Part 6 - Byiti Sam to Shamagong Dzong, via Mön La and Mangde Chu crossing

1 page

SUMMARY:
Travel continues through dense forest to a camp at mile 11. On 30 March the party goes 9 miles to Byiti Sam over Mön La, descending into pine forests along the Mangde Chu and collecting Bauhinia and Erythrina flowers; Bhutanese porters are fewer than expected. On 31 March they proceed 8 miles to Shamagong Dzong (~6500'), crossing the Mangde Chu on a bamboo 'Pin' raft after confusion about the bridge and making a cautious detour.

CONTENT:
...steeply down to another valley small river at m 7. From there
ascent is never steep, but is constant, up the river bank, in a
narrow gorge which gets narrower as one goes up. The forest is
dense all the way. Camp in a small clearing at m 11.

30 March Byiti Sam 9 miles. There was a little rain yesterday
evening, but none today, though clouded and close. Bhutanese
should have met us at camp, but only 27 came, one had to
send on for another 22. So kit will not all be in till very
late. The road today was much easier. First up a
steady ascent for 1 mile to the Mön La, then very steeply
down for 3 miles, less steep for a further 2 miles. Here the
valley suddenly opens out and the left bank is a fine forest of
Pinus longifolia. Path continues easily down slight descent
with pine on the left all the way. Beyond the Mangde Chu
also are pines. The only remarkable things today were the
magnificent Bauhinias and Erythrinas, which are very
common about 2-3000'. Took a lot of flowers but not
very interesting.

31st March Shamagong Dzong 8 miles. about 6500'. 5 hours going slow.
We were shooed away from the bridge, without knowing where it
was and went up the right bank to a queer contraption called a
'Pin', consisting of about 20 long bamboos tied together with a
small square platform of 8' on top amidstships. On to this boat
only one of us was allowed at a time, while two men, one
forward and one astern pushed the thing across the Mangde Chu by
two tight male bamboo ropes stretched tight from bank to bank.
A detour was made because it was feared that we might not