Chapter 7 Chapter 4 Chunbi

The Chumbi River Valley, which the expedition will now enter, has the flourishing flowers and trees that Wuxijin has.Nor does it have the majestic vistas of snow-capped mountains jutting out of the forest.Chunbi is a small-scale valley, but it is relatively comfortable to pass through.Rainfall has dropped by two-thirds, the air is more refreshing and the sun is more consistent.It's like the valley of Kashmir, except that there are no rhododendrons in Kashmir.Mountains roughly the size of the Alps rose from the valley floor, and the valley's rivers, though bubbling, did not include all the characteristics of a violent torrent like the Tisha.Describing the main flower species and tree species seen along the way is a good way for people to understand the appearance of a valley.

From the rhododendron field in Sikkim, the expedition climbed up the 14,390-foot-high Jelep pass in pouring rain; from there they overlooked Tibetan territory, but that was not Tibet in the geographical sense, because They have not yet crossed that major watershed.What I saw was the Chumbi River Valley on the Indian side. Through the gap, they came to different climate zones.They walked into the clear blue sky from the misty rain, which is one of the typical characteristics of Tibet.They entered Chunbi River Valley, and it was the most wonderful time of the year.As they descended swiftly along the winding path, they were again among rhododendron bushes and primroses.At an altitude of nearly twelve thousand feet, Wallers noticed on the open plane a deep purple-yellow primrose (P. gammiena), a delicate yellow-flowered (Lloydia tibetica), and many, many species of sansevieria, Carpet seemed to cover the floor.As for the steeper slopes, the large varieties of rhododendrons (R. thomsoni, R. falconeri, R. aucklandi) and the smaller species of rhododendron (R. campylocarpum) burn in all colors.The descent continued through forests of pines, oaks, and walnuts, and farther below white clematis, pink and white spirea, yellow clematis and white roses, and a deep purple iris in full bloom.

There was a British trading office in Yatung, and an Indian escort of twenty-five men came to the village on the day the expedition arrived.It is located at an altitude of 9,400 feet.Apples and pears grow well, and wheat and potatoes are produced in large quantities.On May days the air was scented with wild roses; they grew in great clumps, each covered with hundreds of creamy-white flowers. On May 27th, the expedition team began to climb from the main river valley of Chunbi to Phari and the Tibetan plateau. The path closely followed the clear and rapid river.There are more wild roses, including large red-flowered varieties.Here and there bloomed pink and white spiraea, ground centipede, pulsatilla, clematis, clematis, and some kind of charming dwarf peony.When they approached the Lingmatang plain (Lingmatang plain), there were large areas of pink and lavender rhododendrons, cherry blossoms, viburnums, cypresses and roses in full bloom.The plain itself is about 11,000 feet above sea level and is a pleasant prairie; in this season it is overgrown with small pink primroses (P. minutissima).

Further up the plain, the trail passes through a forest of birch, larch, juniper, needle fir and silver fir, and the ground is covered with various types of rhododendron and rowan.Along the paths grow blue poppies, fritillaria, ground orchids, and sweet-smelling primroses.In this forest the cinnabar rhododendrons grow at their best in bushes eight to ten feet high, and vary in color from yellow to red. The most common birds along the river banks are river birds, wagtails and white-capped brookstarts.In the woods, the cries of blood pheasants can often be heard, and sometimes their traces can also be seen.There are also huge Tibetan deer living here, which is comparable in size to elk, but it is not easy to see.

At 12,000 feet, above Gautsa, the vegetation and countryside began to change.Rhododendron is still the most beautiful flowering shrub, but it is gradually shrinking in size.Howard.Belly spoke of a pale blue iris, and Wollaston in particular of a yellow primrose, which covered the ground thicker than the primroses that creep over English soil, and whose fragrance permeated the air.Large blue poppies (Meconopsis sp.) are here and there, some reaching three inches across, and a pulsatilla bearing five or six flowers on a single stalk. Soon there were fewer and fewer trees, and the pines disappeared altogether, replaced by birches, willows and junipers.Dwarf rhododendrons, only a foot high, some with pure white flowers, others with pink flowers, continue to grow to a height of 13,500 feet.Then, the mountain face is covered with a purple carpet of purple heather like Rhododendron setosum.

After another eight miles, the character of the country changed completely, and the high, deep, wooded valleys were left behind.Now the expedition team came to the empty Pali Plain.This is the real land of Tibet, despite the fact that the watershed is miles away.Standing on the sentry post guarding the national gate at the entrance to Tibet is the sublime Chomolhari peak, 23,930 feet (7,346 meters) high.It is not the highest mountain, but it is the most beautiful and outstanding. It is far away from the other mountains, but the top of the mountain is so steep and sharp, and its shape is so sharp.