Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [176]
Ten minutes beyond the camp are three stone houses inhabited by park rangers and a few elderly people. This is the last settlement in the valley and it’s an extremely isolated place. Near the houses the trail turns a corner and there’s a spectacular view of Jichu Drakye.
Descend and cross a log bridge at 4160m to the left bank of the Paro Chhu, then start up a steep traverse that heads back downstream. The trail crests at the foot of a large side valley and follows the valley eastwards. Jichu Drakye towers above the Paro Chhu valley and soon the top of Jhomolhari appears over the ridge above the camp at Jangothang. The snow peak in the middle is a secondary summit of Jhomolhari.
At 4470m the trail traverses under the big rocks that were visible from the camp, leads to the left and enters a large east–west glacial valley with numerous moraines. The trees have been left far below; there are a few small gentians, but otherwise it’s just grass, tundra and small juniper bushes. You may spot blue sheep on the hillside above and see fat marmots darting into their burrows.
There is a false summit with a cairn at 4680m. As the trail approaches the ridge you can see Jichu Drakye to the northwest. After a very short downhill stretch the trail climbs further up a moraine and offers spectacular views of the sharp ridge that juts out from Jichu Drakye. You can see the prayer flags on the pass far above.
The final pull is up a scree slope to Nyile La (4870m), about four hours from the camp. If you’re ambitious you can climb the ridge to the northwest and go even higher. On one side of the ridge you can see the peaks of Jhomolhari 2 and Jichu Drakye; on the other side is Tserim Kang (6789m).
As Nyile La is frequently very windy, you probably won’t stay long on the pass. The descent is through more scree along the side of the hill. This makes it awkward and uncomfortable to walk because the trail slopes outward as it traverses the side of the hill.
It’s a long descent to a stream on the valley floor at 4450m. There is some vegetation here, mostly grass, juniper and cotoneaster. This is an excellent place to stop for lunch.
The trail now travels north, contouring along the side of the hill high above the valley. The opposite hillside is completely covered with rhododendrons. It is a long traverse on a good trail with a couple of little ups, but mostly down and level. Eventually you can see an army camp near the river below; the white tower of Lingzhi Dzong is visible on the top of a ridge in the distance.
It is a long walk in and out of side valleys to a lookout at 4360m, then the trail descends steeply into the large Jaje Chhu valley. There are many switchbacks on the rocky trail as it makes its way down through the heavy stands of rhododendron and birch to a yak pasture on the valley floor. Jichu Drakye and Tserim Kang tower over the head of the valley and you can see some remarkable examples of moraines on their lower slopes. Much of the rest of the trek gives you an outstanding lesson in geography, with several good examples of both terminal and lateral moraines.
The camp is at Chha Shi Thang near a large stone community hall (4010m) used by both Bhutanese travellers and trekking groups. Perched on a cliff on the north side of the valley is the small Geu Goemba, but it’s not visible from the trail. Lingzhi is up the obvious trail on the opposite side of the Jaje Chhu.
If you take a spare day here, you can make an excursion to Chhokam Tsho at 4340m near the base camp of Jichu Drakye. During the hike you may encounter blue sheep and musk deer. If you are continuing to Thimphu, schedule a rest day here. The village and dzong at Lingzhi are worth visiting, and it’s useful to rest up for the following strenuous trek day.
Day 6: Lingzhi to Shodu
22km / 8-9 hours / 940m ascent, 920m descent
Start early because this day is long and tiring. Climb towards a white chorten on a ridge above the camp, then turn south up the deep Mo Chhu valley. The trail stays on the west side of