Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [186]
Follow the road alongside a stream, crossing to river right at 2730m, and continue to another sawmill at the edge of the broad Karte Thang valley near Gangri Chi village at 2670m. Below is the village of Kokotkha, with about 60 rustic houses. The large Kokotkha valley to the southwest was once considered as a site for a domestic airport to serve Wangdue Phodrang and Punakha, but this plan never materialised.
Atop a ridge to the southwest is the large Rinchenling monastery. It’s about a 15-minute walk. High above to the south is Dolay Goemba. The trek route turns north here and follows the small Paza Chhu, then climbs over a ridge on a narrow trail, recrosses the road and climbs gently to Chorten Karpo, four chortens in a forest of blue pines at 2680m. The Nepali chorten is in honour of a Je Khenpo. The next one commemorates a rich merchant from Kokotkha; next is a kani (archlike chorten) with its middle filled in; and the southernmost chorten was built by a Kokotkha flour merchant.
Day 3: Chorten Karpo to Tikke Zampa
12km / 4-5 hours / 120m ascent, 1340m descent
The trail climbs from the camp to join the forest road at 2720m. It’s then an easy walk to the top of the ridge at 2800m. You can take a trail that cuts across the top of the ridge, but it’s more interesting to continue a few minutes to the top of the Tashila ropeway and watch rice and building supplies coming up and logs going down. It’s not officially allowed, but you may be able to get a ride down the 6km-long cableway and save yourself a knee-cracking descent, but note the warning: ‘The passenger who travels by Tashila ropeway will be at their own risk’. For more about the ropeway see the Wangdue Phodrang to Pele La section Click here.
The walk down is through a beautiful forest, with the undergrowth changing from rhododendrons and magnolias to ferns and dwarf bamboo. Experts claim that this stretch of trail is one of the finest bird-watching areas in Bhutan. Among the birds found here are laughing thrushes, shrikes, magpies and woodpeckers.
There’s a trail junction at 2250m. Take the right-hand fork and keep descending until you reach the houses and fields of Wachay at about 1880m. You may need to rely on a guide to traverse through fields and farmyards as the trail plunges down past steep terraced wheat fields to two shops at 1460m on the road about 300m east of the bridge at Tikke Zampa.
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BUMTHANG CULTURAL TREK
Although it is a short trek, the Bumthang trek is strenuous, featuring a 500m climb to Phephe La. This trek is usually possible from March to May and again from September to November. The start of the trek is a 3km drive up the unpaved road from Kurjey Lhakhang to Toktu Zampa at 2540m, then a short drive to Thangbi Goemba. With luck, the packhorses will be waiting and you can start walking with a minimum of delay.
Day 1: Thangbi Goemba to Sambitang
10km / 2-3 hours / 170m ascent
The road continues up the valley, but you will probably stop at Thangbi Goemba, with its distinctive yellow roof, near the small village of Thangbi. Click here for a brief description of this goemba.
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THE TREK AT A GLANCE
Duration 3 days
Max Elevation 3360m
Standard Easy–medium
Season March to May, September to November
Start Thangbi Goemba
Finish Kizum
Access Town Jakar
Summary This trek is so named because the opportunities to visit villages and lhakhangs are greater than on most other treks in Bhutan.
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The trail follows a broad ledge above the river past a 70m-long painted mani wall and a khonying with a mandala painted on the roof inside. Just beyond the arched chorten is a trail junction. Take the trail that leads to a suspension bridge across the Bumthang Chhu (known locally as the Choskhor Chhu). On the opposite side the route traverses.
Follow the left bank of the Bumthang Chhu through pleasant meadows and forests of blue pine and scrub. After about an hour of walking you pass the Zangling Lhakhang on the hill to the right. From here it’s 15 minutes to a trail junction next to a chorten