Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [190]
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KHAINE LHAKHANG
Some people believe that the remote Khaine Lhakhang is one of the 108 temples built by King Songtsen Gampo in AD 659. Three small statues from here are said to have flown of their own accord to Konchogsum Lhakhang in Bumthang, which is said to have been built at the same time.
The primary statue is a 2.5m-high Sakyamuni figure. A statue of Karmapa is on his right and Zhabdrung Rinpoche is above him on the left. There are also smaller statues of Milarepa and Guru Rinpoche. The main protective deity is a ferocious god named Taxan, who is depicted riding on a horse. A two-day festival is celebrated here in mid-November.
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You can see a goemba and a village at the eastern end of the ridge on the opposite side of the river. Pephu Goemba is high above and the town below is Songme.
Day 6: Khaine Lhakhang to Tangmachu
18km / 6-7 hours / 520m ascent, 810m descent
The trail goes down to a stream and up to a BHU and community school in Gorsam. It then goes in and out of more side valleys and climbs to 2130m. It’s level for about 15 minutes, then starts climbing gently through trees. You can see a glimpse of the road at the bottom of the Kuri Chhu valley.
The Tibetan-style Umling Mani at 2180m is at the corner between the Noyurgang Chhu and the Kuri Chhu valleys. It was built by a lama from Tibet and marks the boundary between the two gewogs (administrative blocks). Here the route turns north up the Kuri Chhu.
The next stretch of trail traverses through four large side valleys, descending to a stream and climbing to the next ridge. The trail emerges from the first valley at Gumbar Gang (2120m). After a long, almost level, stretch the trail goes down and up to a chorten on Zerim La (1940m).
The route contours down to the head of a valley at 1840m, where there is a little chorten and a prayer wheel, then immediately starts climbing back through chir pines to 1890m. It traverses grassy slopes in the main valley to another ridge and several herders’ huts.
There’s one more big side valley to traverse. Descend to a mani wall, and pass the fields and houses of Menjabi, a pretty village with large, white Bhutanese houses. Cross the stream at 1540m, then start a long, hot climb on a grassy slope dotted with chir pines to some chortens and a mani wall on Tage La (1760m). Southeast of the pass is the Tangmachu High School, where 400 students study on the top of this windswept ridge. It may be possible to camp near the school or, better yet, have vehicles waiting to drive you down to the valley.
It’s 8km down the dirt road to the paved road, and 13km from the road junction to Lhuentse. The best way to handle the logistics is to arrange for a vehicle to meet you at Tangmachu, take you to Lhuentse to visit the impressive dzong and then drop you off at the bottom of the hill to finish the last of the trek. The vehicle can then drive on to Trashi Yangtse to pick you up four days later.
Day 7: Tangmachu to Menji
16km / 4-5 hours / 690m ascent, 620m descent
From the bridge (1140m) below Tangmachu, the trek starts gradually up through rice terraces and cornfields to Chusa. It then becomes a steep haul up a treeless slope, although the path is beautifully scented with wild mint, lemon grass and artemisia. Camp is at 1830m, above Menji, beside the Darchu Pang Lhakhang. The lhakhang’s well-kept garden is full of flowers – marigolds, geraniums, dahlias and nasturtiums – and has a vegetable patch of tomatoes and huge cucumbers. There are banana trees, too, and dozens of long-tailed birds in the trees.
Day 8: Menji to Pemi
20km / 3-4 hours / 620m ascent
Continue uphill through the thick, humid forest packed with a dense foliage of ferns and creepers and a constant whistle of cicadas. The trail is narrow, steep and rutted. Climb steadily for two hours to a ridge-top meadow, then