Bhutan - Chomolhari Trek

Overview

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Trek to Chomolhari base camp, cross the Yale La Pass, experience the Chomolhari Mountain Festival

Introduction

Our Chomolhari Trek is a circuit of high passes around the 7,315m high Chomolhari Peak, which takes in sweeping views of the western peaks along the spine of the Bhutanese Himalaya. In this remote region you’ll walk along pristine trails and alongside ancient fortresses, weaving through the complex histories of this ancient 7th century Buddhist Kingdom and the Tibetan high trade routes crossing in and out. Yaks, Blue Sheep, the mysterious Takin and even Snow Leopards roam the landscape.

This trek is scheduled around the fascinating Chomolhari Mountain Festival.

We have upated and improved our itinerary following Jagged Globe Head of Operations, Ed Chard's first-hand experience of leading this trip. The itinerary now provides better acclimatisation in the early stages.

Join us on the Bhutan - Chomolhari Trek

• Visit the Chomolhari Mountain Festival
• Excellent acclimatisation profile
• Horses carry your kit bag, so you only need carry a day pack

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Experience Required

Whilst none of the walking is on particularly difficult trails, due to the remoteness of this trek and the problems associated with evacuation, we require that you have previous trekking experience at altitudes in excess of 4,500m. You can expect to walk for 7 - 8 hours in a day, with a longer day to cross the Yale La Pass.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the trek or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Dates & Prices

Date	With Flight	or Meeting in	Availability
Mon 7 Oct – Thu 24 Oct 2024	UK	Delhi	full Enquire »
	£6,595	£5,795
Mon 6 Oct – Thu 23 Oct 2025	UK	Delhi	Available Book now »
2 places left with £200 early booking discount	£6,595 £6,395	£5,795 £5,595

This trek is available to book in GBP, USD and EUR.
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Group size: 4 – 14 people.

Single room supplement: £950

For comparison, this trek starts from £362 (GBP) per day (price Without Flights).

With Flight pricing

Our 'With Flight' price includes an Economy class return airfare from the UK. The cost is based on a group fare that we have already reserved, or individual seats that we have budgeted for. Note that in some circumstances, the earlier you book, the less expensive the airfare and the 'With Flight' price.

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign. We recommend that you read the FCDO Travel Advice for India and Bhutan on the FCDO Website.

What the price includes

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (unless Land Only).
• UK airline taxes.
• Bhutan Visa fees.
• One return flight between Delhi and Paro by scheduled aircraft.
• Two return transfers between the airport and the hotel (one on arrival and departure of your international flight and one for departure and arrival of your Paro flight).
• 2 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Delhi on a twin-sharing basis.
• 5 nights' full-board hotel accommodation in Paro and Thimphu handpicked by us, on a twin-sharing basis.
• 8 nights' full-board accommodation in tents whilst on trek, on a twin-sharing basis.
• All road transport by private vehicles.
• All costs for an English-speaking local guide, cook staff and team horses.
• Jagged Globe kitbag or lightweight fleece.

What the price does not include

• Indian Visa fees.
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• Bar bills and laundry.
• Travel insurance.
• Lunch and evening meals in Delhi.
• Any costs associated with leaving the trek early (for example, evacuation costs or the costs of horses).
• Optional trips and sightseeing tours.
• Tips.

Tailor-made option

We can organise this trek on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. Depending on your trekking experience, you may want a Jagged Globe leader or go ‘self-led’ with the assistance of local guides. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly if you take the self-led option. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Outline Itinerary

