JARS v63n4 - Nepal: Our Ultimate Rhodo Flowering Experience!

Nepal: Our Ultimate Rhodo Flowering Experience!
Ian Chalk
Wynyard, Tasmania
Australia

An experience never to be forgotten is to witness the peak flowering time for rhododendrons in Nepal. In April, 2008, my wife Jenny and I joined a trek organised by Peregrine Adventures to the Ghorepani region in the foothills of the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal. Nepal, which covers an area of 147,181 km ² , stretching 145 to 241 km north to south and 850 km west to east, has a population of 30 million people. Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions, with many Hindu temples sharing the same building complex with Buddhist shrines.

Nepal is land locked between India to the south, east and west and Tibet and China to the north. At a latitude of 26-30° N and a longitude of 80-88° E, Nepal is topographically divided into three regions: the Himalayas to the north, the hills consisting of the Mahabharat Range and the Churia Hills in the middle, and the Terai to the south. Elevation in the country varies from Mt. Everest (8848 m) in the north to Kechana Kalan in Jhapa District at 70 m.

With a group of 12 trekkers plus our English-speaking guide, sherpas and porters, we were able to experience an ultimate rhodo experience in the Ghorepani region of the Annapurnas. After flying from the capital Kathmandu to Pokhara, we travelled by bus along a narrow scenic route above a river valley to the small village of Naya Phul. This was the starting point for our six-day trek, classified easy-moderate for those of reasonable fitness, that completes a circuit via Birethanti up to Deorali (3100 m) and then returns.

This fascinating trek of over 50 km is only accessible by foot and follows ancient trade routes passing though terraced farmlands of wheat and millet. We passed produce being transported by mules, plus a large volume of building goods and supplies being carried by the Nepalese to accommodate the tourists at their Tea Houses. Many small stone villages provide welcome rest breaks and overnight accommodation, with the largest village of the region being Ghandruk. This is where many men come from that serve in British Army Gurkha regiments, and recruiting there continues to this day. Nepal is a relatively poor country, and trekkers help their economy by providing employment for guides, sherpas and porters.

At 2700 m as we approached Tadapani, we entered one of the largest rhododendron forests in the world and saw Rhododendron arboreum trees reaching over 20 m in height, with trunk diameters of a meter, which we found mind boggling. The exposed root systems of these ancient trees showed that many people had trodden this path before us. At this elevation on April 24, 2008, the rhododendrons in this area of high quality soil were just past their peak flowering, and were almost too tall for us to see their flowers from ground level. One can only speculate on their age. Gray langur monkeys ( Semnopithecus sp.) were seen swinging 20 m up amongst the remaining rhododendron flowers.

We spend the evening at Tadapani where locals provide musical entertainment and a 13 year-old girl helped with the domestic chores. We are moved when we realized that this girl has never had the opportunity for schooling, as it was too far for her to trek each day to the nearest school. Many other young women sold colourful craft goods such as bead work and soft yak wool products to supplement their meagre incomes. Most again apparently had no formal education.

Buoyed by the hope to see rhododendrons in full flower if we climbed higher, we departed Tadapani after an outdoor breakfast, which gave us our first brief glimpse through the morning haze of the Annapurna Range. We descended steeply before climbing again towards Deorali at 3100 m. As we climbed, we saw through smog a blaze of colour that beckoned us, allowing us to forget our aching muscles and to enjoy the habitat we were so lucky to be walking through. The sight as we approached Deorali was one never to be forgotten. At this higher elevation, R. arboreum and R. campanulatum were interspersed with companion Abies and Tsuga trees. All these species clung to steep mountain sides and filled the valleys, but could not achieve the large sizes we saw the previous day because of the higher elevation and poorer soils.

Our Tea House accommodation at Deorali was surrounded by colourful market stalls, with deep pink and red flowers overhanging the outdoor tables where we were welcomed with refreshing drinks. We had the afternoon free to enjoy the beauty of the peak flowering of these trees in what is one of the largest rhododendron forests in the world. As we wandered and photographed, we marveled at such a rare and treasured experience, which for us was one of our life's greatest pleasures. The next morning we were up before dawn to ascend the nearby Gurung Hill (3300 m), which gave us more views of the Annapurna Range. Whilst they were shrouded in smog, we saw the silhouette of these magnificent mountains as the sun rose. The smog and haze was a result of the long dry season, exacerbated by pollution even here from neighbouring industrial countries, but we were told the air would soon clear with the coming monsoon season.

While many rhododendron species are native to Nepal, their diversity was limited in the area we visited; a greater diversity in Nepal exists further to the East. We can only imagine the feeling to walk through a native Nepalese forest of the larger leafed R. protistum var. giganteum , which grows to 25 m. I have now been encouraged to plant a couple of these plants in our high rainfall environment here in Tasmania.

The splendour of what we were able to witness in Nepal should place it on the "must do" list for all keen gardeners. This is an experience well within the capabilities for all those of reasonable fitness. The accommodation is basic but clean and comfortable, with simple well prepared meals of local foods. Trekkers only need to carry a day pack as porters will cheerfully shoulder all other luggage. Words are unable to really describe our experience, and while our photos will help you to imagine it, there is only one real way to fully appreciate a Nepalese rhodo forest in its peak flowering - to actually visit it!

Ian Chalk is a member of the Emu Valley Australian Rhododendron Society Chapter.