The Snowman Trek
Twenty-six days across northern Bhutan at altitude. Fewer than half the people who attempt it finish.
Why we created this journey
Every journey we design starts with a question rather than an itinerary. What is the one thing about this part of Bhutan that someone should understand before they leave? The places and the days follow from that question, not the other way around.
We do not build journeys by stringing together famous sights. We build them by thinking about who the traveller is, what they will notice, and what they will carry home with them. That takes longer. We think it is worth it.
Moments you may remember
- Watching first light reach the valley before anyone else is awake
- A conversation that runs longer than the meal
- An afternoon with nowhere particular to be
- The sound of a river you did not know you needed to hear
- A handwritten postcard arriving after you have returned home
This journey may suit you if
- You prefer a few places experienced well over many places ticked off
- You are more interested in how people live than in how many temples you visit
- You value time and space in your travels
- You do not want to change hotels every night
- You are comfortable at a slower pace and find that pace more rewarding
Price on application. The Snowman Trek requires significant logistical preparation, a dedicated expedition crew, and advance booking of six months or more. Contact us to begin the planning conversation.
Highlights of this journey
- Lunana district at 4,300 metres — communities with no road access, yak herders in permanent settlements surrounded by peaks above 7,000 metres
- Eleven mountain passes above 4,500 metres, including the Gangkhar Puensum approach at 5,200 metres
- Gangkhar Puensum — the highest unclimbed mountain on earth at 7,570 metres, visible from multiple points on the route
- Laya village at 3,820 metres: the most remote permanent community accessible on foot in Bhutan, with a distinctive culture and dress that differs markedly from the western valleys
- The Lunana Snowman Pass at 5,320 metres — the highest point on the route
- A complete traverse of northern Bhutan at altitude, from Paro to Bumthang, through terrain that has no parallel elsewhere
Sample itineraries
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Day 1 Paro. Expedition briefing and final preparation.
Arrive in Paro. Full expedition briefing with the head guide: route conditions, weather patterns, acclimatisation protocol, evacuation procedures. Final gear check. The preparation conversation you have been having for six months becomes concrete today. Dinner at the hotel.
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Day 2 Trek Day 1. Drukgyel Dzong to Shana. (5–6 hours, 2,870m)
Begin at the ruined fortress at the far end of the Paro valley. Follow the Paro Chhu north into the Jomolhari Wildlife Sanctuary. Camp at Shana.
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Day 3 Trek Day 2. Shana to Thangthangkha. (6–7 hours, 3,610m)
The valley narrows. The river carries the sound. Blue sheep on the upper slopes. First views of the Jomolhari range.
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Day 4 Trek Day 3. Thangthangkha to Jangothang. (5–6 hours, 4,080m)
Open yak pasture. Jomolhari reveals itself. Base camp below the ruined dzong. The mountain fills the northern horizon.
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Day 5 Rest day at Jangothang. Acclimatisation above camp.
Acclimatisation day at base camp. Day-walk above camp to 4,500 metres — blue sheep likely on the upper slopes. The mountain at close range. Rest and altitude adjustment before the serious passes begin.
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Day 6 Trek Day 4. Jangothang to Lingshi via Nyile La. (7–8 hours, pass 4,870m)
First major pass. Climb the Nyile La at 4,870 metres with Jomolhari behind and Jichu Drake ahead. Long descent to Lingshi Dzong at 4,010 metres.
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Day 7 Trek Day 5. Lingshi to Chebisa. (5–6 hours, 3,880m)
Through the Lingshi valley. Yak herder camps. One of the highest permanent communities in Bhutan. Chebisa with its waterfall.
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Day 8 Trek Day 6. Chebisa to Shomuthang via Gombu La. (6–7 hours, pass 4,400m)
The Gombu La at 4,400 metres. The descent into Shomuthang through rhododendron scrub at altitude. The landscape is beginning to feel remote in a way that Jangothang was not.
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Day 9 Trek Day 7. Shomuthang to Robluthang via Jhari La. (6–7 hours, pass 4,700m)
The Jhari La at 4,700 metres. The passes are coming regularly now. This is the northern traverse beginning in earnest.
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Day 10 Trek Day 8. Robluthang to Limithang via Tsomo La. (6–7 hours, pass 4,890m)
The Tsomo La at 4,890 metres. This is the threshold of Gasa district and the terrain opens into wide, high alpine valley. The scale is beginning to register differently.
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Day 11 Trek Day 9. Limithang to Laya. (4–5 hours, 3,820m)
Descend to Laya — the most remote permanent community in Bhutan accessible on foot. The women of Laya wear a distinctive conical bamboo hat found nowhere else in the country. The village has been there for centuries and it shows.
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Day 12 Rest day at Laya.
A day in Laya. Walk through the village. Watch how the place runs without a road. The yaks are everywhere and the families know every one of them by name. The head guide has relationships here from previous treks and can arrange conversations that would not happen otherwise.
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Day 13 Trek Day 10. Laya to Rodophu. (5–6 hours, 4,160m)
Begin the long ascent toward Lunana. The terrain above Laya is bleaker and more open than anything on the route so far. The passes ahead are higher.
