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Alcesti de Righi Diary Entry Monday, 14 August 1905
14th August.—Reveille as usual at 4-30. We get on the road by 6-30, but the doctor and myself taking rear guard, we do so with pleasure, as at every sheltered rock we manage a little game, of chess. The rain which had held off till we got under cover now comes down in torrents, which mars a good deal the pretty scenery we are marching through. I need not mention the ever present rhododendron, with fine vistas at every turn, lovely glens, dells, waterfalls, and tiny trickling streams. Our map of the district does not give us a correct idea of the distance to be travelled from point to point, and we have some difficulty in deciding at what place we actuary are, no high or known peak being visible to take our observations from. We are like men groping in the dark till we reach Naya, a large overhanging rock, which can shelter a number of men. This is mentioned in the map, but taking the distance indicated there it is much nearer to our last camp (even after due allowance is made for up and down) than we actually find it by road. Any way we continue our march, and finally reach camp by one o'clock. We make this a short march on account of the road which is pretty hard for our coolies to travel on heavy laden. We get a glimpse of our camp from the distance, pitched on the green sword. Its sight gladdens us with its curling smoke denoting lunch. After lunch I take a gun and go in search of game, not for sport but for a variation of our diet, which has consisted up to now of mourghi and mutton and vice versa. We do not want any tinned food, as we shall have more than we care for when we reach the glacier. I return empty-handed, having found only a few traces of bears but seen no winged game. It rained hard all night, and still rains this morning, the 15th. This hinders our getting away early, as fires will not burn and the porters cannot get their food cooked quickly. C. gets away first to find a site for our valley camp No. 3. I take up a position just above and watch the operation of striking camp and check each man's number and load as it passes me on the way upwards. The sight seen from my point of vantage has its charm. The rain just stops and make it pleasant to watch the little green tents being rolled up, Sherpa coolies, Boothias, and Nepaulese, all hustling around picking their load, dressed in many coloured clothing, some taking down their shelters, some, alas, still eating their morning meal, others almost ready, packing their few belongings on the top of their head. These loads have gradually lightened since leaving Darjiling, from whence each man had a full maund to carry. At last everyone has gone, and we follow on their track to help or hurry on as found necessary.
We are now on the real mountain, lovely Alpine flowers are everywhere mostly recognised by our Swiss friends. Wild rhubarb is growing here most profusely, genteans, a white flower like an overgrown lily of the valley is also everywhere. Shrubs there are many, the dwarf rhododendron, juniper, cherry, wild rose, aspen cypress, and a good many other varieties which I do not know and cannot find out the names. We are now at about 13,000 feet, and to my surprise I came across a bed of a large kind of maiden hair fern. It is simply beautiful; it grows in great clusters. Here it is running wild, and we in Darjiling pay large prices for a pot of it! Other ferns are as beautiful and innumerable. Last night our camp by the hypsometer was 12,060 feet above sea level ; to-day we are rising higher and will reach points above 13,000 feet. There is very little variation in the scenery around us. The geological formation is varied. We are walking now over gneiss full of mica, now over limestone, farther on over slate, and also over granite boulders. The soil seems very rich and very black. We see also a good deal of clay. Great rocks are everywhere about the hill side, some as big as, and bigger, than the Choom [?] Rock. The mountain path is rather trying to the naked feet of the porters, the rocks being rather slippery and some of them sharp. We fare well with our thickly nailed boots, but must be careful to choose our steps. The foot of Mego Mountain we reach by one o'clock, and a steep climb it is to reach the top, which is about 13,400 feet. Once the top is reached it is alright. Our way is easy. One or two more descents and ascents, and we are at the Nego Cave, where our camp No. 3 is pitched besides, a rushing stream in which I get at last a long needed wash.
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