This trek is also known by different names such as Jumolhari Trek II, Yaksa Trek or simply the Jomolhari Loop. The highlight of this trek is the spectacular view of Mount Jomolhari from the base camp. If you simply have a desire to sight Mount Jumolhari and Jichu Drake without slogging up to Lingzhi and high altitude, Soi Yaksa Trek is right for you. However this trek still goes up to an elevation that could bring you altitude sickness. You can retrace you steps back from Jangothang base camp, crossing the turquoise Tshophu lake (4380m) and Bhonte La pass (4890m) to Drukgyal Dzong. And from the Thombu La pass (4380m) on second last day, beautiful white mountain range of Kanchenjunga in Sikkim is just rewarding.
Summary
The shorter and easier version of the main Jhomolhari trek goes to the Jhomolhari base camp at Jangothang, returning either via the same route or by an alternate trail.
The Trek at a Glance
Duration: 8 days
Max. Elevation: 4890m
Difficulty: Medium
Season: April to June, September to November
Start/ Finish: Drukgyel Dzong
Access Town: Paro
Day-1: DRUKGYEL DZONG (2,580m) to SHANA ZAMPA (2,850m)
17km. 4-6 hours – (360m ascent, 80m decent)
Today you will be starting the trek after visiting few sights in Paro valley, most probably after lunch. The trek traditionally starts from the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong (although a SUV vehicle can drop you further up the trail at Shana Zampa on a feeder road).From Drukgyel Dzong, the trek starts with a short, 80m descent to the Paro Chhu river. Upstream is the small settlement of Chang Zampa, with an outreach clinic and a shop. A zam (bridge) crosses to river left here and drive through the fields of potatoes and wheat. After a while the route enters an area of apple orchards and blue pine and fir forests leaving a single house at Chobis at 2800m, soon the valley widens and you reach the army post of Gunitsawa (3810m) close to the border with Tibet, with a primary school and a shop. All army personnel and civilians are required to report to the check point; your trek permit will be checked and endorsed here. The large dormitory-style buildings across the river are the quarters for enlisted men and their families. After 10 minutes drive we reach to the camp site.
(Dinner & Overnight at the Camp: (Shana Zampa 2850m)
Day-2: Shana Zampa (2850m) to Thangthangka (3,610m)
22km. 7-8 hours. (770m ascent, 10m descent.)
Gear up yourself for a long, hard day with lots of ups and downs, made worse by all the rock-hopping required to avoid mud holes. Begin the day by climbing through conifers and rhododendrons flanking the Paro Chhu through the Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Park. If the water is high, you might have to scramble over a few small hills to get around the river in places.
After about two hours of trekking through oaks, rhododendrons and ferns, and crossing several streams, you will reach Shing Karap, a stone house and a clearing at 3110m. Further ahead is the stone-paved trail leading left to Tremo La. This is the old invasion and trade route from Phari Dzong in Tibet, and still looks well- beaten since it’s used by army caravans to ferry rations to the border post. Beware; many trekkers have casually ambled down this trail in the past and made a long, exhausting side trip to nowhere.
Immediately after the trail junction is a wooden bridge over a side stream. Climb a short set of switchbacks over a little ridge, than descend and cross the Paro Chhu to river left on a wooden cantilever bridge at 3230m. Consider stopping here for lunch. The route now goes up and down a rocky trail through forests of birch and fir, followed by blue pine, maple and larch woods, crossing an old landslide along the way. About three hours ahead, there’s bridge back to the river right at 3560m. The trail climbs to a place where you can see a white chorten on the opposite side of the river. There is a bridge here that leads back across the river. Don’t cross it, or it’ll take you up the Ronse Ghon Chhu towards Soi Yaksa. Follow the trail on river right, and climb over a small ridge as the Paro Chhu makes a noticeable bend. Fifteen minutes from the bridge is a lovely meadow with Jhomolhari looming majestically at the head of the valley? This is Thangthangka (3610m), with a small stone shelter and a Bhutanese-style house.
