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SUMMARY:
Notes on film rolls B.3–B.5 record scenes from the ascent to the Natu La, including a telephoto of Chomolhari and views from Chumpitang. The entry describes setting out after persuading Williamson, traversing deep snow to the pass with views over the plains of India, then returning to collect birds and one flower (Primula Stewartii) in a fir forest.

CONTENT:
B3 / B4
B 3 & 4 good -
B.3. finished: Ludlow in bungalow.
B.4. full roll taken of scenes on the ascent to the Natu La. At the top. telephoto of Chomolhari
B.5. First 50 ft of views from Chumpitang.

difficulty in persuading Williamson. Eventually we got off at 7.40 on the only perfect day we have yet had. The snow was then hard enough to walk on, & remained so for the first two miles or more. Until 2 miles from the top there was no difficulty at all, & we were surprised to find how easy the pass had become in the last two days. The last 2 miles ascent are fairly steep & were hard work for the mules. As long as they kept in the narrow hardened path they got along well, but when once they put a foot off it, they sank into deep soft snow. There were still some five feet or so of snow at the top. We reached the top in a little over four hours, & had a lovely view: to the South was a low sea of clouds over the plains of India, & to the N.E. was Chomolhari, clear but not very distinct. Chomolhari means "Goddess of the mountain pass". After half an hour we started down again & the first 100 yds caused nearly every mule to fall in very soft thick snow: but no damage done. Ludlow & I reached here about 3.0 pm. very tired indeed. But after a rest & some whisky we went out after birds for 1 1/2 hours, & got a few good specimens. Collected only one flower - Primula Stewartii I think, very like Denticulata. This is a most beautiful place in the middle of a fir forest with, across the valley, a fine line of snow hills leading up to the Natu La. The evening light through the trees on the

SUMMARY:
Notes Babax waddelli singing and common at Chamu, mentions Ludlow at Loba in Packakshiri, and lists botanical items (Cremanthodium and Rhododendron with numbers). Describes the gradual ascent to Lo La through silver fir forest and reports coolies finding three arrows on the road, taken as a warning of opposition from the Packakshiri people.

CONTENT:
Babax waddelli common Chamu, singing quite prettily.

Ludlow at Loba Packakshiri
Cremanthodium 1892
Rhod. campylocarpum 1893
L. p. 138-9 Ascent to Lo La gradual slope. 2/200 " cinnabarinum 1894
the road does not leave silver fir forest until " ludlowii 1895
within a mile of the summit. " mekongense 1896

139
apparently the coolies are alarmed: they
expect opposition from the Packakshiri people.
They found 3 arrows stuck in the ground
on the road. This is supposed to indicate
opposition to our entering into their country.

SUMMARY:
A steep climb from the Trashiyangsi valley up to the Dib La passed through oak, bamboo, and rhododendron, with 21 birds collected and the possibility of new species noted. After crossing the frontier pass with Tibet and proceeding along the ridge, a waterlogged camp was made beyond the pass amid torrential rain and severe midges.

CONTENT:
86

Trashiyangsi: valley. The sun was extraordinarily hot for this
Dib La 10 Sept height. The path lies straight up a ridge between
Lobelia erecta 954 two streams, crossing the southern one fairly soon.
The climb is very steep the whole way, through
dense forest, first oak, then bamboo, then
rhododendron. In the bamboo part, we found
birds in numbers & have shot 21. These include
a most interesting collection. It is quite possible
that three new species may come out of these.
For Pnoepyga & Tesia, a couple of miles W of the
Dib La is excellent. The climb continues very
steep indeed right up to the DIB LA at m

7. (Ht 13003) This is the frontier with Tibet.
   On the East side the path is along a ridge,
   mostly pretty easy, with occasional steep drops
   over difficult rocky ground. Camp is a clearing
   reached 2 m beyond the pass. It is the worst
   camp bar Pimi we have had for a long time.
   All the ground available is soaking wet. Ten
   minutes before the coolies arrived, torrential
   rain fell & further soaked the ground &
   everybody as well. However we all got in
   and are reasonably comfortable. The midges however
   are perfectly awful. They appear an hour before dusk, &

SUMMARY:
The diarist slowly ascends to Choking La around midday, noting magnolias and rhododendrons, but fewer flowers than expected. Tenduh finds Primula specimens (1166 and 1167), likely including P. boothii, with both forms later seen growing together near snow patches; compass bearings include one toward Mera.

