Part 137 - 9th–10th May: Halt days near camp with botanical collecting and crossoptilon hunting

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SUMMARY:
Notes describe a valley with contrasting north and south faces, a bout of fever for Gulia, and halts on 9th and 10th May to explore and collect plants. Finds include rhododendrons, abundant P. bellidifolia (not yet out), and P. roylei and macrophylla in bloom near a terminal moraine; each member shot one crossoptilon.

CONTENT:
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seeing. We chased crossoptilon, but with no luck. Gulia has fever on head: it may only be the snow thrush, I hope so. The valley here has a very marked N & S face. The South face appears quite bare, though there are small plants growing on it. The North face is densely covered with fine fir trees, up to about 13000 or 13500, then even more densely covered with rhododendron. Here there are some larches too.

9th May. Halt. We spread out in all directions to see what we could find. I had hoped for more, but I suppose we are still a bit early. One very nice rhododendron was found in the fir forest (1564) - the dwarf 2 ft bush 1565, which looks much like a pink lapponicum of kinds. Many of these have pure white flowers, the majority being a pale pink. Ludlow found a little more P. bellidifolia, P. 1562 is everywhere. We each shot one crossoptilon.

10th May. Halt. Went up the nala immediately north of camp to about 15000 ft. There is not much to be seen yet, though it is a good place. P. bellidifolia is everywhere, but not yet out. Both P. Roylei & macrophylla 1561 were in bloom at the terminal moraine at the head of the valley. A little