Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [174]
22km / 7-8 hours / 770m ascent, 10m descent
This is a long, hard day with lots of short ups and downs of 10m to 20m. It’s made more strenuous because of all the rock-hopping necessary to avoid mud holes.
The trail continues its gradual climb alongside the Paro Chhu through conifers and rhododendrons. In places it is quite close to the river; if the water is high you might have to scramble over a few small hills to get around it. About 15 minutes beyond Sharna Zampa are the remnants of an old bridge with a house and a chorten on the other side. At this point the route enters Jigme Dorji National Park.
The trail makes a continuous, but gentle, climb on a rocky trail through oaks, rhododendrons and ferns, crossing several small streams. About two hours from camp is Shing Karap, a stone house and a clearing at 3110m. This is where most guides choose to serve lunch. Some distance beyond is the route to Tremo La, which is the stone-paved trail leading off to the left. This is the old invasion and trade route from Phari Dzong in Tibet. Don’t take this inviting-looking trail; several trekkers have done so in the past and made a long, exhausting side trip to nowhere. Immediately after the trail junction is a wooden bridge over a substantial side stream.
Climb a short set of switchbacks over a little ridge, then descend and cross the Paro Chhu to river left on a wooden cantilever bridge at 3230m. The route up this side of the river goes up and down on a rocky trail through forests of birch and fir. There are numerous short climbs and descents, and in one place the trail crosses an old landslide. There is only a 300m elevation gain, but the continual little ups and downs add up to a fair amount of uphill walking. Among the tree species along this part of the trail are blue pine, maple and larch.
After about three hours of trekking there’s a bridge back to river right of the Paro Chhu at 3560m. The trail climbs to a place where you can see a white chorten on the opposite side of the river. There is a bridge here that leads back across the river, but don’t cross it. That trail leads up the Ronse Ghon Chhu towards Chora, the camp on Day 6 of the Jhomolhari trek 2.
Follow the trail on river right as it turns a corner where there is an outstanding view of Jhomolhari. Climb over a small ridge as the Paro Chhu makes a noticeable bend. Fifteen minutes from the bridge is a lovely meadow with Jhomolhari looming at the head of the valley. This is Thangthangka (3610m) where there is a small stone shelter and a Bhutanese-style house in a cedar grove at the edge of the meadow.
Day 3: Thangthangka to Jangothang
19km / 5-6 hours / 480m ascent
This is not a long day, but there is a significant elevation gain at high altitude, and you will be worn out when you reach camp. Jhomolhari was probably covered with clouds when you arrived last night, but you’ll get a good view if you get up early.
As you climb beyond the camp, Jhomolhari disappears behind a ridge. Less than an hour from camp, at 3730m, is an army post with rough stone barracks housing personnel from both the Bhutan army and the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT). It’s depressing to see the number of trees that have been carelessly felled to keep the post going.
The trail crosses a wooden bridge over a fast-flowing stream a short distance beyond the army post. The hillside on the opposite side of the Paro Chhu is a near-vertical rock face with a few trees clinging to it. Along this stretch the trail can be extremely muddy; there are lots of big stones you can use to rock-hop around mud holes. At 3770m, about one hour from camp, the trail turns sharply right at a whitewashed mani wall.
A short climb leads to a small chorten on a ridge. You are now entering yak country and you will see these huge beasts lumbering across the hillsides and lazing in meadows alongside the trail. One of the products made from yak milk is dried cheese called chugo. The cheese is sold strung on a necklace of white blocks.
There are two trails, an upper and a lower route.