Part 43 - January 6–9: Halt at Dzong; travel to Layoting and Camp Namdi near Tongkyuk

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SUMMARY:
Entries for January 6–9 describe a snowy halt, peak angle measurements from a Dzong, and marches to Layoting and Camp Namdi. The writer disputes Ward and Bailey on the visibility of Gyala Peri, notes friendly villages, a nearby peak Gelung Jokpo, forests transitioning from pine to dense broadleaf, and observations of birds, clematis, and abundant Lilium giganteum.

CONTENT:
letters. He says he will arrive in about 22 days. Our own next mail will not leave here for 7 or 8 weeks or so until we reach India in 3 months from now, so this is worth while.

Jan 6th & 7th Halt. Snowed night of 6-7th then cleared up to a beautiful day. On 7th I took the angles to peaks from the Dzong. They are: - to left-hand peak 114° : to two peaks in centre 132° to big right-hand nearest peak 150°. I disagree with Ward's identification of Gyala Peri. Everyone in Tongkyuk says it cannot be seen from Tongkyuk.

Jan 8th LAYOTING. 9 miles. A good fine day. Left at 10.0 got in at 3.30. Road good mostly fit for loaded animals. At mile 2 from the bridge pass village of DABLA, about 4 houses. Layoting has about 12 houses. People here very friendly. From here a fine snow peak with cut top lies to the South up a bleak looking valley in which are said to be many 'takin', locally called CHIMNYA. There is a sling or cane bridge over to this valley. The peak at the head of the valley is called GELUNG JOKPO. From down near the river, Gyala Peri can be seen in the distance. Forest is first almost entirely pine, then changes to pretty dense mixture of pine, holly oak & shrubs.

Jan 9th Camp NAMDI. On the whole the road was uninteresting. It keeps beside the river all the way till about 1 mile from camp. As soon as it left the river & went up a bit to the forest, we found many things of interest, both birds & flowers. The change was most marked. At camp the forest is dense, evergreen broadleaf & shrubs. Bailey mentions that Gyala Peri is visible at the head of the Netrang Chu, but in this I think he is wrong. The peak seen there is very close indeed. I took a photo of it. It lies almost due S of the Netrang Chu junction with the Tongkyuk Chu. At camp we found three clematis in seed, the flowers of two were seen later on. There is a great deal of Lilium giganteum in this forest from here on.