6 days Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek in Bhutan

6 days Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek in Bhutan

Dragala trek is the only short trek in Bhutan which offers the view of all the high mountain peaks of Bhutan including the world’s third highest peak, Mt. Kanchenjunga at 8586 meters and few other high peaks of Nepal. This is also a trek where you will see lots of lakes at the higher altitude and the name “Dragala thousand lakes trek” comes from it. But, about existing of 1000 lakes at Dragala area there are conflicting opinions from person to person. An elderly horseman of Dragala area heard from his parents that there were actually 105 lakes in the area; some stories say that there were more than 1000 lakes in the past. The trek has mainly two routes, either at Talakha Gompa; Serbithang; Wangdi; Dochu La; Daga in Dagana; ending about 2 km south of Chhuzom near Lebchi.

Itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Paro to Genekha and commence trek to Gur (8 km, 3710 m) – 6 hrs. walk

Stop At: Genekha Central School, Thimphu, Bhutan
Breakfast at the hotel and drive for about an hour to reach the starting point of our trek, Genekha. Genekha is a small village which is considered as the village of medieval metallurgists where you can observe varieties of alpine flora and fauna along with various bird species. Along the drive, we pass through terrace farms and coniferous vegetation. The villages of this region produce famous matsutake and chantarelle mushrooms. After crossing a bridge over the Wang Chu (Thimphu River), we follow a good track steadily upwards through oak forest to a rocky platform and good resting spot. At this huge rock resting platform, we can have picturesque view of the valley down below. We then continue slowly up through birch and bamboo forest to reach our camp in a meadow at Gur. If you are travelling during spring season, you can observe abundance amount of flowers here.


Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at camping tent

Day 2: Trek from Gur to Labathama (9 km, 4300 m) via Pagalabtsa La Pass (4200 m) – approx. 4 hrs. walk

Stop At: Genekha Central School, Thimphu, Bhutan
Second day of our trek begins with a trail passing through the ridges where one can observe amidst flowers and wild asparagus (in spring) with the mountain side meadows. If you are trekking during spring season then you will feel like you are walking over carpet of flowers. One enjoys the beauty of the mountain side vegetation of the far flung mountains which freshens the trekkers with the poetic sentiments. The first pass marked by a large cairn gives a spectacular view of the whole Dagala range, World’s third highest peaks “Mount Kanchenjunga”, alpine meadows and yak herders’ camps along with other mountain ranges of Nepal. After lunch at Yak herder’s camp, we will walk across hills and over meadows, descending into the Labathama valley from where you will gradually ascend passing through some Yak herder’s hut until you reach Utsho Lake. Your today’s campsite is right next to the lake, where plenty of golden trout flourish.


Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at camping tent

Day 3: Leisure day at Labathama

Stop At: Genekha Central School, Thimphu, Bhutan
Enjoy a leisure day in Labathama exploring the valley and visiting the lakes: Relitsho, Hentsho or Jametsho Lake. Your trekking escort will reveal the mystic stories of these lakes. Trout fishing on your own can add delicacy to your meal in this wild mountain country. You can even hike to the top of the pass for a breath-taking view of World’s third highest mountain “Mt. Kanchenjunga” and the highest mountain of Bhutan “Mt. Jomolhari”.


Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at camping tent

Day 4: Trek from Labathama to Pangkha (11 km, 4050 m) via Labajong La Pass (4400 m) – 6 hrs. walk

Stop At: Genekha Central School, Thimphu, Bhutan
The trail climbs along the western side of Dala Tsho up to a saddle at (4520m) from where you have again a majestic view of the prominent. Witness a splendid view of the Western Himalayan ranges. Your guide will help you in identifying individual peaks such as Everest, Kanchenjunga, Jomolhari, Jitchu Drake, Tserimgang, Khangbum, Masagang, Tsendegang and Gangchenta. Himalayan monal pheasants are a common sight. If you want an even better view you can climb to a peak close to the saddle with an altitude of 4720m. 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 Pangkha. One should be attentive to native’s complexities. The Himalayan monal pheasants are common sight apart from yaks and horses. Depending on the availability of water, our camps may vary pre and post monsoon, but we will aim for Pangkha.


Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at camping tent


Day 5: Trek from Pangkha to Talakha (8 km, 3100 m) via Tale La Pass (4185 m) – 5 hrs. walk

Stop At: Thimphu, Thimphu, Thimphu District
A clear early morning will reveal breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari and Jitchu Drake amongst many more Himalayan peaks. The path continues on through a forest of rhododendrons populated by Himalayan pheasants. This day entails the crossing of several passes, none of them affording a major climb, and often with an abundance of mountain birds. You will see several varieties of the blue poppy (if trekking June-July) and also many mountain birds along the way. We reach enormous cairns at Chole La Pass (4100m). From here, we drop down to Kiwi Chowa (4030m). Our route then continues to a pass at 3960m where four tracks converge. We follow the northern route past a ruin said to have once been a dzong to monitor the movement of locals between Wangdue Phodrang & Thimphu districts. A ridge leads to Talakha Peak (4300m) revealing great views of the Thimphu Valley. If there is a good weather, Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari and Jitchu Drake should be visible from here. From Talakha peak we drop down steadily, sometimes steeply, to reach a mixed forest of fir, juniper, rhododendron, rose, bamboo and birch. Finally we reach Talakha Monastery whose shy monks, tremendous views over the Thimphu valley and outdoor bathtub make for a memorable stay. This will be your last night camp of the Dagala Trek.


Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at camping tent


Day 6: Trek from Talakha to Thimphu (6 km, 2320 m) and drive to Paro – 2 hrs. walk

Stop At: Paro, Paro, Paro District
We will have a short walk for about two hours through mixed vegetation and apple orchards, finally reaching the main motorable road to Thimphu where our transport will be waiting for us. Our transport will meet us just as we start emerging from the forest and drive to Paro for our departure flight next day. The drive will take slightly more than an hour. Overnight at hotel in Paro.


Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel