Southern Tibet : vol.4 / Page 496 (Color Image)

0496	Southern Tibet : vol.4

To the S. E. and south, are parts of the range we had to cross in *Chaklam-la* the
next day.

On *March 23rd*, we travelled 8.7 km. S. S. W. and S. W. From *Camp CCCLXI*,
we had to rise 256 m. to the 3.4 km. distant pass, *Chaklam-la*, 5,285 m. high, being
a rise at a rate of 1:13.3. From the pass to *Camp CCCLXII* at 4,905 m., we had
5.3 km., the fall being here 380 m. and the rate 1:13.9. On both the northern and
the southern side, the range is, therefore, very well defined and its slopes unusually
steep. The minimum temperature in the night was —13.1°. The S. W. wind was
not at all strong, and the sky was overclouded only at 1 o'clock p. m.

The valley leading up to the pass is, therefore, hard and steep. From the
threshold of the pass, the view is much hindered by hills in the neighbourhood. To
the south we beheld a labyrinth of rather high and difficult mountains. The southern
horizon is formed by a high and dark range which seems to start from *Sha-kangsham*.
Just under the pass, on its southern side, is a trough with good grass. Here a
narrow valley begins winding S. W. At a few places it is as narrow as a gorge
and its bottom is full of gravel. The living rock, cropping up in sharp teeth and
rocky ridges and towers, consists of light grey crystalline limestone. A flock of 50
antelopes fled across the hill-sides. Here and there, some snow is left. Where the
material is soft, a path is readily visible. Finally the little valley becomes broader
and in front of us we see the next latitudinal valley with its ice-covered river. The
river turns more and more to the west. On the floor of the main valley the ground
was sand, and good grass was growing here. At an isolated hill, was a sheepfold.
Sometimes the abandoned camping places of travellers were passed.

Pan. 441A and B, Tab. 81, shows the landscape seen from *Camp CCCLXII*.
We see the course of the ice-filled river bed to the west, and how its valley turns
to the W. S. W. between hills of no great height. To the N. W., west and N. E. is
the range we had just crossed, cut through by several small valleys, and with rocky
crests and peaks. The peak to the N. 83° E. and its neighbour to the right, seem
to be detached from the principal range. To the S. E. is the valley of the river.

On *March 24th*, our route goes S. E. for 10.7 km. rising from 4,905 to 5,026 m.
or 121 m., a rate of 1:88. The minimum temperature was —16.2°; a S. W. wind
was blowing as usual, though not hard. At noon the sky became overclouded and it
began to snow.

The ice bed was crossed, its breadth being 120 m., after which we marched
up the valley between the left bank of the river and the base of the western hills.
The ground is very gravelly. Higher up the bed was quite dry; the ice-sheets are,
therefore, formed by springs. A shepherd with his sheep was seen amongst the hills
and on the right bank two tents and, farther on, a *hle* or cairn with poles and rags;
such of different shape are common here. From this cairn, *Sha-kangsham* was dimly

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