Welcome to the Mud Pit: 27 Days Hiking Bhutan’s Lunana Snowman Trek
When we first told our family we were going to Bhutan, they were not surprised to hear us mention a destination they had never heard of. I pointed to the small country – tucked diminutively into the Himalayas between China and India – on the world map in my father’s office… “see, right here!” Why we would travel to these far flung places to simply walk all day, every day for a month, was beyond him. But he’d grown accustomed to hearing about these remarkable, if not conventionally pointless, adventures.
I could already hear him telling other farmers about this over breakfast. “Bhu-TAN? Or something like that…” he would explain. They would nod vaguely, eat their eggs and hash browns, and say things like… “Never heard of it.” and “What’s there?” and “Well isn’t that something.” And then they would talk about how the corn was doing. And the weather.
See, it’s right there! The Kingdom of Bhutan is located in South Asia in the eastern Himalayas, squished right in between the giants of China and India. [Map Credit: Getty Images]
We were… far more excited. As mountain lovers, Bhutan was on a shortlist of regions we’d eyed for quite awhile, with particular interest in the ‘Snowman Trek’, a hike that was often touted as ‘one of the most challenging treks in the world.’ This seemed a difficult claim – so many treks were difficult for so many different reasons – but we were interested to take a peek into this somewhat mysterious kingdom regardless. And, the Himalayas had never disappointed.
What is the Snowman Trek?
A bit of background before we jump into the day-to-day summaries for our journey.
The Snowman Trek traces a wide arc from western to central Bhutan, following along the mountainous northern border of the country where the eastern stretch of the Himalayan mountain range forms the border between Bhutan and Tibet (China).
The trek routes through some of the most remote and wild regions of the country, traversing through dense mossy forests, over high mountain passes, through remote mountain villages, by yak herder camps, over rocky moraine, past glacial lakes and icy blue rivers, and through some of the most pristine natural environment in the country (and the world).
As we would find, it also routes through mud, like… A LOT of mud. But, amazing forests and spectacular scenery are plentiful, so don’t let the EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MUD deter you. (Definitely pack waterproof boots and gaiters though…)
Snowman Trek Variations: Where is the Lunana Snowman Trek?
Like many treks, there are several variations of the Snowman Trek, with multiple entrance and exit points through the region. Depending on the route, most of the treks take anywhere from 24-28 days. The Lunana Snowman Trek is one of the longer variations, however, searching online and in guidebooks, you will find that even this ‘version’ has more than one possible route.
For our trek, organized through The Mountain Company, we took the longest version of the Lunana Snowman Trek, beginning in Shana in the Paro District and traversing eastward through Lingshi, Laya, and Lunana en route to the finish in Bumthang.
Beyond the village of Thanza, the route to Bumthang is one of the least traveled and most remote routes, traveling to a high camp at Tshorim Lake before continuing southeastward and traversing several high mountain passes en route to the exit point in the village of Dur, just outside of Bumthang.
“Least-traveled” is, of course, relative, the Snowman Trek already being one of the least traveled treks you can find. Other than the first few days of our hike, where we crossed paths with one other local trekking group doing a five-day Jomolhari circuit trek, we never saw a single other hiking group on the entire hike. The trails are, of course, traveled frequently by locals and we ran into a number of horse trains delivering supplies between mountain villages before winter.
Lunana Snowman Trek: Shana to Bumthang
Our Lunana Snowman Trek from Shana to Bumthang took 27 days and traversed over 14 high mountain passes over the approximately 278 km (172 mi) route. Total ascent and total descent for the trek each hovered right around 14,000 m (~45,500-46,200 ft).
Below are a few quick summary stats/numbers, mountain pass elevations, and daily summaries for the full 27-day journey, including our arrival in Shana and a bit about our acclimatization days leading up to the start of the trek.
