Showing 6828 results

SUMMARY:
The diarist records compass bearings from Chera La to several snow peaks and notes that two western peaks with glaciers are uncharted. Due to locals stating there is no yak route to Chera and limited manpower, the party decides to split: the diarist with A. Sheikh, Gulla, and Kurtip to Chera, and Ludlow with Pintso, Ramzana, and Danong to Luguthang.

CONTENT:
Chera La as follows: from Chirachun to a snow peak in direction of Tawang 284° Mag. From Chera La up the Dongma Chu to a snow peak at the head of the river 36° Mag. From Chera La to a snow peak west of the Tulung La 332° Mag. The two western of these peaks are not shown on the map at all. Both look over 20,000 ft. and have glaciers on them. In camp here, we find considerable trouble. The locals now say we cannot get by yaks to the mountains to the west at all. This makes things very difficult indeed. We may manage things by dividing camp, I going where they say they can't take yaks, and Ludlow going to Luguthang or some such place. But wherever we go, it is a gamble. We must choose some valley to settle in for a week or two and work thoroughly. If it's good, we win, if it's bad we lose, as the time for flowers will be over.

NB
To split up:—
S to Chera
L to Luguthang

Later. The decision is now made: there is definitely no yak route to Chera — the place I intend going to. As there are only 15 available men, only one of us can go there. So I, with A. Sheikh, Gulla and Kurtip go there; while Ludlow goes to Luguthang with Pintso, Ramzana and Danong. They say that laden yaks will find it difficult to go to Luguthang ("the sheep plain"). Our boxes are so unlike

SUMMARY:
The writer reports heavy rain and a reconnaissance up the valley toward Waitang, finding the route likely passable despite earlier warnings that yaks could not traverse it. They plan to leave via Pangstang and criticize Ngudup for not negotiating effectively with locals. Botanical collections include Primula pusilla, P. bellidifolia, P. reticulata, Mec. paniculata, and observations comparing P. alpicola var. luna and P. reticulata.

CONTENT:
thorn scrub, it was very difficult indeed to move, or to get a clear shot at the bird. I hope something may come out. We have decided to leave here on 12th, and to go via Pangstang. I am sure if Ngudup had guts now, he could fix up the other route.

11th June Halt. I decided to go as far as I could up the valley where we had been told we could not go - yaks would be unable to take us to Waitang this way. It has always seemed odd to me that we could not go, when one man came back and said it was alright. But Ngudup is a poor fish with these people, and never asks enough questions, and never tries to persuade them. Anyway we went as far as I was able to walk - probably 3 miles from Garmotangha, there was no difficulty at all the whole way. Where we stopped we might have had to carry loads about 50 yds. We had quite a good day - got P. pusilla, P. bellidifolia and P. reticulata, the latter uncommon, but plentiful and beautiful where found. We also got Mec. paniculata in flower. The local form of P. alpicola var. luna is very like P. reticulata. In fact I was leaving reticulata today after having started to take it, when I noticed the absence of the very large bracts, which should have been obvious. Then later I saw that reticulata has no farina ring in the eye like alpicola. P. pusilla and P. bellidifolia are only just in flower. A very wet day indeed - the wettest by far that we've had so far, a sign of the monsoon at last surely. I got soaked through bottom half, but don't mind that, and remember now that I always used to. Without waterproof trousers, one must get soaked, and they are difficult to walk in. Started to rain about 8.0 and has not stopped by 5.0 pm.

SUMMARY:
During a slippery descent, Tsongpen comments on the path, and men from Naszi report heavy rain that ruined buckwheat crops. The author measures Rhododendron leaves, notes primulas in flower, and records bearings to Naszi and Korkhu with mapping notes for Gali Chu, Okse La, Dunhar La, Bahi Chu, and the Black Mt.

CONTENT:
19

slippery, though of course much easier than on our way up. In fact Tsongpen said 'Rasta pakka hogiya', which certainly was somewhat of an overstatement. Met some men from Naszi who told us they had had awful rain there which just came down solid & has ruined all the buckwheat crops. They wanted rain badly but have got it too heavy now.

I picked up a few leaves from the tree the specimen of Rhododendron (R. falconeri 2883) No. 2983 was taken. The longest, of only a few examined, was 44 cms, the broadest was 19 1/2 cms. Fine today up till 3:00 pm, but looks like rain later. We saw Naszi & Korkhu from the ridge not far from Camp 2nd May & the bearing was 95° to Naszi, 100° to Korkhu & the ridge on which we were & which is the one we crossed from the Gali Chu to Naszi by the Okse La runs at about 110° - 290° Mag. To the south of the Dunhar La is the Bahi Chu. Very roughly the map should be as opposite. It is all wrong just now. The Gali Chu stops a long way short of the Black Mt. & has the ridge running between it & the mountain. We found a few primulas 2984 (Pr. bracteosa 2991, common) in flower.

