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Trek - Day 3


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Trek - Day 3

Yak herder's wife and childMore Photos
Trek - Day 3:

Today’s hiking was laterally (surprise!) for a bit, then downhill to a rushing stream, the Tsaluna Chhu, a tributary of the larger Thimphu Chhu (river). We crossed a small plank bridge and came to a yak pasture. Here we found our mules grazing and all the men tossing javelins at a target! A yak herder’s boy had several hand made javelin sticks and a dart. Karma even tried throwing Sandy’s trekking poles...they stuck in the ground but never reached the target.

Continuing uphill with our hiking, we found it very difficult because the rain had made the rocks slippery and the dirt turn to mud. Just when we thought we could not take another step, we reached the lake Jimilang Tsho and our campsite. Such a beautiful setting...tranquil lake, mountains, valleys. This site is at 12,800 feet (3870 m).

We asked if we could have lunch there in the tent and they were pleased to have us. It was cold and had started to rain. Since we couldn’t finish our lunch, we gave our left over food to the yak herder. On his fire, he was heating whey and he was in the process of making yak cheese...he had also made butter!

As we rested in our tent before “tea time”, we heard a commotion. A yak herder’s family had just arrived and was setting up camp. The commotion was the yaks, grunting and mooing (?) right outside our tent! The family set up their tent quickly (on their basic foundation, which stays there all the time) and the children came to watch US! We were a bit of an oddity.
From journal Bhutan's Druk Path Trek