Part 125 - Snowbound attempt to cross the Kashongha pass near Chayul Chu

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SUMMARY:
The diarist and Tsongpen crossed a snow-covered pass while sending the coolies back, finding visibility poor and conditions unsafe, but managed to collect some seed and a large plant of a petiolaris primula. Despite bright sun south of the Chayul Chu, the camp remained in heavy wind and snowfall, making further attempts impractical without several clear days.

CONTENT:
However the sun was soon out, and I had hopes of it melting the snow and making the Kashongha easy enough. The sky was bright blue and clear to the South of the Chayul Chu. I reached the pass, with Tsongpen at 10.0, in bright sun, but on the other side was thick mist, with some snow falling. The pass had 2 feet of fresh snow, and was not too easy or even too safe. So I sent the coolies back to a nala bed about 2 miles west: They had reached within 300 feet of the pass, but would have had great difficulty in getting further. Tsongpen and I went on over the pass, but it was difficult to see anything. All flowers were covered with a thick coating of snow, and I knew we could do little, but try for the yellow primula. This proves, as I thought, to be a petiolaris primula, but we took what seed we could find and one fine big plant with a good clod of earth. Unless it clears up for three days running, it will be no use going over again, a great pity. It is doubly annoying, as the snow in the day, only reaches a mile North of the main range, beyond which is bright sun. Here in camp it snows all day, but we are just on the edge of the sunshine too. Wind is awful here, driving a heavy fall of snow which will lie at night. On the Kashongha we could see and feel it snowing hard.