Bumthang–Mongar · Bhutan
Thrumshing La Road
NH1Ura to Mongar
The Lateral Road over Thrumshing La, at 3,780 m the second-highest pass in Bhutan, falling more than 3,000 m down a wall of cliff-hugging switchbacks from alpine forest into subtropical valleys.
East of Ura the road winds up through fir and rhododendron to the prayer-flagged saddle of Thrumshing La at 3,780 m, the gateway between central and eastern Bhutan. The eastern descent is the drama: a relentless, narrow, guardrail-free shelf carved into near-vertical cliffs, looping down through Sengor and past the Namling waterfall, transitioning from cloud forest to warm, orange-growing valleys before reaching Mongar. It is one of the most sustained and exposed mountain descents on the Bhutanese Lateral Road.
Scenery
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Thrumshing La Road on the map91.8 mi · point to point
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Character
More hairpins than 9 in 10 roads in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 24Elevation
approximateunder 4%4–8%over 8%560 – 3,749.1 mPoints of interest2 stops
- Thrumshing LaViewpoint21 mi in
- Mongar ChortenLandmark84 mi in
Hazards
- Narrow carriageway with sheer unguarded drops
- Rockfall and landslides, especially in the monsoon
- Road may close in winter due to snow and ice at the pass
- Acute altitude effects possible near the 3,780 m summit
- Fog and low cloud reduce visibility on the descent
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“travelers descend the pass southward along the Lateral Road from elevations of nearly 3,800 metres to just 650 metres, transitioning from alpine forests into semi-tropical orange producing valleys”
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