The flower is very like P. boothii, but I think it may not be that, because of the bracts & the shape of the leaf which is (Rh. keysii 2992)

SUMMARY:
Records epiphytic plants in dense, wet forest with specimen numbers, followed by a detailed account of the trek with steep ascents, leeches, and elephant signs near Hatisar. Notes heavy rain overnight, a cleared camping site with water, and a 4½-mile stage to Surelakha (S. Bhutan).

CONTENT:
Growing on trees in dense, wet forest
Agapetes variegata var elegans 2920, Agapetes salignum 2926, Dendrobium aphyllum 2924, Dendrobium 2927
Curcuma aromatica 2921 Coelogyne ochracea 2930

Camping site is available till we reached this clearing in the jungle which has been specially made. When we left it poured solid rain for an hour, then cleared up for the rest of the day. Very hot and sticky, otherwise not too bad. Path easy through dense forest to m. 1 1/2. Then steep ascent to m. 4, over a ridge, beyond which it drops 500 ft to m. 5 1/2, where a small nala is crossed. This might be difficult in the summer. From here to m. 9 ascent is steep, all through dense jungle, thence level to a small clearing in the forest, where good water is available. Leeches very bad all the way, and low down the leeches are a nasty looking kind, brown and big. We saw many elephant droppings, and elephants are said to be very common here - Hatisar. One pony came with us with a load, and it was covered with leeches - a beastly sight.

25th April - Surelakha (S. Bhutan) 4 1/2 miles
Very heavy rain during the night. It rains here more solidly than I have ever seen before, but we have been lucky so far, the days

SUMMARY:
The page details travel along elephant tracks with difficult forest terrain, scarce water points, heavy leeches and flies, and coolies starting at 6:15 and arriving by 3:00 pm. On 27 April at Camp Galam in the Gale Chu valley, a 6-mile descent crosses a small nala and then the main Gale Chu, with notes on weather and river conditions.

CONTENT:
7

no proper path beyond this, but an elephant track leads straight along up this ridge, to m 6 where there is a small pool of bad water, used by elephants. Thence turn left handed & descend by elephant path through dense forest. At about m 7 1/2 a small side nala is reached, which contains good water most of the year round. A bad camp site, but the only place water is available. Leeches & dam-dum flies very bad indeed. Coolies started at 6.15, were in at 3.0 pm. These are poor coolies, who seem to have a good deal of fever, but the ascent is both hot & steep. Elephants must be very common indeed. Picked up one feather of the peacock pheasant, which are said to be common.

27th April. Camp Galam. (Gale Chu valley). 6 miles.
BP. 203.0° Temp. 71° Time 3.0 pm. Rained a good deal last night, but has been fine all day today. Path continues descent which is easy, through dense forest, following elephant path, to m 1 1/2 where a small nala is crossed. At m 2 the main Gale Chu is reached & crossed. It is a small river just now, easily

SUMMARY:
Notes describe travel from Singo Samba along the left bank through fir forest, with crossings of the Lanyong Chu, open yak-grazing areas, and a camp on a slope. Botanical observations include several Primula species in Singo Samba and the Lanyong Chu Valley, with a query about a yellow form from east of Brumban, and mention of a route from Lanyong to an upper bridge.

CONTENT:
29a

From Singo Samba, continue up the L bank on aft bearing of 230° for 1 mile; river then bends again to 345°. Path up stream in fir forest, with a few clearings every now and then. Thin cliffs on the right hand side. Fit for yaks grazing.

2675 Continue up valley for 6 miles to pick hub, on L bank. Cross Lanyong Chu at m 1½, return at m 3. Valley has many open spaces, used by yaks as summer grazing ground. Camp on slope. Good. Line of valley approx 260° M.

3848. Primula prenantha. Singo Samba. Very common.

3849. Primula wattii. Lanyong Chu Valley. Growing in great quantity, covering whole swamps. Does the yellow form from E. of Brumban?

3850. Primula wessa. Lanyong Chu Valley. This again is not at all like the type 2514. It seems to be much more like P. nivalis, or like no 2189. (Nipa?). But it is not yet fully out.

3851. Primula hookeri. Lanyong Chu Valley. An odd plant. It was low, but on a valley bank, presumably brought down by the stream.