The day-to-day summary descriptions include a few highlights and notables, as well as a link to a full blog entry for each day. Here you can find more detailed and interesting information about the route for the day and our experience, including fun facts like how often it was raining, the daily disposition of our lunch horse, and really more than you ever wanted to know or read about mud in your entire life.
If you don’t see a link to a full blog, it’s in the works! Check back or subscribe to our blog below to get updates when new blogs are published.
A final note. We’ve been asked, “How was it?” How to sum up the Snowman Trek? Amazing. Rainy. Exhausting. Muddy. Spectacular. Cold. Harsh. Slippery. Invigorating. Foggy. Unforgiving. Drizzly. Rugged. Enchanting. Draining. Mossy. Windy. Remote. Wild. Beautiful. It was often all of these things, at some point, every day. It was so many things. Is it the most challenging trek in the world? You’ll just have to read the blogs. Or go and see for yourself!
Onward…
A Few (Approximate) Snowman Trek Summary Stats
Total Distance: 278 km / 172 mi
Total Ascent: 14,089 m / 46,212 ft
Total Descent: 13,888 m / 45,552 ft
High Passes: 14
Highest Pass Elevation: 5,438 m / 17,837 ft (Gophu La)
Highest Camp Elevation: 5,306 m / 17,403 ft (Tshorim Lake)
Total Pairs of Shoes That Did Not Leave Bhutan: 2 (Kate) + 1 (Shawn)
*Bhutan is where you learn what is and is not waterproof.㎥ of mud: The Limit Does Not Exist
High Passes
Lunana Snowman Trek Hiking Route Summary 2022
Lunana Snowman Trek route, Shana to Bumthang. [Map Credit: Trekking Bhutan]
A couple quick notes. Many camp, village, and pass names have a variety of spellings depending on the map or guide book used, so may differ slightly from what is shown below. A few local terms used in descriptions: ‘chhu’ means river, ‘la’ means (mountain) pass. A ‘dzong’ is a traditional Bhutanese fortress; today dzongs serve as administrative and religious/monastic centers. Links for each day will be added as the blogs are completed!
As a handy guide, the trek can be divided into roughly three sections:
Days 1-4 – Days of Deception. Everything is warm. Everyone is naive.
Days 5-15 – Days of Rain. Everything is wet. Everything is mud.
Days 16-24 – Days of Cold. Everything is freezing. Everyone is numb.
And with this, the daily summaries…
Day 1 – Arrive in Shana (Drive)
While the Snowman Trek used to start a bit further south at the Drukgyel Dzong, a jeep track now runs through to Shana. After a few days of acclimatization hikes around Paro and the Haa Valley, including a hike to the famed Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang), we traveled to Shana to begin our journey. We also learned all kinds of important cultural tidbits, including the Bhutanese obsession with penises, for example, so you can read more about that here.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 1 – Arrival in Shana
Day 2 – Shana to Soi Thangthanka
Our first day on the trail! Our guide, Nat, introduced a daily scoring system in which we will rank ourselves somewhere between death and total exuberance each morning. Following the Paro Chhu all day, we also received an introduction to the mud of Bhutan, a story that will unfold along seemingly every trail available. Rock hopping resulted in broken bones (!) and early team quirks were revealed by way of charades.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 2 – Trek to Soi Thangthanka
Day 3 – Soi Thangthanka to Jomolhari (Chomolhari) Base Camp
Today’s trek continued along the Paro Chhu, through forests of juniper trees and curtains of moss, past grazing yaks, and through the village of Dangochang, where we detoured for a short hike to a nearby waterfall. The day also brought the first views of Mount Jomolhari and discussions of Bhutan’s famed Gross National Happiness.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 3 – Trek to Jomolhari Base Camp
Day 4 – Jomolhari Base Camp Acclimatization Day
Have a seat, acclimatize! Our first acclimatization day of the trek, the morning brought spectacular views of Mounts Jomolhari and Jichu Drake, our kitchen crew revealed their artistic capabilities through elaborate fruit carving, and we met one of Bhutan’s two helicopter pilots for the first – of what would become several – times. For our acclimatization hike, we crossed the Paro Chhu and climbed into the mountains to the Twin Lakes, passing herds of blue sheep grazing high in the slopes above.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 4 – Jomolhari Base Camp Acclimatization Day
