The rhododendron valley

Most rhododendron species are shrubs or small trees, which bloom between March and July, with a peak in April-May. A majority of the species display flowers of various shades of red, yellow, or white, whereas violet or greenish is rarely seen.

In the Himalaya, rhododendron species occur in almost all vegetation zones, from subtropical to alpine, the major part growing between 2,000 and 4,000 m altitude. The largest species is Rhododendron arboreum, which can grow to 15 m tall. It is the national plant of Nepal, called lali guras. At the opposite end of the spectrum are various dwarf shrubs, including R. setosum, R. nivale, R. lepidotum, R. anthopogon, and R. pumilum, the latter only 10-15 cm high. Other species are epiphytes, including the large-flowered R. dalhousiae and R. lindleyi.

Most plant species mentioned on this page are described in detail on the pages Plants: Himalayan flora 1, 2, and 3.

The Barun Valley constitutes a part of Makalu-Barun National Park, which was established in 1992, covering an area of c. 1,500 km². To the west, the park borders Sagarmatha National Park, covering 1,148 km², to the north the huge Qomolangma Nature Preserve in Tibet, covering c. 35,000 km², and to the south a buffer zone, covering 830 km². Thus, the valley is situated in the heart of an enormous protected area.

To hike in Makalu-Barun National Park, you must get a permit from the National Park Office in Kathmandu, which can be obtained by paying a fee. Tents, cooking equipment, and fuel must be brought along, as there are no facilities above the village of Tashigaon. Burning wood in the park is strictly prohibited. With an annual precipitation of c. 3,500 mm, the area is one of the wettest in Nepal. Even in May – well before the monsoon period – a hike in this park can become a rather wet experience, with many leeches.

This area is home to a tremendous number of plants – more than 3,000 species have been found within the park boundaries. In May, you may encounter no less than 25 blooming rhododendron species, and the park is also home to 47 orchid species, 48 primrose species, 19 bamboo species, and 15 species of the genera Quercus, Cyclobalanopsis, Castanopsis, and Lithocarpus, of the beech family (Fagaceae).

More than 400 bird species have been observed, and the park is also a refuge for several threatened mammals, such as clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), red panda (Ailurus fulgens), and alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster).

Along the trail, we often notice tiger’s milk-spruce (Falconeria insignis, formerly known as Sapium insigne), a tree of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), which grows to 10 m tall. Its upright inflorescences appear late in winter or early in spring, before the leaves. Later, its tiny flowers turn into remarkable chocolate-brown fruits, the size of a pea.

Here and there are small patches of subtropical forest with many species of trees, including chir pine, or long-leaved pine (Pinus roxburghii), and chestnuts of the genus Castanopsis, whose seeds are edible. Many epiphytes adorn the trees, including two species of mistletoe, Scurrula elata and Taxillus vestitus, and beautiful orchids of the genera Coelogyne and Dendrobium, the latter comprising no less than c. 26 species in the Himalaya.

In a grass-covered area, we find tiny star-shaped yellow flowers of Hypoxis aurea. This small genus constitutes a separate family, Hypoxidaceae, which is closely related to the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae).

From the village of Num, a steep trail leads through terraced fields and lush patches of forest down to the Arun River. The altitude here is a mere 700 m, and the climate is hot and very humid – like in a Turkish bath. On the river bank, we observe yet another Dendrobium species, D. densiflorum, with a cluster of gorgeous yellow flowers.

A suspension bridge brings us to the western bank, from where we make a long, tough hike up to the village of Tashigaon – the last permanently inhabited village of the area. Along the terraced fields, we observe a number of weeds, including goat-weed (Ageratum conyzoides), a tiny St. John’s wort, Hypericum japonicum, a dayflower with blue flowers, Commelina paludosa, downy bur-marigold (Bidens pilosa) with white flowers, and an everlasting, Pseudognaphalium affine, with yellow flowers.

Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911) was a British botanist, who, during the period 1848-1850, described no less than 22 new rhododendron species from Sikkim and other parts of the eastern Himalaya, including the gorgeous Rhododendron dalhousiae, an epiphytic species with a profusion of lemon-coloured flowers, which later turn white. This plant was named in honour of Lady Dalhousie, wife of George Ramsay, the 9th Earl of Dalhousie, who was governor-general in India in the first half of the 1800s. This lady was an avid collector of plants.

