Part 79 - Field notes at Tso Blerang Lake Camp and march to Senguti

1 page

SUMMARY:
At Tso Blerang Lake Camp the diarist surveyed gentians near Changchu La, marking Delphinium viscosum (2096), Lomatogonium deltoideum (2095), and a clump of G. stictantha, but rain prevented photography; a pin-tail snipe was shot at 15,000 feet. The following day involved an 8-mile move to Senguti via Sun La and Churam in heavy rain, noting P. capitata as common and no new gentians on Sun La.

CONTENT:
leptopuccile, but does not agree with anything in the F.B.I.

I saw four 'kuling', but was unable to get a shot at any of them with any chance of success.

20th August. Halt. Tso Blerang Lake Camp. Our last day here. It rained all day, anyhow up towards the Changchu La, where I went in the morning.

I marked there a few Delphinium 2096 (Delphinium viscosum), in an opening in the rhododendron forest, about the same place - just below, beside the river, the little gentian like a Swertia 2095 (Lomatogonium deltoideum). There seemed no need to mark G. otophora.

Dancing gentian 2092, as once over the steep ridge - about 1 mile short of the pass, it is almost everywhere, especially on SE banks. I put up a few stones - to the right of where we first met 2092 - to mark a good clump of G. stictantha (przewalskii). Just as we got up the hill all gentians closed tight, and I had no chance of a photo with any flowers open at all - a great disappointment. Nor did any open all the time I was there. Shot a pin tail snipe at 15000'.

21st August. Senguti (13500?). 8 miles. (To Senguti. Base Camp on May 16). It rained very hard indeed all yesterday evening and night, and has rained all today, hard in the afternoon. Saw no new gentians on the Sun La. From Churam here P. capitata is common. The big Churam gentian like Waltoni.