(Dinner & Overnight at the Camp: Thangthangka (3,610m)
Day-3: Thangthangka(3610m) to Jangothang (4,080m)
19km. 5-6 hours. (480m ascent )
Today is not a long day, but you will be left breathless due to the significant elevation gain at high altitude. Wake up early for good views of Jhomolhari, which will disappear behind a ridge as you climb beyond camp. Less than an hour ahead, at 3730m, there’s an army post with rough stone barracks housing personnel from both the Bhutan army and the Indian Military Training team (IMTRAT). A short climb leads to a small chorten on a ridge. You are now entering yak country and will see these huge beasts lumbering across hillsides and lazing in meadows. Above the trail is the village of Soi. You cannot see it until you are beyond and above it, but you may meet people herding yaks near the river. One hour beyond Soi is Takethang, a cluster of stone houses on a plateau at 3940m. The villagers grow barley and a large succulent plant called Kashaykoni that is fed to yaks during winter. The trail follows straight across the plateau, high above the river, crossing a little stream on a bridge made of big stone laid on logs.On the opposite side are a white chorten, an outreach clinic and the few houses of Dangochang. The people of this village raise yaks and a few sheep, and some households grow potatoes, turnips and radishes. This area is snowbound from mid- November until the end of March. From here, its slow going uphill beside a side stream to the camp at Jangothang (4080m), offering a spectacular view of Jhomolhari.
(Dinner & Overnight at the camp: Jangothang (4,080m)
Day-4: Acclimatization Day(4080m)
Today you should spend a day lazing in Jangothang for acclimatization, a day in Jangothang is the highlight of the trek; the views don’t get any better than here. The horsemen also take the day off, and can be seen lazing around and playing dego, a traditional discus game.
There are four major possibilities for day hikes from Jangothang. The first, and best, is a four-hour excursion up the ridge to the north of the camp. There’s no trail, but it’s a broad open slope and you can just scramble up. The ridge seems endless, but after an hour or so, you get an excellent view of Jichu Drakye. Jhomolhari is hidden behind the ridge here, but becomes visible if you continue to the highest point at 4750m. You are likely to encounter gazing yaks, and occasionally, blue sheep, on the upper slopes.
An alternative, which can be combined with the walk up the ridge, is to trek up the main valley towards the last house, then continue up the valley towards Jichu Drakye. This is the same country you’ll be walking through if, later, you decide to continue trekking over the Nyile La to Lingzhi.
A third hike goes up towards the head of the valley in the direction of Jhomolhari. There is a very rough overgrown trail that cuts across moraines and bush, leading to the foot of the mountain. You can’t get very far, but there are good views in the upper part of the valley.
The last alternative is an expedition to Tshophu, a pair of lakes that sit high on the opposite side of the river to the east, with a good supply of brown trout. To get to the lakes, follow the trail north to the last settlement in the valley. It takes about one hour to get to the ridge and then another 30 minutes following a stream to the lake.
(Dinner & Overnight at the Camp)
Day-5: Jangothang(4080m – Soi Yaksa(3800m)
16km. 6-7hours (810m Ascent, 1090m Descents.)
Today the trail initially leads north to the last settlement in the valley, before dropping to the Paro Chhu, crossing it on a wooden bridge. After crossing the river, you begin a gradual climb, following a set of sharp switchbacks for about 300m up the side of the hill. Along the way, you can get fabulous views of Jhomolhari, jhomolhari2, Jichu Drakye and Tserim Kang if the weather is good. From here, it’s a relatively even and smooth hike all the way to a large cirque nestling the lakes of Tshophu (43870m), a pair of splendid high-altitude water bodies, inhabited by a flock of ruddy shelducks and known to foster a healthy population of brown trout deep in their placid waters. While it’s possible to set up camp in between the two lakes, you could always carry on along the trail, which now climbs high above the eastern side of the first lake, passes the second lake along the way and finally climbs across a slope to the crest of a ridge. From here, it descends into a hidden valley, before climbing steeply to Bhonte La at 4890m, the highest point on this route.
