8 Days Gangtey/Gogona/Khotokha Trek

Trip Facts:
Tour Code: BATE BHU07
Tour name: 8 days Gangtey/Gogona/Khotokha trek
Entry / Exit: Fly in / Fly out
Grade: Moderate
Max Elevation: 3600m/11808ft
Accommodation: Hotel/Camp
Meal: Full Board in Bhutan, Bed & breakfast in Kathmandu
Transport: Flight & Private vehicle
Tour Days: 08
Total Days: 12

Highlights:

• All major world heritage sites in Kathmandu valley.
• Drugyel Dzong, memorial of late Kings.
• Punakha Dzong.
• Gogona Khokona Trek.

Trip Summary:

This is a beautiful trek and one of the few that offers you the experience of the glacial valleys in Bhutan. It is also the chosen home of rare Black Necked Cranes which migrate here in winter from the Tibetan plateau. Gangtey is one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan and Gangtey Gompa is the only Nyingmapa monastery on the western side of the black mountains. For the naturalist flora and fauna are to be found in abundance in a mountain eco-system whose balance has remained undisturbed by the Bhutanese people's Buddhist way of life. This trek visits the villages of Gogona and Khotokha, passing through meadows, fields, forests of Juniper, magnolia and rhododendrons. This is Bhutan's finest low-level trek, passing majestic snow-capped mountains, protected valleys, and fields of rhododendron, juniper, and bamboo.

Tour begins with warm traditional welcome and quick safety briefing. Next day comprehensive trip briefing will be given and entertain last minutes questions followed by sensational of trans-Himalayan flighty by Druk Air enjoying views of world highest mountains. 

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu: 1300m/4265ft (BB)
Arrival in Kathmandu where you will be met and transferred to Hotel, just walking distance to any styles of good restaurants and shops. Our Representative will give you short briefing on hotel facilities and safety. Tonight we only have a short introduction to the area, just what you need to know before the main briefing tomorrow. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 02: Sightseeing of World Heritage sites (BB)
After breakfast, tour briefing will take place around 9 am and any last minute questions answered. After lunch we explore this medieval capital. We visit Boudhanath, also known as little Tibet. Then we visit Pasupatinath, holy temple of Hindu where cremation takes place by the holy river Bagmati. Later we visit Patan Durbar Square. Evening: welcome dinner hosted by Basanta Adventure. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 03: Fly Kathmandu – Paro (Full Board)
Arrive Paro by Druk Air flight which will offer you great views of Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari, Tsrim gang and Jichu Drake. The moment you step out of the plane you will see the difference. Bhutan welcomes you with cool, clean fresh air. Peace and quietness is just another bonus. Basanta Adventure`s representatives will escort you to Kichu resort. If time prevails visit the National museum & Rinpung Dzong. O/N Kichu resort.

Day 04: Thimpu Sightseeing (Full Board)
Drive to Thimphu is 2 hours and will be a pleasant one mainly due to the luxurious Japanese transportation and well maintained road through out Bhutan. Upon arrival check into Hotel Druk or River view. PM sightseeing - Visit the Memorial chorten built in the memory of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, 15 century Changangkha monastery, Motithang mini zoo to see the rare "Takin" national animal of Bhutan and drive further down with good view of the Thimphu valley. Visit the new Drupthob nunnery temple and free time in the market. O/N Hotel.

Day 05: Paro Sightseeing: 3100m/10168ft (Full Board)
AM visiting the Painting school, National library, Royal goldsmith workshop and Handicraft centers. PM drives 3 hours to Wangduephodrang crossing the Dochula pass 3100meters. On fine weather you will see the eastern Himalayan ranges including the highest mountain in Bhutan Mt.Gangar Punsum 7520 meters. The drive from the pass is all the way downhill dropping to the lower and warmer valleys of lobesa. Visit the Wangduephodrang Dzong from outside and the market area. O/N at Wangdi Kichu Resort.

Day 06: Visit to Gangtey Valley. Hike to Gogona: 3200m/10496ft (Full Board)
AM early drive to the Gangtey Gompa valley at an altitude of 2800 meters. The only Nyingmapa monastery in western Bhutan is located here. This beautiful valley is also home to the rare Black Necked Cranes migrating from the Tibetan plateau to escape the harsh winter. Currently there are 200 to 300 cranes residing in this valley and the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) is taking every measure to ensure the safety of the Cranes. While the cranes reside in the winter valley for 4/5 months the village folks are not allowed to make load noises or fish in the river that runs through the valley. The trekking staff will be waiting for your arrival and start hike to Gogona. A moderate trail winds through meadows and fields then ascends to the Tselela pass. You will be walking through forest of juniper, bamboo, magnolia and rhododendron. The people of Gogona are nomads and have their own dialect. O/N Camp.

