Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [183]
Day 12: Koina to Gasa
14km / 6-7 hours / 900m ascent, 1710m descent
You may think that because you are headed downstream the climbs on this trek are finished, but there’s another major ascent ahead – Bari La.
Cross the bridge at Koina and start up the hill. Parts of the trail are so muddy that logs have been placed to form little bridges. There are also places where the trail follows the side of a ridge and you walk gingerly across logs that dangle out into space. The muddy trail keeps going through a deep forest of fir, in and out of side valleys, for almost three hours to a small rock cairn and a few prayer flags atop Bari La (3900m). Then it’s a reasonably level walk to another chorten. There are few good places to stop along this part of the trail, so lunch will probably be an impromptu event.
The route starts down again, sometimes steeply, through a bamboo forest to a stream. At 3080m it rounds a corner where you can finally see Gasa Dzong on the opposite side of a large wooded side valley. The trail descends past an old chorten, then crosses a ridge into a big side valley. It drops and crosses a large stream at 2780m, then traverses along the side of the valley to four chortens on the ridge at 2810m.
The chortens mark the southern boundary of Gasa town (2770m). The trail traverses above the soccer and archery ground, past several small teashops, then intersects Gasa’s main street, a stone-paved path that leads uphill to the dzong, school and a BHU. Trek downhill to the bazaar, which consists of about nine shops and a police checkpoint. The police post checks permits, providing a perfect excuse to stop for a soft drink or beer at one of the shops.
You can camp in a field near the town, or continue downhill for 1½ hours to the tsachhu (hot spring). Many trek itineraries schedule an extra day to laze around in the hot springs – a useful activity after the last two days of strenuous mud walking. See Day 2 of the Gasa Hot Spring trek Click here for details of the springs. If it is raining, the remainder of this trek is perfect country in which to meet leeches.
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TRASHI THONGMOEN DZONG
This dzong in Gasa lies on the old trade route to Tibet. The Zhabdrung built it in 1646 after his victories over the Tibetans. Originally called Drukgyel (Victorious) Dzong, it saw a lot of activity when defending the country against Tibetan invasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. It lay in ruins after being destroyed by fire, but has been renovated and now serves as the dzongkhag administrative headquarters.
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Day 13: Gasa to Damji
18km / 5-6 hours / 470m ascent, 280m descent
Follow the trail generally south, passing a few houses and mani walls, as it descends to the primary branch of the Mo Chhu, which has flowed through the mountains from Lingzhi to join the other branch of the Mo Chhu that flows from Gasa. Look back for a good view of the dzong, sitting on top of the hill. Be careful as you follow this trail; near a chorten there is a fork where a second trail leads steeply downhill to the hot spring. The trail towards Damji goes straight here.
After a long descent, cross the river at 2360m on a cable suspension bridge high above the water. The trail starts climbing on the opposite side. At 2510m there’s a picnic table at a lookout, from where you can see down to the hot spring and back to a large part of yesterday’s trail, although it’s all in the forest. Gasa Dzong with its distinctive rounded front wall is visible, glued to the valley wall and seeming to float in space.
There’s a crest at 2330m where the trail turns south along the Mo Chhu (from here downstream there is only one river known as the Mo Chhu) and then goes up and down on the side of the valley, high above the river. It descends through bamboo to a stream, then starts climbing back again to a meadow at 2530m. Gasa Dzong and the snow peaks towards Laya are still visible.
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