Showing 3 results

SUMMARY:
The writer describes a steep route over open hillsides to the Dza La, then a very steep descent toward the Tsokar, noting firs, a hut, and a glacier by the lakes. A small white Meconopsis was found; during a halt above the Nga La, additional Primula observations were made, and Ludlow brought in a specimen.

CONTENT:
then a steep ascent again over open hillside to the Pangha at m 5 1/2. Here again there is a drop, this time steeply for about 300 ft, then ascent gradual through rhododendrons to open stony valley reached at m 6 1/2. Thence more or less E to the Dza La at m 8. The last mile is steep over stony hillside. Descent of E side very steep at first. The Tsokar consist of 2 small lakes about 2 1/2 m behind the Dza La and 2000 ft below. Beside the lakes are fir trees and a hut. A glacier falls very steeply into one lake. Found today a little white Meconopsis (Mec. argemonantha) 2531 which does not seem to answer to M. lyrata or primulina, though near the latter. Otherwise nothing much of interest. P. Valentiniana is very common on the right of the path going to the Dza La.

1st September. Halt. Camp above Nga La. A lovely day, with mist coming up in the evening and some thunder then. Afterward cleared up and was very pretty. Went up the steep valley directly behind camp, and came across one new, but uninteresting primula (P. hookeri) 2535. There were also P. Valentiniana, P. Jonardunii, P. nivalis sp., P. 1621 (Tsariensis), P. Cawdoriana, and a very small one, none in flower. Ludlow brought in one 2536 (Caveana) which seems to be an Obtusifolia primula, also no flowers.

SUMMARY:
The diarist reports from Singo Samba and then Trashidzong/Tsari Sama, noting misty and rainy weather, limited finds of rhododendrons and primulas, and heavy grazing by yaks that destroyed desired Meconopsis and Primula stands. Plans are made to leave kit with one man and proceed lightly with eight coolies around Tsari Sama, while noting Ludlow and Taylor’s move from Kyimdong toward the Bimbi La to target several Meconopsis species; the pilgrim season at Sacha Peso appears over.

CONTENT:
cut for himself a pair of soles for his boots. He then went off & pulled half a yak's tail out to make thread to stitch on his soles.

9th October. Singo Samba. Fine, but some rain last night, thick mist till 8.00am this morning. Found little today: two rhododendrons & a good collection of Ludlow's primula which is down as close to P. ioessa (3789). It is not ioessa, will be interesting if the seed come up well. Crossed the ridge, recamped on the L. bank, leaving rather a long march for tomorrow up to Trashidzong.

10th October. Trashidzong, Tsari Sama. Fine, but becoming more clouded all day, till rain fell in the evening about 5.0pm. Clouds very low, looks bad for tomorrow. The seeds I wanted most today are not to be found. When last here, there was a wonderful show of P. sikkimensis of all colours growing together, some most beautiful: also a very fine red P. alpicola. But all have been eaten by yaks, or dried up - not find a single stem - very disappointing. A small rhododendron here, taken on the Chumbumbu La, is so ripe that all capsules are fully open, the seed falls out almost too easily. It is nice to find some rhodos. like that. As yaks cannot go round Tsari Sama, I am leaving one man here to look after kit to be left, & will only take on 8 coolies lightly loaded, with our beddings, rations for three days, camp table, bed & chair - no tents.

A great pity the weather has broken, as we should do well here, but a fine day would help a great deal. Ludlow & Taylor should have left Kyimdong by now, for their way to the Bimbi La. I hope they have a fine day for their halt & collecting there, as there is a good deal to be done there. Taylor very anxious to see & get seed of Meconopsis argemonantha. If he does so, & gets M. bella & M. sherriffii, we should have seen 16 different Meconopsis this trip. M. nepalensis, M. simplicifolia, M. betonicifolia, M. horridula, M. hor. var lutea, M. integrifolia, M. lyrata, M. florindae, M. impedita, M. speciosa, Ward's ivory poppy (M. harleyana), M. bella, M. sherriffii, M. argemonantha, M. paniculata & one other which I can't think of. Taylor has also been very near M. torquata, M. discigera & M. superba, but unfortunately we none of us saw them. The yak herds have left this place, I think only a short time ago, & the lamas have also left the small gompa here, so presumably the pilgrim season is over, & we will have Sacha Peso to ourselves again.

SUMMARY:
Heavy rain at Tum La hampers collecting; most Primula are over, though a yellow-flowered Meconopsis is noted. On 9–10 July the party faces flooding on the Nagü Chu, Kusho warns the coolies, threats are reported from local Lopas about going to Nagü, and the plan shifts to bypass Shoka La and proceed to Lando.

CONTENT:
Tum La
Mola - Milung - Nagu Trip no more successful than Langong Trip

Primula etc. P. calliantha are all over. (5785). It is a nivalis primula & I think has yellow flowers. Omphalogramma elwesiana? 5786 is also common, flowers just about over, & P. valentiniana is also about over. The nivalis p. is the only new one, & I was awfully sorry not to be able to find even one plant with a flower on it. The one bright spot was a Meconopsis lyrata or horridula? 5790, which reminds me much of M. argemonantha, but it has yellow flowers, and not white ones. We left enough for seed, if we can again find the place, which will be difficult as we could recognize nothing to mark it by today, in the mist. It is a nice little thing, & should do well enough at home, judging by the altitude. This Tum La must surely be the lowest Pass in the Himalayas, only 12250 ft. I had thought of trying somewhere else after today, but will go south towards the Lopa village tomorrow, & look for low altitude flowers. We saw one of monal today & some snipe - no other game. Out at 5.00 am, back at 4.00 pm.

9th July. Halt. Tum La. Rained all night, & very hard all today. We are going to have some difficulty getting back to Nagü I think. Kusho went off today to warn the coolies to come early tomorrow, & he was twice nearly up to his waist in water. And some of the coolies say the loads will get wet, which must mean they expect about 3 ft of water somewhere. Some Lopas yesterday, going down to Nagü told my people that they did not want me to go down there & that if I did, they would shoot us with arrows - a nice cheerful welcome. However we went up again to the Tum La this morning & down the other side for a couple of miles. But it would be necessary to go much further to be of any use so I returned. Up to then we saw nothing. The path is very narrow, in dense forest of abies & rhododendron & we could not get off it. So I returned & went up the main Nagü Chu as far as we could conveniently. The whole valley is full of water & we were in 6" to 1 ft the whole time. The river does not seem able to carry it away fast enough. This little trip is now over, & it has not been any more successful than Langong really. As the Shoka La is said to be as low as the Tum La, I will miss it out & go on direct to Lando & hope for better things there. It will be nice again to get to a drier zone, though I hardly expect the Tsangpo valley below this is really dry. Primula alpicola 5801 - often blue.

10th July. To Camp in Nagü Chu, same as on 5th July. 12 1/2 miles. Rain all night & all today, but not very heavily. The path was worse than when going up, but luckily there are logs over the worst places,