The Alps of Qungur

I crossed the Muz Tagh Ata range via the Chichiklik Pass in the latter part of June, taking nine days (June 15-23) from Tashqurghan to Yarkand. It will be recalled that in mid-July Mr. Skrine had attempted to approach the Shiwakte range from the south via the Chichiklik, Yangi davan, and Merki Passes and subsequently reach Yangihissar by the Qaratash gorge route, and had found it quite impracticable owing to the condition of the Merki Pass and flooded state of the Qaratash River. The southern routes, the main Shindi (the winter route), and the Tangitar route, with variations possible at certain seasons, were also wholly impracticable. He was there? fore forced to take the route that I also, a month earlier in season, had been forced to take, as the only practicable one, though in my case it, by map, took me a big detour to attain my objective, which was Yarkand, where I intended to buy my horses for my further progress to the Tekes-Ili country. In mid-June the ice in the upper part of the Chichiklik Pass made it very difficult for yaks and horses, they having to be hauled up some places with ropes and all loads packed by hand. The Chichiklik Alpine meadows below the pass were then mostly under snow, and though only a first showing of the flowers, which have given them their name of the Flowery Meadows, was to be seen at its lower end, one could well appreciate that later on it would be a treasure ground for the botanist. I found the passage down the very precipitous gorge leading by Tarbashi to Toi-aul-bulung (Mr. Skrine's Toile-bulung) about the limit of roughness possible for pack-animals, the swollen stream being very violent and the bed a mass of loose boulders

Geography · Physical geography · Geology · Linguistics and Cultural Studies · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology

• The 'Mysterious and Terrible Karatash Gorges

  Daniel Clarke Waugh•Geographical Journal•1999

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