Part 9 - Route and collecting notes to Surelakha (S. Bhutan)

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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