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Day 14 Trek Day 11. Rodophu to Narithang via Karakachu La. (7–8 hours, pass 5,050m)
The first pass above 5,000 metres. The Karakachu La at 5,050 metres. At this altitude the air is thin enough that simple tasks take twice as long. Cross carefully and descend to Narithang.
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Day 15 Trek Day 12. Narithang to Tarina via Jejekangphu La. (7–8 hours, pass 5,200m)
The highest point of the trek. The Jejekangphu La at 5,200 metres is crossed in the morning when the weather is most stable. Gangkhar Puensum — 7,570 metres, the highest unclimbed mountain on earth — is visible from the approach. The descent to Tarina is long.
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Day 16 Trek Day 13. Tarina to Woche. (5–6 hours, 3,950m)
Enter Lunana district. The first permanent settlement since Laya. Woche at 3,950 metres has no road; the nearest vehicle is at least three days' walk south.
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Day 17 Trek Day 14. Woche to Lhedi. (5–6 hours, 3,930m)
Through the heart of Lunana. The settlements here are small and permanent and connected to the outside world only by trail and occasional helicopter. The residents are yak herders and farmers. The peaks above the valley exceed 7,000 metres on three sides.
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Day 18 Trek Day 15. Lhedi to Thanza. (4–5 hours, 4,090m)
The largest settlement in Lunana. Thanza at 4,090 metres has a small school and a health post. These exist because Bhutan decided that its most remote communities deserved the same institutions as its capital, regardless of the cost of delivery.
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Day 19 Rest day at Thanza.
A day in the most remote district of Bhutan. Walk above the settlement to the glacier overlook. Watch the yak herders move their animals between pastures. The scale of the surrounding peaks does not diminish on repeated viewing.
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Day 20 Trek Day 16. Thanza to Danji via Tshochenchen Lake. (5–6 hours, 4,240m)
Begin the traverse out of Lunana. The Tshochenchen lake at 4,240 metres sits in a high basin with Gangkhar Puensum visible to the east. The landscape here is entirely above the tree line.
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Day 21 Trek Day 17. Danji to Chukarpo via Ludrung La. (7–8 hours, pass 5,050m)
Another pass above 5,000 metres. The Ludrung La at 5,050 metres. The descent toward Bumthang begins from here — the route is heading south and the vegetation is beginning to return.
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Day 22 Trek Day 18. Chukarpo to Thampe Tsho. (5–6 hours, 4,100m)
A high glacial lake at 4,100 metres. The first rhododendron scrub since Laya is visible in the hollows below. The body is beginning to remember what trees look like.
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Day 23 Trek Day 19. Thampe Tsho to Jichu Dramo via Thampe La. (7–8 hours, pass 5,320m)
The Thampe La — the Lunana Snowman Pass — at 5,320 metres. The highest pass on the route. Cross in the morning. The descent back into the forest zone is one of the most dramatic transitions on the whole trek.
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Day 24 Trek Day 20. Jichu Dramo to Chhume. (5–6 hours, 2,870m)
Descend through dense forest back into the Bumthang district. The air thickens. The sound of birds returns. Chhume at 2,870 metres — the first proper village since Lunana.
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Day 25 Trek Day 21. Chhume to Dur. (4–5 hours, 2,600m)
The final day on foot. Descend to Dur village and the road. Our vehicle is waiting. Drive to the hotel in Bumthang — a proper bed, a hot shower, food that was cooked in a kitchen. Twenty-five days since Paro.
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Day 26 Bumthang. Rest day and debrief.
A full day in Bumthang to rest before the return journey to Paro. Breakfast as late as you want. The trekking guide will join you for dinner — a proper debrief of what you did, what the mountain was, and what comes next if you want it to.
What is included
All accommodation (expedition camping — specialist high-altitude tents, -15°C sleeping systems)
Private vehicle transfers at start and end of trek
Head guide with multiple full Snowman completions
Full expedition crew (assistant guides, cook, kitchen team, horse handlers)
All meals on trek (four meals per day at altitude — breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner)
All expedition equipment (tents, sleeping systems, dining tent, kitchen, medical kit)
All permits, trekking permits, and Lunana restricted-area permits
Helicopter evacuation contingency planning and coordination
Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
Pre-departure route briefing and preparation consultation
What is not included
International flights to Paro
Visa fee (USD 40)
Travel insurance (high-altitude evacuation coverage to 6,000m mandatory — we require proof of cover before departure)
Personal expedition equipment (technical layers, high-altitude boots, poles, altitude medication — detailed list provided at booking)
Helicopter evacuation costs if required (covered by travel insurance)
Personal expenses and tipping
From this journey
What your journey gives back.
Bhutan is a carbon negative kingdom, where more than 70 percent of the land is covered in forests and the rivers remain clean and alive. The Sustainable Development Fee supports free healthcare, free education, and the protection of this extraordinary place.
This is not a tax. It is a shared commitment to preserve Bhutan for every generation that follows.
By visiting, you are not a tourist. You are a co-guardian of this kingdom.
Ready when you are.
Tell us roughly when you would like to come and how many you are. Our team in Thimphu will reply personally within 24 hours.
Plan this journey with our team