Part 11 - 6 July: Camp north side of Drechung La; route description and species notes

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SUMMARY:
Notes compare Bimbi La plants with pinker flowers, report a good haul of Parnassius butterflies despite rain, and mention sightings of Babax waddelli and blackbirds. On 6 July at a camp on the north side of Drechung La (15000'), the route is described from the valley over a bridge, up a steep rhododendron-covered ascent to open hillside and along rocky slopes past yakherds; P. cawdoriana (specimen 2305) is common and fully out.

CONTENT:
the Bimbi La ones I am sure, in that the leaves have longer petioles and are much rounder and are cut up more. The flower is not so lilac, but pinker. Yesterday we got a good haul of Parnassius, but rain spoilt things today, rose only for 6. Some of these Laha ones should be good. I do not remember seeing the smaller one before. There were lots of Babax waddelli about at 14500 or so, some blackbirds too. Saw no other birds of any interest.

6th July. Camp N. side of Drechung La. 15000'. 8m. We had to go down the valley for a couple of miles - to the last house on the path, then turned south over the main stream by a bridge. Thence for five miles the ascent is very steep indeed, nearly all the way through thick rhododendron jungle. Then the open hillside is reached, and the path ascends for another mile. Thence slightly downhill, along steep rocky hillside, past a summer encampment of yakherds, round a spur to the second stream. Beyond this there is no wood available. Camping ground is not good; very little level space available.

Up here P. cawdoriana 2305 is common and is fully out, a beautiful little thing, with a big flower. There is any amount