On the road to Punakha from Thimpu lies the Dochu La Pass, at 3,100m (10,170ft). 108 memorial stupas adorn the pass, arranged in three concentric circles. The vast expanse of the snow-clad mountain peaks of the Himalayas lies to the east, among them the 7,158-metre (23,484-ft) Mt Gangkar Puensam, the highest in Bhutan. Notoriously foggy, best views are to be had by those willing to brave the cold between October and February. Late February into March, the pass rewards visitors with a splendid spectacle of rhododendrons and magnolias scattered on the hillsides.