Descending from Bhonte La, the route now runs past a slope, and then winds down a ridge with a lot of crisscrossing yak trails. Finally, it switch backs down to the Soi Yaksa valley(also known as the Dhumzo Chhu valley), a beautiful setting for a camp at 3800m with rocky cliffs, wildflower meadows, a few nomadic settlements and a waterfall at the end of the valley. All through this day, keep your eyes trained on the wilderness for a host of regional wildlife, such as blue sheep, golden marmots, and the elusive snow leopard.
(Dinner & Overnight at the camp)
Day-6: Soi Yaksa (3800m)- Thombushong (4180m)
11km 4-5 hours (720m ascent, 340m Descent.)
Starting out from camp, today’s walk initially takes you past hillsides lush with a crop of azalea and rhododendron, before gradually climbing above the tree line. You will also cross forests of birch and oak on the way. The trail ascends about 100m over a ridge, before dropping to a meadow with a chorten and a Mani wall, and another stream flowing nearby. If you have enough time, you can make a quick detour from this place to the ruins of the Sey Dzong, located in one of the side valleys nearby. Otherwise, you can simply continue ahead from the Mani wall, cross the stream on a wooden bridge, and follow the trail heading up the hillside. Not long after, it drops into a small side valley, before emerging onto a ridge. Here the trail bifurcates, and it can be quite confusing since both the tracks look very similar. Don’t go left-this route will eventually take you to Lalung La, a pass that leads on an extremely roundabout way back to Drukgyel Dzong. Go right instead. The track will first take you through a wooded area, and then climb steeply for about an hour, ascending past a few huts and chorten to Takhung La (4520m). Spectacular views of Jhomolhari, Jichu Drakye and Tserim Kang can be seen from the pass, and on a clear day, the formidable Kanchenjunga (8586m) can be sighted far away on the western horizon.
From Takhung La, the trail holds out for a while, before gradually meandering down to Thombu Shong (4180m). It’s a grassy pasture dotted with three yak herders’ huts, and has traditionally been used by animal herders as a campsite through various times of the year.
(Dinner & Overnight at the camp)
Day-7: Thombu Shong (4180m)- Shana Zampa(2580m)
13km 4-5 hours (200m ascent,1 650m Descent.)
After breaking camp, follow the trail leading out of the valley through a marshy patch. From here, the well-defined track suddenly begins to gain elevation, and climbs steeply for a good 200m. This hike can prove tiring, especially since you now have an entire weeks vigorous trekking behind you, although you will have adjusted well to the altitude by now, if that’s any consolation. All along, you will be traversing through a gloriously beautiful garden of wildflowers, also rich with a crop of rhododendron, which is especially breath taking through late spring and summer. At the end of the climb, you will finally cross over Thombu La at 4380m, where the trail eventually exits the valley. Stop here for a last good look at Kanchenjunga and Drakye Gang (5200m), among other peaks.
On the other side of Thombu La, the trail begins to amble down steeply through upland forest, and the long descent ahead can prove to be rather brutal on your knees. Leading down from the pass, the total loss in elevation all the way to the final camp site of the trek is a whopping 1800m, all within a span of about 3 hours. The first part of the descent is gradual, winding down to about 4000m, after which the trail makes a steep descent, zigzagging down the ridge through wildflower bushes, mostly edelweiss, before finally reaching the helipad at Gunitsawa (2730m). Cross the river and go upstream to camp at Shana Zampa (2580m)
(Dinner & Overnight at the camp)
Day-8: Shana Zampa (2580m)- Drukgyel Dzong
Follow the itinerary of Day 1 of the Jhomolhari trek in the reverse direction to Drukgyel Dzong.
(Dinner & Overnight at the hotel)