Day 5 – Jomolhari Base Camp to Lingshi via Nyile La
Today’s hike left the Paro Chuu, heading into the mountains and over the first high pass of the trek, Nyile La, which opens to expansive mountain views to the north and east. On an early break, we are briefed on important topics such as yak etiquette and UBOPs. Our descent brought rain and a trail through a beautiful autumn landscape. We camped in a yak pasture next to Lingshi’s prisoner labor camp.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 5 – Trek to Lingshi
Day 6 – Lingshi to Chebisa
After a breakfast accompanied by more cruise-line worthy watermelon carving, today’s hike climbed high above our camp, the Lingshi Chhu flowing through the valley below. After a brief stop through the eerily quiet village of Lingshi, we continued our drizzly trek above the valley, eventually descending to the small village of Goyul for lunch and on to Chebisa, where our camp also served as a yak pasture and active archery range.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 6 – Trek to Chebisa
Day 7 – Chebisa to Shakyapasang via Gombu La
Today it drizzled all day. We climbed Gombu La through a thick fog, and descended through a beautiful misty landscape of rhododendrons. Today would also be the first of many times I would write “the worst mud yet” in my notes for the day. Other notables included lunch under a parachute (bothy), toilet humor, and tears after adding a few too many chili peppers to my dinner. We also wonder if we will ever see the sun again.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 7 – Trek to Shakyapasa
Day 8 – Shakyapasa to Robluthang via Jhare La
Leaving the yak dung landmines of the Shakyapasang Camp, we climbed to Jhare La, passing yak herder camps as we zigzagged our way across the Yarila Chhu and up the valley. The descent routed through forests dripping with moss before opening to a wide swampy meadow of braided rivers, where I unapologetically crawled across a log bridge to avoid a slip into the drink.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 8 – Trek to Robluthang
Day 9 – Robluthang to Limithang via Sinche La
After days of rain and fog with very few long mountain views, we woke to a clear, crisp blue sky with beautiful mountain views. Having finally dried my shoes out by the fire last night, en route to Sinche La, I took a nice spill into the river to ensure I would never know the feeling of dry feet on this trek. Shawn gave an offering of a small baby doll at the pass. In this entry, I also take the opportunity to reflect on how many zips a late night trip to the toilet tent requires.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 9 – Trek to Limithang
Day 10 – Limithang to Laya
This morning brought clear skies, spectacular views of Tiger Mountain, and a beautiful forested hike through the valley along the Timuchang Chhu. It also brought every variety of mud, which seemed to grow worse the closer we got to Laya, the village itself having some of ‘the worst mud yet’. With a rest day here tomorrow, in the afternoon we filled our time with fruitless chores like washing laundry in the sun and drying it in the rain, whose sudden appearance surprised no one.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 10 – Trek to Laya
Day 11 – Rest Day in Laya
Today was a rest and resupply day. A new team of horses and horsemen arrived for the second leg of the trek, as well as more food and other provisions for the remainder of the journey. The rest day also brought the opportunity for bucket showers, a bit of village exploration, and rest. Shawn made friends with the local barber, while I spent the afternoon investigating the back of my eyelids, attempting to rest and nurse a nasty cold and fever.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 11 – Rest Day in Laya
Day 12 – Laya to Rodophu
This day can be summed up as a thick muddy descent, followed by a long muddy ascent to the cold and wet Rodophu Camp. One of the most physically and mentally draining days of the trek, the muddy trails entered ‘problem-solving’ territory, with rock hopping requiring an exhausting level of concentration. Energy depleted by the end of the day, I took a ‘big slip’ in the mud that required some riverside pants cleaning. ‘Milk cheese’ bars also entered our lives in a big way today.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 12 – Trek to Rodophu
Day 13 – Rodophu to Narethang via Tsemo La