CONTENT:
18

La reached at about m. 6. I did not get there till 12.0 noon, but went very slowly looking for flowers. There was not very much out. Many magnolia trees were in bloom though, and a number of the big pinkish white rhododendron [Rho. grande 1148?] 1148. Rhododendron arboreum gave out soon after it started. Rather to my surprise and disgust there were no more rhododendrons in flower. About 1000 ft below the pass Tenduh came across [Primula gracilipes 1167] the primula 1167, which is likely P. boothii again, though higher I think than it has been recorded so far. Then we reached the snow, going up a north face, and at the first big patch which was half melted in rhododendron [Primula white 1166] and Abies forest, came across 1166, which I at first mistook for the same primula, only blue. But it is obviously different, with what looks like the opened sheath on the outside low down. Both are farinose, but 1167 has much more on the flower underneath. I make the Choking La 11116 ft. Back bearing to approximately where we started seemed to be 302° Mag, and to Mera 100° Mag. On the south side of [Primula white of gracilipes] the pass, we found masses of 1167 with a good deal of 1166 with it. Both were growing together. Lower down we only

SUMMARY:
Route ascends via the right-hand nala to Okse La, then descends steeply through forest to Korphu before continuing down to the Jirgang River and a cantilever bridge, with rice cultivation seen at Nabzi. More flowers are noted, including Michelia doltsopa (2953) and a pure white, sweet-scented Rhododendron edgeworthii (2952) high in a tree that Tseringpen manages to reach.

CONTENT:
9

the right hand or more easterly of the two nalas. Path ascends through, easy at first, becoming steeper. At m 4 a pass (Okse La) is reached, probably 1500 - 2000 ft above last camp. From here the descent is very steep indeed, all through dense forest. At m 7 1/2 it becomes easier, then a steep ascent before a level approach to the first Bhutanese village of Korphu, containing 22 houses at m 8 1/2. From this village to the river (Jirgang) beyond the descent is steep, and a wooden cantilever bridge is reached at m 10. The river is a full 1000' below the village, and on the opposite side of the river is fairly extensive rice cultivation at Nabzi.

We saw rather more flowers today, the best find being when a few fallen petals called my attention to a big magnolia tree (Michelia doltsopa 2953). While looking at these flowers, we spotted a lovely rhododendron (Rh. edgeworthii 2952), growing as I thought in a completely impossible place, a full 70 ft above the ground in a huge tree. However Tseringpen said he thought he could manage, and he did, though I wasn't too happy at letting him try. The rhododendron is pure white, with a magnificent scent, and a very fine open flower.

SUMMARY:
After a sleepless night the party set off before dawn and crossed the Le La in mist with fresh snow. They observed numerous Primula species, dense rhododendrons, Abies, and a Corydalis, noting the area would be spectacular later in the season.

CONTENT:
No coolie slept last night, so neither did Ludlow or I. We were up before 4.0 am & everyone was off by 5.0 am. There had been some snow the evening before, and it was lying from about 15000 to the top of the Le La, 17180'. We heard chrysochlora on the way up but saw none. Misty on top as usual no view.

On the very top were signs of a Primula showing green - perhaps Stirtoniana. Very shortly after, we saw P. bellidifolia in flower & P. atrodentata. The ground was simply covered with P. pryingorum, looking perfectly lovely, carpeting the ground with pink. There were a number also of P. macrophylla 1561 in bloom, & lots of signs of a P. sikkimensis. Other primulas there were too, but none in flower. About 15000 the rhododendrons began, & from then on the hillsides were covered with them. I don't think I have ever seen them so thick.

Down here the W face is covered with Abies, but there are a number of pale lemon yellow rhodos too, (1557). Also any number of pink ones which seem all the same though they show different forms. I got one Corydalis too 1560. This area must be wonderful later on when everything comes out. The rhododendrons themselves must be a sight worth

SUMMARY:
Diary notes the ascent of Bod La (properly Pö La), a rocky pass with an old Tibetan block house, followed by a descent past a lake to the Hamo Chu and the Hamo camping ground. Weather clears after snow over the pass; plant collections are listed. The next day is a halt at Hamo.

CONTENT:
Ludlow Aug 30-28 - Bod La is a misnomer. It should be the Pö La // Tibetan Pass 77

30th Aug. plateau
Bod La steeper but easy to a plain from m 3 - m 4. The
Cyananthus lobatus 494 last ascent up to the Bod La (16300) at m 4 1/2 is very
Gentiana paludosa 493 steep over rocky hillside. On the top is an old
Arenaria musciformis 495
" ciliolata 497 Tibetan block house, built across the narrow pass.
Phlomis sikkimensis 496
Delphinium grandiflorum 499 The pass is very rocky & for the first mile down the
path is over large rocks and difficult. Then a grassy
plain is reached & beyond this a lake 3/4 mile long.
Tibetan warbler Path keeps to E. side, & descent at north end is easy
off grassy hillside. Rhododendrons are met at m
7, where the path crosses the stream from the lake
to the L. bank. It cuts over the shoulder of a hill &
drops steeply down to the Hamo Chu which runs East to West.
At the foot of the steep descent is HAMO at m 8.
Hamo is a small grassy plain at the very head of the
conifer forest. Water & fuel are ample & the camping
ground is good. // A comparatively easy day,
B 26. especially as it hardly rained at all. There was
View toward some snow over the pass, but soon after we
the Bod (Pö) crossed it stopped & the sun came out, - the
La from the first real sun we have seen since leaving the
N. end of the Me La. It must have cleared a bit in Bhutan,
lake, north of but is undoubtedly drier here than on the South
the pass of the Range. A lovely camping ground.
Hamo.
31st August. Halt at Hamo. Rained last night, nearly all

SUMMARY:
The page contains only the word 'ascent' and otherwise consists of ellipses with no discernible content.

CONTENT:
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