Ever since a highway was rolled out to connect its end points, this trek – obce an important trade route- has remained largely untrodden by foreigners. However, its high difficulty level can come as a draw for the more adventurous types. Few locals travels this path and most trekker, starting at Thangbi Geomba. Alternatively, you can start the trek by driving up the Tang valley to Kizum, saving two days of walking.
Rodang La is subjected to closure because of snow and is bset trodden in October, early November or late spring. The Trek crosses the road near spring. The Trek crosses the road near lhuentse, which breaks up the continuity of the trekking experience, but offers a chance to visit the remote dzong.
DAYS 1-2: TOKTU ZAMPA TO OGYEN CHHOLING
Follow Days 1 and 2 of the Bumthang Cultural Trek to Oygen Chholing at an elevation of 2760m(pl25).
DAYS 3: OGYEN CHHOLING TO PHOKPEY
The long climb to Rodang La takes two days. Above Ogyen Chholing, the trail is rutted with cattle hoof prints, and can be slippery when wet. The trail levels out around 2900m, meeting a stream. At about 3000m the cow trails turn into a small footpath through muddy fields and dwarf bamboo.
At 3400m the trail crosses a meadow with more dwarf bamboo. High on the opposite hill is the Phokpey Goemba. Climb through the meadow and traverse through forest to another steep, high meadow, finally turning a corner into a side valley, and heading to Phokpey, a camp at 3680m.
DAYS 4: PHOKPEY TO PEMI
The trail goes through a small notch onto a ridge at 3700m. After a long crossing at 3770m is the final climb to the pass, up big stone slaps and a steep stone staircase. Rodang La (4160m) is about two hours from amp.
Across the pass, it’s a steep descent of nearly 2500m to the valley floor, down an unbelievably long and steep stone staircase. This is a tough route for horses, and it is said that even the king had to walk downhill here. Part of the route is along a vertical face, and the trail is on wooden galleries fastened into the side of the cliff. Past a few meadows, the trail winds through a region where sightings of ghosts and yetis have been reported. Leaving the rhododendrons and conifers, the trail descends to a bid meadow called Pemi at 3000m. Up ahead are the ruins of a royal granary and a campsite at 2950m. Water is 15 minutes down the side of a hill; go easy on the washing here.
DAY 5: PEMI TO KHAINE LHAKHANG
The trail tumbles into the Noyurgang Chhu valley, leading through dwarf bamboo and a damp, mossy, rock-filled gully. Around 2600m, the vegetation changes to ferns and tropical species, and the trail goes down towards a meadow called Sang Sangbe (2300m), apparently haunted by the ghost. The trail drops to a bridge over a stream at 1700m. It’s then a short walk across rice fields to a suspension bridge over the Noyurgang Chhu at 1660m.
Cross to river left and start climbing through ferns and tropical jungle to Bulay village (1800m). Next is Kulaypang (1930m) – with a few simple houses and cornfields – where there’s a false trail going down towards the next ridge; the correct trail goes up.
The trail passes below Gomda village (2040m). Passing a chorten, it crosses a stream at 2000m, then climbs to a mani wall at 2020m. Then it’s a level walk to Gongdra. Beyond Chanteme, you cross a stream and climb to Khaine Lhakhang. Follow the cement irrigation canal and climb onto the ridge where the temple sits at 2010m. There are two tall ceders by the monastery and fields of soya beans surrounding it. Pephu Goemba is high above and the town below is Songme.
DAY 6: KHAINE LHAKHANG TO TANGMACHU
The trail goes down to a stream and up to a Basic Health Unit (BHU) and community school in Gorsam. It then climbs to 2130m, levelling out for 15 minutes, before climbing gently through trees. You can see a glimpse of the road at the bootom of the Kuri Chhu valley.
The Tibetan style Umling Mani at 2180m is at the corner between the Noyurgang Chhu and the Kurl 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.
Traversing through four large side valleys, you then descend to a stream and climb to the next ridge. The trail emerges from the first valley at Gumbar Gang (2120m). After going up to a chorten on Zerim La (1940m), it winds down to the head of a valley at 1840m, with a chorten and a prayer wheel, then starts climbing back through chir pines to 1890m, traversing grassy slopes to another ridge and several herder’s huts.
Descend to a mani wall, pass Menjabi village, cross the stream at 1540m, then start a long climb on a grassy slope with chir pines to some chortens and a mani wall on Tage La (1760m). Southeast of the pass os the Tangmachu High School, where 400 students study atop a windswept ridge. The campsite is near the school. If you have time, you could request a vehicle to drive you 21km north to Lhuentse to visit the dzong, and then drop you back at Tangmachu for the night. The vehicle can then drive on to Trashi Yangtse to pick you up four days later.
DAY 7: TANGMACHU TO MENJI
From the bridge (1140m) below Tangmachu, the trek goes 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 temple’s well kept garden is full of flowers – marigolds, geraniums, dahilas and nasturtiums – and has vevetable patch that often has tomatoes and huge cucumbers. There are banana trees, too, and dozens of long-tailed birds in the trees.
DAY 8: MENJI TO PEMI
Continue uphill through the thick, humid forest packed with dense foliage of ferns and creepers and constant whistle of cicades. The trail is narrow, steep and rutted. Climb steadily for two hours to a ridge-top meadow, then plunge back into the forest to reach some herders huts at Pemi (2450m) on a narrow ridge-top clearing with a view to a forested gorge. There’s not a village or house in view, although Menji villagers use this area as a summer posture. Much of the trail for the next two days has fallen into disuse and is narrow and slippery.
DAY 9: PEMI TO TAUPANG
The trail stays largely in damp, cold forest, with occasional pastures. The area is a botanist’s delight, with shrubs of every kind, pungent with a sweet fermented smell, thick with humus. The trail then traverses nine passes, nicknamed the Nine Sisters, the highest of which is Dong La (3900m), with good mountain views and some prayer flags on a pile of rocks.
Cross the remaining ridges, each adorned with prayer flags, and descend steeply through thick evergreen forests on a trail strewn with rocks, logs and slippery leaves to a ridge-top meadow called Lisipang. The last part of the trek is easy at first, turning right and down through a pasture at Yesupang, but then becomes rocky and muddy near the Dongdi Chhu. There’s no bridge, and once you rock-hop across, it’s even muddier and rockier on the other side, and parts of the trail are layered with lods placed in a bridge-like manner to provide a smoother walking surface over the uneven terrain. The camp is at Taupang (2450m), a clearing with a wooden cowherd’s shelter.
DAY 10: TAUPANG TO TASHI YANGTSE
The path through the forest beside the river is damp and muddy with huge ferns, red berried palms and occasional leeches. The forest is alive with birds and monkeys. Two hours of sloshing through mud or stone hopping brings you to Shakshing, a cluster of houses surrounded by corn, millet, banana and gazing cows.
The trail stays on the ridge to the north of the valley, passing above Tongshing village. It then descends past swampy areas, crossing to the southern bank of the Dongdi Chhu on a large bridge. The small, old Trashi Yangtse dzong suddenly appears on a hilltop above the river. The trail crosses back to the north bank of the river below the dzong on an old cantilever bridge. Finally, it crosses the Kulong Chhu at 1730m. Your vehicle will either be waiting here, or 3km ahead at Chorten Kora.