Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 450 (Color Image)

0450	Southern Tibet : vol.4

On the night of the *13th of February,* the temperature was at —29.3°. The
weather remained fine. The minimum of the night of *February 14th* was —30.5°
and the weather remained good. On this day we made 11 km. to the E. S. E.
We ascended only 28 m. from *Camp CCCXXVIII,* as *Camp CCCXXIX* had an
altitude of 5,345 m., which would be a rise of 1 : 393. This is due to the fact that
we had to go down from the first little threshold to the floor of the latitudinal
valley. A short distance from *Camp CCCXXVIII,* we cross a second little threshold,
being at 15 or 20 m. above the camp, and from there we go rather steeply down
to the floor of the main valley. From the threshold it was difficult to say which
direction would be the most favourable. To the S. E. another little threshold was
seen, and beyond it a larger valley, which no doubt leads eastwards to a pass. To
the east, a high pass was seen, to which a rather narrow valley ascends. I decided
to make an attempt to cross it. The arena valley was, therefore, traversed in the
direction of the mouth of the pass valley. The ground was good with the exception
of the rabbits' holes, most of them still filled with snow. Antelopes and kyangs
were numerous; of other animals, only a fox was seen. At *Camp CCCXXIX,*
just at the entrance of the valley, there was some very poor grass. A well-marked
erosion furrow follows along the left or southern side of the valley. From the right
another bed enters, at the side of which a ring wall of stone proved that Tibetans
had camped. On the mountains to the north there is much snow.

On *February 15th,* we travelled mostly eastwards, and only the last bit to
the S. E., for 17.8 km. in all. From *Camp CCCXXIX,* at 5,345 m., we have 8.4 km.
to the pass, the altitude of which is 5,655 m. or 310 m. above the camp. The rate
of ascent is here as 1 : 27. On the eastern side the slope is much less steep. From
the pass we had 9.4 km. to *Camp CCCXXX,* which was at 5,556 m., or 99 m. below
the pass; here the rate is only as 1 : 95. After a night at a temperature of —30.3°,
we started up the valley on the top of the right terrace of the bed. This, however,
soon becoming pierced by snow-filled ravines, we went down into the erosion bed
itself which was full of sharp-edged gravel, and occasionally had a little ice-sheet
left by the last water of the little brook in the autumn. Springs were not seen at
all. In the valley there was surprisingly little snow, whilst the hills on the sides
were nearly white. The rock was dark schist, or fine-grained schistous quartzite. The
direction of the valley is nearly due east without sharp windings. From the sides several
small tributaries enter. The slope becomes more and more steep. The pass has the
form of a very flat, open platform, steep to the west and with a gradual fall to the
east. The gravel on its top consisted of grey phyllitic schist, containing quartz.

The view to the east is not encouraging. The descending valley is bordered
on the left or north, by a range with fine, not very high, peaks. Some kilometers
farther on, the valley turns to the S. E., and just in the corner, a tributary enters,

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

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