Chele La

Chele La is the highest pass in Bhutan you can drive to — roughly 3,988 metres — and it is the only road link between the Paro and Haa valleys. The climb from Paro is about an hour and a half through blue pine and then hemlock and fir, and the pass itself is a bare ridge hung with prayer flags.

What it is like

The view is the reason to go, and it is not reliable. On a clear morning Jomolhari (7,326 m) stands up to the north-west and both valleys are visible at once. Much of the time — and this is just as good in its own way — the pass is inside the cloud, with flags coming out of the mist and the flagstone ridge path disappearing after twenty metres.

Two short walks start here: the ridge path north along the crest, and the longer descent to the Kila Nunnery, which clings to the cliff below the pass on the Paro side.

Practical

Dress for it: at nearly 4,000 metres, with wind, it is far colder than either valley below, and the temperature drop from Paro is the single thing most visitors underestimate. Go early — cloud generally builds through the morning. The pass is usually open all year, but snow can close it briefly in winter.

Most people cross Chele La as part of a day trip or an overnight to Haa, where the Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo are the fixed points.