Day 07: Gogona to Khotokha: 3100m/10168ft (Full Board)
Gogona to Khotokha. A gentle climb leads to Shobjula pass at 3700 meters with views of the wide open valley. Then descend gradually to camp at 3100 meters. O/N Camp.

Day 08: Khotokha to Chuzomsa via Nizergang: 1400m/4592ft (Full Board)
A short ascends leads to Tashi la at 3300. Be sure to fill your water bottles shortly after crossing the pass as the descend is very dry. Walk down through ever changing vegetation into the drainage of the Dangchu River at 1400 meters. Walking time 6/7 hours. O/N at Wangdi Kichu Resort.

Day 09: Drive to Punakha (Full Board)
AM drive 45 minutes to Punakha and visit the Punakha Dzong which served as an old capital of Bhutan. This remarkable fortress is built between two rivers and has survived many glacial floods and fire. Every year during the month of February a procession known as the Punakha Serda takes place to commemorate the victory over the Tibetans. Proceed to Thimphu. PM drive back to Paro. O/N at Kichu resort.

Day 10: Transfer to airport, fly to Kathmandu (BB)
You will be driven to the airport in time to catch your flight back to Kathmandu. Arrival in Kathmandu where you will be met and transferred to Hotel. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 11: Day at leisure (BB)
This pleasant day you may have full day at leisure and either relax at hotel or explore Kathmandu city, shopping etc. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 12: Holiday extension or transfer to airport for final departure:
Today either you’ll have your holiday extension for another tour or we will transfer you to airport for final departure flight.

General Information on Treks:

Passport Size Photographs: 

Please make sure that you carry enough passport size photographs; some extras would help in case it is needed.

Itinerary: 

The agency reserves the right to amend the itinerary at the last minute without prior notice as per the local conditions.

Health on trek: 

Blistered feet, coughs, colds and minor stomach upsets are the most common troubles on a trek in Nepal. If your feet feel sore, sit down at once and apply a moleskin or fabric Elastoplasts. Do not delay or a blister will form and cripple you for days. We cannot emphasis too strongly the need for comfortable well-fitting training type shoes on low altitude treks and well-broken in boots for those higher altitude treks. Look after your feet!

Sore throats must be guarded against since they are common and can often lead to long-lasting colds and coughs. Ensure that you keep warm especially in the evenings and early mornings.

Stomach troubles do occur while trekking and water is the usual culprit – you need to drink plenty of fluids on your trek. However clean and clear a mountain stream looks assume that all running water is contaminated and is in need of being treated. Bring a supply of purification tablets or iodine crystal solution as an extra precaution if you like. Given sufficient time these will sterilize possibly-contaminated water. To make it more palatable orange-flavored tablets such as Redo on (available from chemists) are a good idea.

For Full Support treks do not on any account drink water that is not boiled for you first by your trek Sherpas. Upon request, water will be boiled in the evenings for use in your water bottles the following day.

Fitness: 

Prior to embarking on a trek it is best to have a medical check-up especially if you are in any doubt about your health. Certain chronic heart and respiratory complaints may be aggravated by physical exertion at high altitudes so inform your doctor of your intentions and the altitude to be reached.

Mountain or Altitude Sickness: 

Mountain or Altitude sickness normally manifests itself at altitudes in excess of 11,000ft and respects no one. A young fit sportsman may suffer when the other older less fit members of the party do not. Every year we arrange treks for many people well into their 60s and 70s and they experience no discomfort; in fact they are probably less susceptible for they tend not to race around the routes as the younger generation do and are more willing to admit they feel unwell. The golden rule is doing go too high too fast. Take things at a leisurely pace in the mountains for trekking is not a forced route march and with this basic rule adhered to, altitude sickness should not be a problem. Above 3000m, the daily net elevation gain should be no more than 500m. Drink plenty of fluids at altitude as the air is extremely dry – the rule of thumb is that unless your pee is clear, you are not drinking enough. Symptoms of Mountain sickness include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, loss of appetite, shortness of breath and swelling of the hands and feet. One or two of these shouldn't be cause for panic but they are a sign that your body hasn’t yet adjusted to the elevation. You shouldn’t ascend further until you start feeling better or if you do keep going, be prepared to make a hasty retreat if the conditions get worse. Serious symptoms (persistent vomiting, delirium, loss of co-ordination, bubbly breathing and bloody sputum, rapid heart rate or breathlessness, blueness of face and lips) can develop within hours and, if ignored, can result in death. The only effective cure for Mountain Sickness is descent. Anyone showing serious signs of the illness should be taken downhill immediately, regardless of the time of day or night, preferably by porter or pack animal. Recovery is usually dramatic, often after a descent of only a few hundred vertical meters. Barraged by medical advice and horror stories, trekkers all too often develop altitude paranoia. The fact is that just about everyone who treks over 4000m experiences some mild symptoms of mountain sickness but serious cases are very rare and the simple cure, descent, almost always brings immediate recovery. In addition to being physically fit, trekkers should also be prepared to adopt a mental flexibility during the trip. Nepal is a beautiful country with delightful people but a developing country nevertheless and world apart from home. One must adapt accordingly when traveling through a region where there will be different cultures, customs and values.

