Part 87 - Diary entry, 28 July: reconnaissance around Nyang Sang La–Tse La and decision to move toward Nyuri/Lujuthang

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SUMMARY:
The writer lists several plant specimens and reports poor botanical results around the Nyang Sang La–Tse La ridge, with Ludlow’s northern reconnaissance similarly unproductive. They decide to move toward a snow mountain west of Nyuri or to Lujuthang, having slaughtered a yak and now needing extra yaks to carry the meat, and note high surrounding peaks and relatively dry conditions.

CONTENT:
Lap - 28th July.
Mec. lancifolia var. concinna 728
Aconitum fletcherianum 729
Mec. glabra 734
Gentiana tubiflora 735
Pedicularis trichoglossa 736
Potentilla eriocarpa 737

In July and first half August, there should, one would be flowers all over the place. Flowers there are, but more of the Tibetan type than we want. The Nyang Sang La - Tse La range seems to form more of a barrier than we had expected. It was this ridge which we had expected would make the area so particularly good. Anyway we are wrong. I was out all yesterday, going over the ridge, and a little down the Lohpa side, but there was nothing of any interest at all. Ludlow went up to the North, with the same result. There are Tibetan potentillas, and even some grammopetala, a sure sign that we are in the wrong area. One morning we had a clear hour or two, and saw a snow mountain away to the West of Nyuri, and to there we have now decided to go. It is either there or to Lujuthang, and of the two that seems the more hopeful. We bought a yak up here for Rs 18/- and halaled it yesterday, thinking we should be here for a while. Now we need two extra yaks to carry its meat back with us!

Decided lap 6/7

This valley is rather a queer place. At its head are peaks of over 20,000', up to 23,000 odd. I saw some of them yesterday. But they seem not to get a great deal of rain. Yesterday evening we saw an extraordinary sight. The weather in the valley had