Other epiphytes include a dwarf shrub of the heath family, Agapetes serpens, whose amphora-shaped flowers are red with darker markings, and sausage vine (Stauntonia latifolia, formerly called Holboellia latifolia), which belongs to a small Oriental plant family, Lardizabalaceae. The common name alludes to its sausage-like, hanging fruits.

A mat-forming wintergreen, Gaultheria trichophylla, grows on moss-covered rocks. At this time of the year, it has small white flowers, but in autumn it is easily identified by its almost luminous, blue berries, which are edible. A picture showing these berries is found on the page Plant hunting in the Himalaya: Rainy season in Nepal.

Herbs in this zone include another Arisaema species, A. griffithii, a strange-looking plant with a very short flower-stalk and a curled-up spathe. We also observe a meadow-rue, Thalictrum virgatum, with rather large, white flowers, a pink primrose, Primula petiolaris, and Paris polyphylla, a close relative of the European Herb Paris (P. quadrifolia).

From a rocky ridge near Kauma, we can enjoy a magnificent view towards Kangchendzonga (8586 m), the third-highest mountain in the world.

On our way towards the Barun Valley in late April, we saw no flowering plants at all at these heights, and even on our return journey three weeks later, only three species were blooming: Bergenia purpurascens, of the saxifrage family, a violet primrose, Primula calderiana, and a rare member of the primrose family, Omphalogramma elwesiana, for which these passes constitute a core area.

In the Barun Valley, the mountain slopes are covered in forest, chiefly of Himalayan silver fir (Abies spectabilis) and Himalayan birch (Betula utilis). Lower strata of the forest are often a dense tangle of large shrubs, comprising two rhododendron species, R. hodgsonii and R. campylocarpum. These thickets are a fine habitat for the rare Alpine musk deer, and also for the beautiful blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus), named after the tear-shaped red streaks on the breast of the cock. Pictures, depicting the musk deer, are shown on the page Animals – Mammals: Mammals in the Himalaya.

The remaining rhododendron species in the Barun Valley are smaller, including R. fulgens, R. thomsonii, R. ciliatum, R. cinnabarinum, and R. wightii. On the slopes, we observe the tiny R. pumilum, which is rather common in this valley, but is otherwise rare in Nepal.

At Neh, an ominous black rock wall rises almost vertically from the valley floor. At this point, the valley makes a sharp, ninety-degree turn towards west. We observe lammergeiers (Gypaetus barbatus), gliding effortlessly along the rock wall, searching for bones, which they carry high up in the air, letting them fall onto the rocks, after which they eat the marrow of the splintered bones. South of the valley is a towering snow-covered mountain, Peak 7 (6185 m), from which a glacier, covered in moraine, slowly slides into the valley.

Grandalas (Grandala coelicolor) are feeding in the grass. The gorgeous males are bright blue, whereas females are brown, with faint white stripes on breast and back. This bird is presented in depth on the page Animals – Birds: Thrushes. In rocky areas, we often observe large greyish-white gamebirds, Tibetan snowcocks (Tetraogallus tibetanus). At dawn, their powerful call, gukka-gukka-guk-guk-guk-grrr, can be heard far away.

On the south-side of the valley, Peak 6 (6739 m) is towering towards the sky, whereas three other peaks, Chonku Chuli (6809 m), Baruntse (7220 m), and Peak 4 (6720 m) are situated at the end of the valley. Small avalanches of snow and rocks constantly tumble into the valley from glaciers and mountain slopes.

Further west, the juniper shrubs become stunted and wind-blown. In this harsh environment, we find very few blooming herbs, two small gentians and a violet-flowered member of the mustard family. Most of the valley floor is occupied by the huge Barun Glacier, the major part of it covered in eroded soil and rocks.

From a sandy plain, Merak, we head north, following a ridge, which ends on a tiny plateau, situated at an altitude of c. 5,300 m. From here, we have a fantastic view towards numerous towering mountains, including Makalu, Lhotse (8511 m), and Sagarmatha (8850 m).