Day 24

Sunday 21 Oct 2018

With just three days left of our journey, the conversation at breakfast was whether or not we would recommend the Snowman Trek to others. Ordinarily there would be no issue and a resounding ‘yes’ but since we have been so supremely lucky with the weather, the probability of someone else experiencing the same is very unlikely. The chances of getting few or no views is high and so hard to justify the cost. However, exploring one corner of this country and trying to understand it’s culture and environment has been a pleasure.

The sun soon started to warm this cold valley, as we descended there was a gradual return of vegetation which now was showing it’s full autumn colours. The Tampe Chu flowed at a constant rate matching the gentle gradient of our path, Black Redstarts danced above the river catching insects in the morning sun and small wrens sang to us as we perched and wobbled on the stoney path. We eventually reached a meadow at 4010m just before our horses arrived with lunch. The yaks appeared just as we started our re-ascent to the camp but a group of 35 horses, carrying whiskey and rice to Lunana for the winter, were descending the path so considerable negotiations were needed to get everyone through. These were the first people we had seen since Thanza and Tsering was able to hear the result of Bhutan’s third election. It had been won by a doctor who in addition to other charity work, accompanies the king on his country wide tours providing medical help to remote communities.

The ascent to our camp, Tampe Tsho, a lake at 4300m, is long but spectacular, the path had recently been renovated in readiness for the king. Although this is compulsory labour for local villages, it is fully funded and is the only access between these districts. We finished the evening with an open fire while Tshering told us more folk stories.

Distance 13km 8hrs

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