’ll have our packed lunch at ShingKarap, an open space with a stone house at 3110 metres, about a couple of hours from Thangthangkha. Finally, we reach a beautiful meadow with a small-sized stone shelter and a traditional dwelling amid a group of cedar trees. That’s Thangthangkha village, offering partial views of the majestic Mount Chomolhari.

This is an exhilarating day of our Bhutan Tour. We’re going to make it to the Chomolhari Basecamp! The place is called Jangothang (4090 metres), an incredibly spectacular camping site in the Himalayas. We trek upward for 5-6 hours, covering 19 kilometres and gaining an elevation of 450 metres.

We follow our trail on a wooden bridge to cross a rushing stream just a few metres on the other side of the Thangthangkha army post. We now enter yak country of amazing Bhutan, where these huge Himalayan beasts lumber on the hillslopes and laze about on grasslands beside our trail. What a great company to have as we explore Bhutan!

Besides barley, we can see the kashaykoni plant growing in this region. This large, juicy plant is the yaks’ main winter food.

We gradually continue uphill alongside a small stream towards Jangothang. Finally, we’re rewarded with a breathtaking view of Chomolhari Mountain, a particularly unforgettable Bhutan experience. At Jangothang, a small, ruined fortress sitting over a rock makes a nice foreground for Chomolhari. The citadel lies in a side valley southeast of the towering mountain.

Today is a rest day at the Chomolhari Basecamp. We’re going to experience one of the best parts of our Bhutan Package here, i.e. acclimation and exploration. As we gradually adapt to Jangothang, we can choose among several day hikes to discover Bhutan in this picturesque landscape. What’s more, every walk is well-rewarding with the best possible Himalayan views.

There’s a 3-4 hour excursion along a steep mountain edge northwards of Jangothang, giving an excellent view of Mount Jichu Drake. This Bhutanese mountain, at 6989 metres having razor-sharp ridges, is a companion peak to the Chomolhari Mountain.

Another hike takes you up to the valley head for viewing Chomolhari.

A third excursion involves hiking up the Jangothang Valley in the direction of the last dwelling and then continuing up the ridge to view Jichu Drake.

How about going on a fishing tour near Jangothang? This last option is an exciting hike to the high-altitude Tshophu Lake (4380 metres). After about two hours of walking, we reach the splendid lake that fosters plenty of spotted trout in its tranquil waters. What better way than taking this tour toexplore Bhutan around one of its most beautiful regions?

Today, we resume our trekking in Bhutan. Our destination is the biologically diverse SoiYaksa village (3800 metres). It’s totally a 16-kilometre, 6-7 hour trek to this attractive landscape of magical Bhutan.

From the Chomolhari Basecamp, we head north towards the region’s last hamlet and then descend, crossing a wooden bridge over the Paro River.

We ascend again to Tshophu Lake. We keep to the high-altitude lake’s eastern side, passing another lake as we climb steeper towards the Bhonte La Pass (4890 metres).

We descend sharply from the scenic, prayer-flagged pass, taking a route crisscrossed with several yak trails. Our trail now leads to a brook, then downstream towards a steep hill. After crossing to the stream’s southern side and walking a few metres, we reach SoiYaksa camp.

 Today is yet another rest day. While we take a break from our trekking in Bhutan, we have the entire day at leisure to explore this yak herders’ village.

Discover Bhutan in its ultimate remoteness as we walk through the scenic countryside and learn the traditional lifestyle of the nomadic people.

Today, it’s a 4-5 hour, 11-kilometre trek to the grassy ThongbuShong (4180 metres) with a couple of yak herders’ stone huts. We first walk up a steep mountain for 100 metres and then descend to cross a stream. We now trek uphill and drop into a side valley before coming out onto a steep cliff.

At this point, our trail turns south as we trek up to the beautiful Thongbu La Pass (4520 metres). A sharp descent from the pass takes us to our next camping destination in amazing Bhutan.

Today is the last day of our trekking in Bhutan. It’s a scenic trail of 13 kilometres taking us back to Shana village in 4-5 hours.

We move out of Thongbu Valley and trek up to a ridge at 4360 metres. From the crest, we descend sharply to Gunyitsawa’s helipad.

Now at 2730 metres, we cross the bridge over the Paro river and walk for about 4 hours to the DrukgyelDzong ruins. We get inside the waiting car and return to our hotel in Paro.

Departure Paro