Bulletin - Summer 1979 - North American Rock Garden Society

WE'RE IN THE CHIPS:Exploring the Himalayas of KashmirBOYD C. KLINE, Medford, Oregonwith EDWARD HUGGINSPhotographs by Mr. KlineThis last July we flew from NewDelhi to Srinagar, in northwestKashmir, and there set out upon theadventure of a lifetime.There was Barry Starling of GreatBritain, the ericaceae expert and accomplishednurseryman, with his patience,persistence, and quiet Britishhumor — and Reuben Hatch of Vancouver,Washington, the hard working,successful rhododendron nurserymanand leader of our expedition, his visitto Kashmir four years ago now servingus well indeed — and, of course, yourstruly, the old man of the mountains.Making headquarters at once inSrinagar, the capitol of Kashmir, welooked forward to a month of excursions.We would drive northeast intothe Ladakh territory and perhapsglimpse to the far north the snowypeaks of the Karakorum Range. Intrepidexplorers of wilderness areas,we three would scramble up countlessmeadows and screes through easternKashmir, even as far south as Menali,everywhere searching along the highestridges to behold all the fascinatingplants we had read about for yearsbut never seen. Challenging theHimalayas has a rather romantic ringto it. But when I actually gazed upat those awesome heights I could onlymurmur, "Egad, what have I gottenmyself into?"Such was our reaction one morningin Sonamarg, a tiny village nearLadakh and some eighty-five milesnortheast of Srinagar. It was July 30,1978, the weather perfect.We rose at seven-thirty and wentto the village "pony-boy" station. Ghul,our forty-five year old "boy," saddledour ponies and we mounted, jiggledour stirrups, and were off — precededby Ghul and his pack-ponies laden withour paraphernalia as well as with tents,food, and supplies for our grand entourage— four pony-boys, a cook,a guide, and the guide's twelve yearold boy. So began the trip that wouldtake us twenty miles northwest to LakeKrishensar, to Lake Vishensar aboveit, and up at last to the 13,000 footridgeline. In these four days we wouldsee the best plants that we found inall Kashmir.The trail out of Sonamarg headeddown at first. It then climbed mileafter mile until, after a 2,000 foot ascent,we reached a ridgeline meadow.Ahead, northwestward, the meadowsloped up sharply to a soaring peak,its spire a gray, shaly rock in nearlyvertical, tilted layers, its side a greenmantle swooping to our left to formthe meadow's spine before plunging.Sheep herders' mud huts clustered nearthe spine. Peak after peak marchednorthward, each with its up-slope peltof dark trees and lighter green shrubsfingering toward but never surmountingthe naked spire, and each with itsdownslope striations of gray rock and109