Today’s hike started with a steep climb that zigzagged up the mountainside along a river that cascaded down the rocky slopes. Thin sheets of sleety rain accompanied us on the climb to Tsemo La and off-and-on through the majority of the day. The trail undulated through a rocky, boggy, wet, muddy landscape through the afternoon, and the day also brought our first snow. My heavy cough also had me quarantined to my tent for meals for the next several days.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 13 – Trek to Narethang
Day 14 – Narethang to Tarina via Karchung La
Heavy snow fell through the night and we woke to a winter wonderland. Snow crunched underfoot as we made our way through a misty landscape of sharp peaks en route to Karchung La. From the pass, we made a ridiculously long 1200 m (~3936 ft) descent, the trail underfoot slowly morphing from snow to slush to muddy slush to finally the muddy mud that we’ve come to know so well. Completely overcome by a river in some areas, the route also required some creative rock hopping and even tree climbing to avoid deeper river sections.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 14 – Trek to Tarina
Day 15 – Tarina to Woche
Today we finally had some sun! And views! Through the morning, the trail followed the Pho Chhu before beginning a spectacularly muddy ascent to the village of Woche, perched high above the valley. Woche marks the boundary between Laya and Lunana and together with Lhedi, makes up lower Lunana. The camp for the night was just another hour and a half beyond Woche, perched high on a hillside above the Woche valley.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 15 – Trek to Woche
Day 16 – Woche to (beyond) Lhedi via Kesha La
Morning dawned with a thick layer of frost on the ground and tents, including frozen rain fly zippers for many of us, which resulted in some frantic struggles driven by the pending morning emergency of a full bladder. Crisp blue skies lent clear views of frosted forest, snow capped peaks, and glacial lakes en route to Kesha La. On our descent and hike toward Lhedi, we cheered on passing runners participating in the first Snowman ultra race. May God be with them.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 16 – Trek to Lhedi
Day 17 – (Beyond) Lhedi to Thanza
This morning several of us took our bed tea/coffee outside of our tents, sipping it in the cold morning air, cheering on the ultra runners as they passed through our camp. Today’s hike was a gently undulating trail along the west bank of the East Pho Chhu, views of Table Mountain ahead. After a leisurely stop to visit the Chozo Dzong, we continued through a desert-like sandy plain before our final hike into Thanza.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 17 – Trek to Thanza
Day 18 – Rest Day in Thanza
A much-needed rest day! Most of the group took time to explore the surrounding area a bit on short hikes, but otherwise spent the day resting and taking care of trekking chores – taking bucket showers, cleaning/organizing gear, and doing laundry. The night was dark and clear, with amazing views of the stars and Milky Way. Headlamps in the toilet tent also make for fantastic photos.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 18 – Rest Day in Thanza
Day 19 – Thanza to Danje
Today’s hike to Danje was short, an elevation stepping stone to the next camp. Leaving camp, we climbed the slopes to the east, taking several breaks along the way to take in the views of Thanza below and the snow capped mountains in the distance. Danje sat in a high open meadow, where a solitary yak grazed, confused by our sudden presence.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 19 – Trek to Danje
Day 20 – Danje to Tshorim Lake Camp
Our hike today routed us through a landscape dotted in snow and ice, over glacial moraine walls, and along beautiful turquoise lakes to our highest camp, situated along the cold shores of Tshorim Lake. Shawn collected yellow flags leftover from the Snowman ultra race and we spotted fresh snow leopard tracks through the snow alongside the trail. Everything will freeze here.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 20 – Trek to Tshorim Lake Camp
Day 21 – Tshorim Lake Camp to Geche Woma via Gophu La
