Showing 3 results

SUMMARY:
The diarist records extensive Primula and Omphalogramma observations around a steep pass, notes multiple slips on a difficult grass slope, and experiences photographic mishaps in wind, mist, and rain. They glissade down avalanche snow, then travel to Langong in heavy rain, buy a young yak, develop photographs, and plan to go to the Lo La on the 10th.

CONTENT:
Omph brachysiphon

must be Omphalogramma brachysiphon 3982. Under 3762 all flowers had five lobes, & here again the first dozen I looked at had five, but some have six. Over the pass we walked right into what must be Primula aff strumosa chionantha 3983, it was in masses, extending for a mile or so under the foot of cliffs & down avalanche shoots. Beyond it we came across P. barbatula 3990, on the cliff faces, very hard to get at. P. tsariensis was everywhere. Then we went down the most slippery & difficult grass slope I have been on and all took many tosses. On it, again in masses was Prim. Elizabethae 3985 or must now, rather reluctantly, say it is the finest primula I know. It extended down 200 yards of very steep slope. As Ludlow said "A truly magnificent primula". We also saw lots of P. Geraldinae 3987, collected before under 3640 + the high altitude P. mosheoidea 3986. An interesting specimen is No 3984, which to my mind must be a natural cross between P. tsariensis (tsariensis x chionantha?), which it most resembles & P. hilaris from which it gets its queer colour. There was little else down to the fir trees, which began about 1000' below the Pass. Left at 5.0 am, back at 3.0 pm. Mist & rain from then on. The coolies' stories of thick snow on the south was all wrong. Barring avalanche snow, there was none.

Photograph
I had a wild catastrophe today. Went out with only a few films in the film pack case behind the spares I had put all ready. Of course I wanted more than I had. The Dufaycolor film pack let me down & I wasted three precious exposures, owing to one film coming adrift in some queer way. Then when I tried to photograph P. Elizabethae in mass, the wind, mist & rain were so bad, I had to give up after half an hour's walking & hoping. The flowers would not keep still & it was hopeless to form trying. We finished the day by glissading down the avalanche snow from the Pass for nearly a mile - a new form of sport to Kusho, who seems to get quite a bit of fun out of these excursions. R. campylocarpum 3994, vernicatum 3991, forrestii 3995, populare 3997, etc. louloula 3992.

11900' 8th June. To Langong. 6 miles. Heavy rain all night. Scenery occluded today. Coolies turned up in good time, and for here about 11.0 am. Things have come on a bit here, but flowers are still very few & far between. Bought a young yak, only a few months old, for Rs. 3/-. Got all my photographs developed this afternoon, & will make preparations for going to the Lo La on the 10th.

SUMMARY:
Route notes describe the march from camp to Lola Pass and a very steep descent, followed by a difficult traverse to a camp on the Chudi Chu with multiple stream crossings. Botanical collections 3634–3643 are listed, including several rhododendrons and primulas with habitat and diagnostic notes.

CONTENT:
20a

Camp to Lola Pass. 2 miles. Continue up R bank for a mile, with a considerable climb over a fir clad ridge, then over boggy open ground. Path then crosses the stream & climbs about 300 ft steeply, gradually easing off & turning more South. The last 300' is fairly steep but the whole route to the Pass is easy.

Descent to camp at m 4. Descent very steep indeed, fairly open for 1/2 mile, then through dense fir & rhodo forest. At m 3 the main stream is crossed to the R bank, & the valley turns South. Follow this down, crossing to L bank at 3 1/2. A poor camp available at m 4.

3634. R. exasperatum. A fine Barbatum Ser. Rhod. Common among R. Thomsonii & Abies. Beautiful rich crimson corolla.

3635. Rhod. lopangense Thomsonii Series. Very common. Seems to have more indumentum on under leaf than R. Thomsonii.

3636. Primula aff. atrodentata. (P. crispa?) This does not appear to be P. atrodentata. It is smaller, a smaller less pronounced eye, colour rather different. Only seen in one place.

3637. Primula vernicosa. Only differs in habitat. First time seen in dense jungle. Smaller flower than usual.

3638. Diapensia yellow. The first time we have seen this yellow one. Common.

3639. Asteropyrum peltatum. Ranunculus sp.

3640. Primula geraldinae sp. nov. Common where found. The mark of this is the farinaceous eye. Only growing on quite inaccessible cliff faces in wet moss. A pretty primula & new to us.

3641. Rhod. sulphureum sp. (small yellow shrub). Fairly common, on cliff faces.

3642. Rhod. forrestii var repens sp. aff repens. Does not appear to be repens, or even serpens. Found to the left (North) of Primula geraldinae 3640.

3643. Rhod. hodgsonii grande.

Camp to Camp on Chudi Chu. 6m. Keep down the L bank through dense rhodo & fir forest. Path very bad indeed, along logs & up & down notched logs, for 2 miles to bridge (1 plank) over main stream to R. bank. Thence path very bad still through dense forest, very steep in places to a very small clearing - room for three tents to camp, where there is a bridge to the L bank again. Path very difficult the whole way. Rough bearing of march 340° M.

SUMMARY:
Account of a snowy crossing of Lo La to a camp east of the pass, with clear morning weather turning to afternoon rain, steep descent, and heavy snow on the south side. Notes describe scarce but emerging rhododendrons and primulas, highlighted by Primula geraldinae on cliffs, several plant collections, and a sighting of monal by Ludlow.

CONTENT:
Lo La, Pachakshiri.

Prim. R. exasperatum 3634, R. lopsangianum 3635, R. sulphureum 3644, R. forrestii var repens 3642, R. hodgsonii 3643.
P. atrodentata 3636, Vernicosa 3637, Geraldinae 3640, Gentiana hexalata 3638.

place, but after going 3 ft. found another two ft. to go, so gave up. And yet it will be in full flower in 60 days. Other flowers are nearly over by then, though covered so deep now with snow. The approx. bearing to our next camp is 150° M.

24th April. Camp E of Lo La. 6 miles. 10500'. Bright clear morning, clouding over by 2.00 pm, some rain about 3-4 pm. Clearing later. Left at 5.30 am, on hard frozen snow, getting up to Pass very easily over snow we could walk on. Reached Pass, 13500', at 6.45 am. Coolies knew the sun would melt the snow & went up almost as quick. Descent on this side, very steep indeed, snow was now getting soft. There is a remarkable amount of snow this side. March tiring through dense fir & rhodo. forest, with deep snow patches till near camp. Rhododendrons coming out, but still scarce. It is grand to be seeing some flowers at last, after such a long pause. The first star turn was probably No 3640 (P. geraldinae), a small but very pretty primula which grows on sheer cliff faces, and at any rate new to us. Some rhodos. too were found. Ludlow saw some monal, which did not appear to be the usual one. But he could not get a shot at one. On the whole a most interesting day, but very tiring. I also saw Prim. Barnardoana, but it is not yet in flower. Many flowers should be out by the time we come back.