From Lanyong to upper bridge 10 miles, down L bank, the first four miles at the same bearing as

SUMMARY:
Notes a method to store green seeds using a CO2-filled soda syphon bottle and describes dramatic cliffed terrain with poor flowering. Describes friendly local yak herders resembling Takpas and details the path along the Tulung Chu with numerous river crossings to Dyuri (opposite Nyuri), correcting the map location of very hot springs to the left bank above Dyuri.

CONTENT:
its seeds green, so they will be put in a bottle of the soda syphon, empty of water, but full of CO2 squirted into the bottle. When it cleared up today, we got rather a surprise. Instead of the plain we expected here, we found sheer cliffs everywhere, rising to 2000 or 4000 ft from the valley bed - a fine sight. But flowers poor. The locals are nice people, out to please. They are more like Takpas than Tibetans, wear the pressed felt hat, but with 10 or 12 drip tips instead of the Takpas four or so. They have no fields here and no food of their own is grown here. They are purely yak herds, exchange their milk and yak produce for grain from down the valley near Tawang.

Path crosses the side stream by a bridge at camp and so down the R. bank of the Tulung Chu. Thence crosses the main river twice before Chuna. After Chuna the river is crossed for 8 times. Path first over open hillside, then through jungle, finishing on the L bank where Dyuri is situated at m 8. Nyuri is exactly opposite. The sides of the valley are extremely precipitous. The hot springs (half a mile above Dyuri) marked on the map should be on the left bank, not the R. as shown. Both banks. The water is too hot to hold the hand in, where it

SUMMARY:
Wet morning clearing to a fine evening; the route follows the Tangchu, passes a mani and the village of Chubana, then climbs steeply through forest to huts below a ridge. Botanical notes include Meconopsis villosa common from 11,500 to 13,000 ft, Androsace rhizomatosa var. major common, and Primula lesteri (No. 3192) observed near mile 9.

CONTENT:
Rained all night, was misty & very wet when we left in the morning. Cleared up till 11:30, rained very hard till 4:00 pm. Beautiful evening.

Path drops steadily to the Tangchu at m 1 & follows this up on the L bank. At m 2 a mani is reached where a big valley comes in from the East. Above this is the village of Chubana & much cultivation, about 70 houses. The path is then very steep up the ridge for 3 miles. At m 5 it levels off & the side valley is crossed to the L bank at m 6. Then again a steep ascent through forest to where the forest of rhodo. & abies opens out & there are some wooden huts. This little clear patch is surrounded on three sides by cliffs & the river falls down from the N West. The ridge is about 1 mile further on & approximately 1000' higher. // A good day.

At first we found nothing at all, & it was not till about m 9 that we got into things. Meconopsis villosa is very common from 11,500 up to here 13,000'. Barely yet out. Then we got a very pretty Androsace (3195: Androsace rhizomatosa var. major), which is very common. A little further up I saw a Primula No. 3192 (P. lesteri 3192 - see Aug 8). This might

SUMMARY:
The diary describes following the Mara Chu, crossing small side streams and ridges, and reaching a camp at mile 8. It notes the village of Adao, whose inhabitants move to Phobjikha during the rains and occasionally return to tend crops, with some fever present. Observations include abundant R. Maddenii/R. Edgeworthii and a fine forest of Pinus longifolia opposite Adao.

CONTENT:
absolutely solidly the rest of the evening - real Bhutan rain at its very
best. The path follows what is here known as the Mara Chu, the
whole way down. It is good most of the way, sometimes sunken.
At m 3 a big side valley from the R is crossed, then the path
ascends easily to m 4 1/2 the highest point reached. Up till here there
is some cultivation. Then an easy, though steep in places, descent
to near the main river again to 6 level to 6 1/2 where another
sidestream is crossed. Both are small. The main valley is here
narrow and steep sided, the path ascends to a ridge, crossed at
m 7. Thence descent begins easily at first to m 8 camp.
The Mara Chu here must fall very rapidly indeed, and both sides
of the valley are very steep and precipitous. About 1 m further
on a valley enters from the Right on the L bank of the
Mara Chu, above m 11 is ADAO a biggish village with
lots of cultivation. The inhabitants of Adao all leave their
village at this time and go to Phobjikha, just returning every now
and then to look after their crops. There is some fever in Adao during
the rains. / Here R. Maddenii or R. Edgeworthii are very common
indeed. Opposite Adao I see forest of Pinus longifolia, and it looks
a very fine forest indeed, bigger than any I have yet seen,