Day 1 - 2:	Fly to Delhi Overnight hotel.
Day 3:	Fly to Paro, Bhutan On arrival in Paro you will be transferred to our hotel. Overnight hotel.
Day 4:	Drive and climb to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (3,180m) 2 hour walk to Tiger's Nest Monastery and visit ancient fort, Paro Zong in the afternoon. Overnight hotel.
Day 5:	Acclimatisation hike to Chelela Overnight hotel.
Day 6:	Shana to Thongsampa (3,300m) Beginning at Shana (2,800m), the start of the high passes circuit, you will trek along the Pachu river crossing and recrossing over small bridges throughout the day. Overnight camp.
Day 7:	Trek to Thangthangka (3,610m) Hiking through dense pine and spruce forest, tonight you will stay at an excellent camp site near stone shelters and yak grazing pastures at Thangthangka. Overnight camp.
Day 8:	Trek to Jangothang Base Camp (4,060m) Today you will enjoy delightful days trek, which takes you above the tree line and into a gradually broadening valley. Views of the great Himalayan chain, which separates Bhutan and Tibet, open up all around us. You will pass an army check post, beautiful mountain rivers and arrive at the legendary ruins of the Jangothang Zong. The views of the legendary Chomolhari, the crown jewel of Bhutan sit directly above the campsite. Overnight camp.
Day 9:	Acclimatisation Day / Chomolhari Mountain Festival A day to rest, bask in the sun and enjoy the spectacle of the Chomolhari Mountain Festival. Expect Bhutanese Mask dances, traditional music and clowns. Overnight camp.
Day 10:	Acclimatisation Day / Trek to the twin Lakes of Tshophu Tsho (4,450m) Today we gain some height to get our bodies ready for the 2 big passes. A 4-hour round trip takes us up to a stunning valley with great views and mountain flora. Overnight camp.
Day 11:	Cross Nyele La Pass to Lingzi (4,100m) The path continues up valley into a panorama of the three giant peaks of western Bhutan: Chomlhari (7,315m), Jitchu Drake (6,989m) and Tsering Kang (6,789m). The trail begins climbing steadily just out the village and after 4 hours reaches Nyele La at 4,870m. You will have lunch just after the pass and then take the long descent down into Lingzi. The views even on descent are new and stunning as Tsering Kang now dominates. Overnight camp.
Day 12:	Cross Yale La Pass (4,930m) to Shodu (3,900m) Today will be the most challenging day of the trek, so the team will start early. You cross the valley now opposite the Lingzi Dzong climbing up the valley to Yale La at 4,930m. This will be the highest point of the trek. The panorama from the summit is a bucket list view - simply breathtaking. This is also the most remote stage of the trek, where you may see Blue Sheep (Tar). It’s a long descent to camp down a steepening valley. Overnight camp.
Day 13:	To Domshesha via Barshong Gompa (3,449m) The path now follows the Thimpu Cho river back through Rhododendron, Juniper and Blue Pine forests with plenty of sheer cliff faces and waterfalls above us. You will have to regain 300m to Barshong before descending back to the river to camp. A long day. Overnight camp.
Day 14:	Trek to the roadhead and onwards to Thimphu It’s another early start to follow the path which descends gradually through thick bamboo and pine forests before regaining 200m to a forest road where you’ll be met by 4X4 transport and driven to Thimphu (1 hour), the capital city. You’ll have the afternoon to relax and enjoy the home comforts of the city. Overnight hotel.
Day 15:	Guided Tour of Thimphu In the morning we’ll visit the national monuments and drive up to see the 65m high golden Buddha that watches over the city. There is also a chance to help with regeneration of local forests by planting a tree sampling for future visitors. Overnight hotel.
Day 16:	Thimphu to Paro Overnight hotel.
Day 17:	Fly to Delhi Overnight hotel.
Day 18:	Fly home Our scheduled flight back to the UK arrives in London Heathrow in the afternoon.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is adventure travel in a remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions, availability of horses and the health of trekkers can all contribute to changes. The local guides and their assistants will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if necessary.

Optional Agra Fort and Taj Mahal

A trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal is available as an optional extra, subject to flight availability. Price is per person based on twin-share.

Price £450 per person

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Reports & Reviews

First Trek: Oct '17

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Team Member Reviews

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Leader Reports

• Bhutan - Chomolhari Trek 2019
  “I’ve been Leading expeditions and treks for some time, so I’ve come to expect the unexpected; nothing, however, prepared me for the experiences that I encountered on my recent trip to Bhutan. Just incredible. It was...”
  report added 25/Oct/19