After a cold night, we hiked out of camp under a (still) frigid but bright blue sky, making a short climb southeast through a snowy landscape to Gophu La. The hike continued over undulating moraine ridges and along a lateral moraine, passing frozen lakes where we skipped rocks across the icy surfaces. Views of Bhutan’s highest peak, Gangkhar Puensum (7570 m/24,835 ft), loomed in the distance. After lunch, we descended into a wide boggy meadow of braided streams, following the Mangde Chu to our camp.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 21 – Trek to Geche Woma
Day 22 – Geche Woma to Minchugang
This morning a crunchy layer of snow covered the ground. We hiked southward along the east side of the valley among snow covered rocks, frozen dirt, and icy streams. The day undulated between a low trail along the mountainside above the valley and rock-hopping over streams along the valley floor, passing yak herder’s huts. Delight of the day: the arrival of pizza at tea time, presumably from Dominos.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 22 – Trek to Minchugang
Day 23 – Minchugang to Warthang via Phorang La, Saga La, & Warthang La
Today was a big day, with three high passes. Our climb to Phorang La began with a relentlessly steep grassy slope, unanimously despised by both team and crew. The steep hike to Saga La finished along a narrow chossy trail of loose rock that hugged the mountainside high above a lake of deep emerald green. Compared to the first two passes, Warthang La was hardly notable. An undulating grassy meadow completed the hike to camp. Over dinner, the dining assistant, Pema, entertained us with amazingly life-like animal sound impressions. Over three weeks in, entertainment comes easily at this point.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 23 – Trek to Warthang
Day 24 – Warthang to Dur Tsachu via Nephu La
Today’s hike began with a short climb to Nephu La; heavy frost lined the shaded trail before breaking out into the sunlight at the pass. The first warm air we’d felt in weeks rushed up the valley along the steep descent which transitioned quickly from the high alpine environment to thick mossy forest. We descended through an obstacle course of rock, wet mud, roots, and streams before hiking above the Mangde Chhu and into Dur Tsachu, where we spent the afternoon soaking in hot springs.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 24 – Trek to Dur Tsachu
Day 25 – Dur Tsachu to Tso Chenchen via Gongto La & Djule La
Forgoing a rest day at the hot springs to outrun an incoming storm, we continued on today to finish the last of the trek’s high passes before they were closed out by snow. The majority of the long ascent to Gongto La climbed through a thick forest of tall rhododendrons and pines, breaking out of the trees shortly before the pass. We descended along a shimmering blue lake. The slopes of Djule La were covered in tiny garnets and light snow fell as we made our final descent to camp. Yak featured on the dinner menu.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 25 – Trek to Tso Chenchen
Day 26 – Tso Chenchen to Gorsum
Skies this morning were a dull flat white as we hiked through rocky, low rolling hills. The Mangde Chhu was our constant companion, the trail undulating above and along the river through rhododendrons, pines, and stands of bamboo. Our final ascent to camp climbed through thick – but dry – squishy mud. Today I consumed what will hopefully be the last milk cheese wafer of my life. The rain arrived again. Our drinking chocolate containers were refilled, averting a crisis.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 26 – Trek to Gorsum
Day 27 – Gorsum to Dur Village
After 18 hours of nonstop rain, the trail was a mud pit. A fitting farewell to our trek if there ever was one, every type of mud was well represented on the trail, especially the slippery kind that I like to coat all over my pants. After several hours of undulating hiking through the forest along the Gorzam Chhu, the trail morphed into a single-lane dirt road to Dur Village, where our epic adventure came to an end! Tea time brought celebratory Druk 11000s and, in an ending befitting this crazy journey, our mini-bus arrived a day early, pulled into camp, and promptly got stuck in the mud.
Read the full blog: Lunana Snowman Trek Day 27 – Trek to Dhur Village
The End
And with that, we came to the end of our 1000 year 27-day journey. We hope this write-up is somewhat helpful, or at least a little entertaining. If we are indeed ambitious enough to write and post all of these daily blogs, it will surely be as great a miracle as the amount of mud bestowed upon the lovely Kingdom of Bhutan.
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Thanks for reading!