Thrumshing La
Encyclopedia
Thrumshing La, also called Thrumshingla Pass" (Dzongkha: ཁྲུམས་ཤིང་ལ་; Wylie
: khrums-shing la; "Thrumshing Pass"), is the second-highest mountain pass
in Bhutan, connecting its central and eastern regions across the otherwise impregnable Donga range that has separated populations for centuries. It is located on a bend of the Lateral Road
at the border of Bumthang District
(Ura Gewog
, leaving Ura southbound) and Mongar District
(Saling Gewog, toward Sengor), along the border with Lhuntse District to the east. The Lateral Road bisects Thrumshingla National Park
, named after the pass. The World Wildlife Fund also maintains operations in the park.
. During road closures, commercial and public vehicles are prohibited from attempting Thrumshing La, however private vehicles may proceed at their own risk. Blockages at this high altitude must be cleared cleared by both heavy equipment and manual labor. At times, clearing crews have considerable difficulty even reaching the pass.
Along the pass, there are many sheer drops of thousands of feet at the roadside. The terrain at the pass is barren and icy. At the highest point, travelers leave prayer flags in thanks for safe arrival to the pass. In a matter of hours, eastbound travelers descend the pass southward along the Lateral Road from elevations of nearly 3800 metres (12,467.2 ft) to just 650 metres (2,132.5 ft), transitioning from alpine forests into semi-tropical orange producing valleys.
Because of the many nearby hazards and frequently dangerous conditions at Thrumshing La itself, the Government of Bhutan has approved and begun constructing a bypass to the Lateral Road as part of its Tenth Five Year Plan
. The bypass will cut travel time, distance, and danger by avoiding Thrumshing La. The new route is expected to shorten travel time between Shingkhar village (Ura Gewog
, Bumthang
) and Gorgan (Menbi Gewog
, Lhuntse) by 100km and 3 hours. The new road construction met with fierce opposition by environmentalists; the government has chosen to proceed with construction nonetheless.
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: khrums-shing la; "Thrumshing Pass"), is the second-highest mountain pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in Bhutan, connecting its central and eastern regions across the otherwise impregnable Donga range that has separated populations for centuries. It is located on a bend of the Lateral Road
Lateral Road
Bhutan's Lateral Road is its primary east-west corridor, connecting Phuentsholing in the southwest to Trashigang in the east. In between, the Lateral Road runs directly through Wangdue Phodrang, Trongsa, and other population centers...
at the border of Bumthang District
Bumthang District
Bumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag comprising Bhutan. It is the most historic dzongkhag if the number of ancient temples and sacred sites is counted...
(Ura Gewog
Ura Gewog
-References:...
, leaving Ura southbound) and Mongar District
Mongar District
Mongar District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce...
(Saling Gewog, toward Sengor), along the border with Lhuntse District to the east. The Lateral Road bisects Thrumshingla National Park
Thrumshingla National Park
Thrumshingla National Park in central Bhutan covers just over across four districts, but primarily in Mongar. It is bisected by the Lateral Road, and contains the Thrumshing La pass.-Flora and fauna:...
, named after the pass. The World Wildlife Fund also maintains operations in the park.
Closures and hazards
The pass is often closed during winter due to heavy snowfall, shutting off land communication along the Lateral RoadLateral Road
Bhutan's Lateral Road is its primary east-west corridor, connecting Phuentsholing in the southwest to Trashigang in the east. In between, the Lateral Road runs directly through Wangdue Phodrang, Trongsa, and other population centers...
. During road closures, commercial and public vehicles are prohibited from attempting Thrumshing La, however private vehicles may proceed at their own risk. Blockages at this high altitude must be cleared cleared by both heavy equipment and manual labor. At times, clearing crews have considerable difficulty even reaching the pass.
Along the pass, there are many sheer drops of thousands of feet at the roadside. The terrain at the pass is barren and icy. At the highest point, travelers leave prayer flags in thanks for safe arrival to the pass. In a matter of hours, eastbound travelers descend the pass southward along the Lateral Road from elevations of nearly 3800 metres (12,467.2 ft) to just 650 metres (2,132.5 ft), transitioning from alpine forests into semi-tropical orange producing valleys.
Because of the many nearby hazards and frequently dangerous conditions at Thrumshing La itself, the Government of Bhutan has approved and begun constructing a bypass to the Lateral Road as part of its Tenth Five Year Plan
Five-Year Plans of Bhutan
The Five Year Plans of Bhutan are a series of national economic development plans created by the government of Bhutan since 1961.The government of Bhutan has played a pervasive role in its economy and development...
. The bypass will cut travel time, distance, and danger by avoiding Thrumshing La. The new route is expected to shorten travel time between Shingkhar village (Ura Gewog
Ura Gewog
-References:...
, Bumthang
Bumthang District
Bumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag comprising Bhutan. It is the most historic dzongkhag if the number of ancient temples and sacred sites is counted...
) and Gorgan (Menbi Gewog
Menbi Gewog
Menbi Gewog is a gewog of Lhuntse District, Bhutan....
, Lhuntse) by 100km and 3 hours. The new road construction met with fierce opposition by environmentalists; the government has chosen to proceed with construction nonetheless.
See also
- Bumthang DistrictBumthang DistrictBumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag comprising Bhutan. It is the most historic dzongkhag if the number of ancient temples and sacred sites is counted...
- Lateral RoadLateral RoadBhutan's Lateral Road is its primary east-west corridor, connecting Phuentsholing in the southwest to Trashigang in the east. In between, the Lateral Road runs directly through Wangdue Phodrang, Trongsa, and other population centers...
- Mongar DistrictMongar DistrictMongar District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce...
- Thrumshingla National ParkThrumshingla National ParkThrumshingla National Park in central Bhutan covers just over across four districts, but primarily in Mongar. It is bisected by the Lateral Road, and contains the Thrumshing La pass.-Flora and fauna:...