Duration: 6 Days
Destination: Thimphu
If you love alpine lakes, this is the trek for you. You will see several alpine crystal clear lakes together with stunning views of snow-capped mountains including Mt. Everest, Jomolhari, Masang Gang, Jichu Drake, Gangche Ta and many more. An entire day will be dedicated to visiting some of the picturesque lakes, fishing and resting.
You will also trek through several local villages and experience their lifestyle in person. The best times to undertake the trek is the spring (March, April, May) and the autumn (September, October and early November) seasons.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01: Geynekha – Gur
Distance 7 km; Time 5 hours.
The trek begins from the beautiful village of Genekha in Thimphu. This region is popular for the Matsutake and Chantarelle mushrooms. You will wander through terraced fields and coniferous vegetation after which you will see many different types of flora and if you are a bird enthusiast, you will sight many species. You will then descent for a while down to a river crossing. You will then trek uphill for about two hours till you reach the huge rock platform, which offers a picturesque view of the valley. After another two hours of trekking, you will reach Gur (3,290m) amongst abundance of flowers where you camp for the night.
Day 02: Gur – Labatama:
Distance 12 km; Time 5 hours.
The path winds through flowers and wild asparagus (in spring) and the meadows are refreshing and inspiring. The first pass symbolized by a huge cairn gives a spectacular view of Kanchenjunga (Sikkim) and most of the Bhutanese Himalayan peaks. Descending from the Pass, you will view the whole Dagala range, meadows and Yak herders’ camps. From the Labatama valley, you ascend gradually through the valley passing some Yak herder huts till you reach Utsho Tsho. The campsite is right next to the lake (4,300m), where plenty of golden trout flourish.
Day 03: Labatama:
Today, you will halt at Labatama. You can relax and explore the site and you can do day hikes if you wish. You can to day excursions to either Relitsho, Hentsho or Jametsho Lake.
Day 04: Labatama – Panka
Distance 8 km; Time 4-5 hours.
The trail climbs along the western side of Dala Tsho up to a saddle at 4,520m from where you will again have a majestic view of the prominent Himalayan peaks such as Everest, Kanchenjunga, Masang Gang, Gangchhenta, Tsenda Gang and Jichu Drake. If you want an even better view, you can climb to a peak close to the saddle with an altitude of 4,720m. From the saddle the path descends, passing some Yak herder huts to Doccha Chuu. You follow the river for a while, staying higher up on the slope until you reach Panka. On this route, Himalayan Monal Pheasants are a common sight. You will camp at Panka at 4,000m.
Day 05: Panka – Tsheregang
Distance 8 km; Time 4-5 hours.
Today, you will cross several passes without much of a climb. You will see an abundance of mountain birds some of which are endangered. After crossing the last pass, Tale La at 4180m, you start a long descent to Talikha Goempa. You will camp at Tsheregang, 3080m. You will get a great view of Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, from here.
Day 06: Tsheregang – Chamgang
Distance 6 km; Time 3 hours.
Frm the monastery it is a short hike down to the feeder road, which leads you to the Village of Chamgang.
On completion of trek, you will be met and transferred by road to your overnight accommodation.