Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 177 (Color Image)

0177	Southern Tibet : vol.4

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to reconnoitre, as the single way of saving the rest of the caravan was to get out
of this labyrinth of barren mountains.

On *October 21st.* we went 7.2 km. E. S. E. *Camp XLV* was at 5,386 m.,
*Camp XLVI* at 5,390 m., or nearly at the same level. Between the two is the se-
cond pass of this system, being 5,491 m. high. The rise to this pass is, therefore,
105 m. in 4.7 km. or as 1:45, and the descent 101 m. in 2.5 km. or as 1:25. The
route goes up and down over flat hills and through gravelly furrows, which nearly
everywhere contain ice-sheets as springs are very numerous. On the little pass it
snowed again and very little was to be seen of the landscape around. Hitherto snow
had been comparatively rare, but as soon as we came up into these high mountains,
it snowed day and night, though never in great quantities. The snow did not seem
to have any tendency to accumulate into great masses, for it evaporates very quickly
during sunny days. Sunshine and precipitation are generally changing many times
in the course of one and the same day, as was the case on October 21st. So much
could always be made out from this pass, that a mountain rose in front of us to
the east.

Below the pass the hard rock was augit-hornblende-diorite-porphyrite. In the
valley going down to *Camp XLVI*, there was more snow than hitherto.

The next day's march, on *October 22nd*, was 11.1 km. to the S. E. *Camp XLVI*
was at an elevation of 5,390 m., *Camp XLVII* at 5,223 m. In the middle there was
another pass 5,501 m. high. We had 5.5 km. to ascend 111 m. or as 1:50; the
descent was 278 m. in a distance of 5.6 km. or as 1:20. From *Camp XLVI* the
route ascends flat, soft hills and crosses the erosion furrows between them. The whole
land is snow-covered. There is no grass. Following a valley to the S. S. E., we reach
the pass with an elevation of 5,501 m. Pan. 58, Tab. 9 shows the view over the
hilly land to the N. E., east and S. E. To the S. 63° E. a part of the plain is visible;
its colour is yellow and there is no grass. To the S. S. E., south, S. S. W. the hills
are completely covered with snow. To the N. E. one sees the continuation of the
range we are crossing, and it seems that the whole system continues in that direction,
probably turning more and more E. N. E. and east. The range containing our pass
is sending ramifications and flat hills down to the plain. At a greater distance noth-
ing could be seen, as the horizon was concealed in dark clouds and snow-storms.
Near the pass the rock was dark grey schistose clastophyric quartzite. From the
pass we go down the snowy slopes, crossing some ravines and watercourses and
finally reach a slope with yapkak, moss and grass amongst sharp-edged gravel. Thence
we go down to the principal watercourse of this part of the range. It flows, though
now dry, to the east across the plain and turns more and more south to the next
lake. Crossing this bed and marching along the base of the hills to our right, we
finally reach *Camp XLVII*, where we at last had left the extremely difficult mountain

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Citation Information

OCR Text

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books