Do not forget - the common effects of altitude such as:

• You may feel breathlessness on exertion; some headache is treatable by aspirin.
• May be some difficulty sleeping and a little loss of appetite. 
• You might also wake up suddenly at night trying to catch your breath. Do not panic! Your metabolism has simply slowed down.
• You may also experience an exaggerated thumping headache, which will not go away, breathless even at rest, extreme nausea. 
• The lack of oxygen in the system will first affect either the brain (HACE - Height Altitude Cerebral Edema) causing loss of physical and mental coordination OR the lungs (HAPE - Height Altitude Pulmonary Edema), coughing up persistent sputum or both.
• Do not drink any alcohol on the outward trek. It seriously impairs the ability to acclimatize, and confuses the symptoms of AMS.

Other health considerations on the mountain: 

Understandably, much emphasis is placed on the prevention of Altitude Sickness but frostbite and hypothermia also pose a threat to trekkers, especially those trekking above 3000m.

The symptoms of hypothermia are similar to those of Mountain Sickness – slurred speech, fatigue, irrational behavior and loss of co-ordination. Low body temperature is the surest sign. Heat is the treatment. Put the victim in a good sleeping bag, preferably with another person for body heat, and ply with warm food and drink.

Frostbite appears initially as small white patches on exposed skin, caused by local freezing. The skin will feel cold & numb. To treat, apply with warmth. Avoid a second dose of frostbite as this can lead to permanent damage.

The following medication has been found to be helpful:

Diamox the common name for Acetazolamide originally developed as a diuretic, but pragmatically found to aid acclimatization available in Kathmandu pharmacies. Some people feel it is ‘cheating’, but as trekking at altitude is not a competition and you are here to enjoy it to altitude, not just mask the symptoms. It will make you pee more as intended, and possibly give you a tingly feeling in your fingers, but is understood to have no more serious side effects. Taking it is entirely down to personal choice, but if you do decide to use it as a preventative we have found that a half a 250 mg tablet works just as well as a whole one and minimizes the side effects, each morning and evening, from the night before the trek through to the start of the descent from the highest point. 

Getting into shape: 

For all but the most strenuous routes, walking is the best training for trekking. Do as much as you can in the weeks prior to your trek. If you are a regular hill walker or rambler you can cope with almost any trek in the Nepal Himalayas. Trekking is not a tough, masochistic exercise, but a slightly strenuous walk through some of the world’s most magnificent mountain scenery. If you are reasonably fit and healthy you will enjoy it all the more. However, for long treks at high altitude you cannot be fit enough and we advise a serious training programme. 

High altitude treks are quite safe provided that you are physically fit and prepared for walking. Treks follow trails through the mountains and merely require walking not climbing. Going too fast is a certain recipe for trouble and this is why our expert Sherpa sirdar gauges the pace of the trek according to the physical abilities of each individual.

Oxygen Cylinder: 

We provide reserve oxygen cylinder in our private tours. There will be minimum charges for using it. 

Tipping: 

It is customary to give US$75 each to Guide and Driver per week. It is not compulsory to tip, only if you believe staff have done remarkably good job putting extra effort to make your trip enjoyable. 

NOTE: I suggest you to buy few prayer flags and Khadas (scarf) from Kathmandu to offer to your guide and driver upon arrival.

Personal Equipment checklist:

Footwear: 

Trekking or running shoes 
Camp shoes or slipper 
Socks – polypropylene 

Clothing:

Down or Fiber- filled jacket 
Jumper/ Pile jacket 
Hiking shorts for man and woman 
Waterproof jacket, Umbrella 
Hiking pants 
T-shirts or Blouses 

Other Equipment:

Rucksack 
Sleeping bag 
Water Bottle 
Torch (Flash light) Batteries & bulb  

Miscellaneous Items:

Toilet articles 
Toilet paper and wet tissue (Optional) 
Cigarette lighter if you are smoking (Have to pay 200% tax)
Sun block/lip guard 
Small Knife 
Towel
Laundry soap (Optional) 
Medical & first aid kit 
Sewing kit (Optional) 

Photography:

Camera & lenses 
Lens cleaning equipments 
Film (15 rolls) it depends if your photographer better carry more 

Above 4000 meters treks: 

Foot Wear:

Mountain trekking boots 
Socks, Wool, to wear with boots 
Socks, light cotton, for under wool socks 

Optional equipments:

Global positioning system 
An altimeter  

Miscellaneous items:

Book for reading while waiting for planes or at the camp
Duffel bag with a pad lock, some stuff sacks and lot of plastic bags 
A small duffel bag or suitcase to leave your city clothes 
Sunglasses or Goggles 
Sun block/lip guard