Part 95 - Phobsikha to Lao La: weather, plant collecting, and route notes

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SUMMARY:
Entries describe travel from Phobsikha toward Lao La with mostly fine weather, strong valley winds, and plant collecting, including Primula boothii in seed and other alpine flora. Plans are made to head toward wet Ridang, and route notes describe the path toward Gangte Gompa across a swampy valley with measurements taken at Lao La.

CONTENT:
31st May. Phobsikha ( ) 8½ miles.

It was fine nearly all yesterday; even in the evening there were only a few short showers. Nearly fine today. We came across a lot of Primula Boothii(?) 3162 on the way, in seed, so collected & I have packed in a bottle with CO2. Otherwise nothing seen.

1st June. Halt. Fine. This is a very windy valley, all day from 7.0 am onwards, wind blows very strongly up the valley. The hills are still very dry here. Pinbo & I went up to the W of camp, but saw little. There was a lot of Bryocarpum himalaicum whose flower is now practically over. Rhod Keysii & cinnabarinum & triflorum all very common. As Ridang is always a very wet place, we are going off in that direction tomorrow, but not as low as Ridang itself.

2nd June. LAO LA. 7 miles BP. 1928 Temp. 57° Time 2.0 pm Ht.

Rained hard yesterday evening. Fine all day today. Path leaves the junction of the two main streams of Phobsikha & lies at a bearing of 330° M. direct to Gangte Gompa, which can be seen on top of a round pine clad hill at the head of the valley. The middle of the broad open valley is nearly all swamp & the path bad. At m 2½ a valley enters from the north, & at its junction, is a village called