Part 23 - Tsetang to Lhagyari and Lasor via Potrang La; chain bridge and Dzong stay

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SUMMARY:
Notes a ruined iron chain bridge below Tsetang and a night spent in a newly renewed but empty Dzong. The party travels to Lagyari/Lhagyari, halts for transport arranged by a helpful ruling nun, then crosses the Potrang La to Lasor, recording birds and early-season botanical observations.

CONTENT:
27 March Ludlow 22. "No European seems to have travelled this stage. Bailey avoided it - p. 313 F.K.W. u. 1924."

top joint & hurt my wrist. It might have been much worse. There are still the remains of an old iron chain suspension bridge.

Chain bridge 1 1/2 m below Tsetang - two huge piles of rocks & two chains still hanging down from one.

No one was in the Dzong which had just been renewed, so we spent the night in it, & were very comfortable. The Tsangpo here takes a very sharp 100° turn to the North. (70 13100' see Ludlow p. 22-23.)

27th March. Lagyari. 15 miles. Perfect weather & v. hot. Started at 7.0 am, in at 4.0 pm. Transport mostly bullock, & again many boxes badly damaged. Half way up we came across geese & shot three. Also saw a Sheldrake & some pintail, mallard & teal. Lagyari is a lovely place: Dzong & monastery on the edge of a cliff on the river bank, & beautiful wooded flats below, in which we are camped. They threaten to keep us here a day, but we still hope for the best. Ludlow has gone to the Dzong to call for both of us. There are no flowers out here yet, though Iris (ensata?) is 1" above ground & there is a very small gentian showing flowers here & there. P. tibetica not yet in flower. This place seems independent of Lhasa & is ruled, & ruled well by a nun.

28th March. Halted Lhagyari. Fine. As ponies could not be produced in time, we had to halt. However the nun gave orders for donkeys & bullocks to come today & take on as much kit as we could spare - about 28 loads. The remainder will be carried by mules & ponies tomorrow. We lunched today in the gompa, a beautifully clean place. The nun is a fine looking woman, related to many people of importance - of some importance herself. She was very friendly & helpful. From here to Tsona is only 4 days march, so this might be a good way home. There is little snow of course up here in winter.

29th March. Lasor (12,200' ap). 16 miles. Beautiful day. Left at 7.15 am, in at 4.0 pm. The ascent to the Potrang La (16500 ft) is steeper than we expected. Gradually the hills become more vegetated, & there are many dwarf junipers & a small Rhododendron near the top. But the East side shows a more marked contrast, & the rainfall on the E must be very considerably more than on the West. From the very top, it is apparent. Rhododendron covers the hillside (R. lepidotum). Among these we saw many old stalks of Primula - P. macrophylla(?) & P. sikkimensis. There are also gentians, these seen being much too early for flowers on the north side of the main range & at this altitude.