Part 69 - Primula observations near a pass; journey to Langong and preparations for Lo La

1 page

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.