cover story cackling tourists from Kolkata, I could well understand his doubts about us! However, to me, the fact that we were the first Indians doing this trek, was an additional motivating factor. I chose to do Snowman I, saving the GP circuit for another time. My companion also had the option of returning to Thimphu from Jangothang, Lingshi or Laya. On D-Day, we drove from Paro to Drukyel Dzong, an ancient fort in ruins, and met our guide, cook and kitchen help, all of whom had done this trek many times. The herders were already loading our gear onto the horses. They looked at us in amusement and with a searching look that said – “So, you think you can do the Snowman Trek, crossing 11 passes and walking 360 km over 24 days?”
The Jhomolhari Segment The trek started off very tamely as we ascended, following the broad trail along the Paro Chhu River. Over the next three days, from Drukyel to Jangothang, the trail veered through golden paddy fields, hamlets, chortens, a holy water spring, yak cheese farms around Soi, a couple of army camps, where our permits were checked, and lush verdant lichen draped forest. My greeting of ‘Kuzu zangpo la’ (‘Hullo’ in Dzongkha) to all the people I met on the route received many amused looks. The following day, we trekked in the protected Jigme Dorji National Park, a biodiversity hotspot. Many paths in the National Park led to Tibet and we had to take care not to stray into them. They were the ancient trade routes before they were closed after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Just as the forest got more enchanting, the trail got
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Fastfacts Getting There Bhutan has an international airport at Paro and is also easily approachable from India by road through two border check posts, one located at Phuentsholing (Bhutan)–Jaigaon (West Bengal) and the other at Samdrup Jhonkar (Bhutan)–Darbanga (Assam). The nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) and Guwahati (Assam)
When to Go Though organised by outfitters throughout summer, the best time to undertake the Snowman Trek is the first three weeks of October. Although the official season extends longer, if you go at any other time, you’ll either get very wet, snowed in, or both.
Permits There are no visa hassles for Indians, who only require a valid identification proof. Acceptable ID’s are Passport/Voter ID/Driving License. PAN cards are not valid.