Views  of  W. Arunachal Pradesh

Images (Eaglenest)

 by     Ramana  Athreya

Panoramic Views

Eaglenest Pass from near the Sunderview camp. The slope on the right edge of the image climbs up to the Sessa Peak.	Looking south from the Eagle- nest Pass down the Sunderview valley	Sessa peak from Eaglenest

A panoramic view of the western ridges of Eaglenest from  above Bompu. Bhutan lies just beyond the last ridge.		Central section of the w. ridges  - pristine pathless wilderness!

The Hathi nallah ridge behind Sessni  -  from just below Bompu	The foothills fade away into the haze of the Assam plains. Sessni is  at the near end of the visible road,  Khellong  just beyond the main ridge, and Doimara in the broad river valley

Vegetation Types

What makes Eaglenest a prime birding area is the proximity of roadside scrub to primary forest  just a few metres away. Regeneration passes through various stages including banana and bamboo, i.e. if elephants allow the banana and bamboo to pass unmolested!
		Bompu-Sessni road   -   1800m
Bompu - Sessni road   -    1600m	Below Eaglenest Pass   -   2600m	Chakoo - Bompu road  -  2400m
Bhooth kolai    -    2300m	Elephant dining room	Bamboo stands at Bompu

Canopy Views

Two views of the canopy in the subtropical forest below Bompu at 1500m

This montage of 3 images shows progressively closer views of the subtropical forest at 2200m on the hillslope to the right. The hills look smooth not only on distant views - the canopy presents a closed front even from up close.

Eaglenest is perhaps the only extensive stretch of montane forest which is pristine and yet has a road passing through it - and this is true across 3000m of altitude!

This temperate forest canopy at 2700-3200m, just off the road at Eaglenest Pass, would do any tea-garden proud, presenting as it does an unbroken surface from top to bottom!

Campsites

The Sunderview GREF campsite Located at 2465m this site has lots of camping area, water brought from a nearby stream through bamboo pipes and a concrete structure which can shelter 2-3 people. This shack is typical of the shacks at other locations in Eaglenest. The bamboo huts sprinkled around the area used to house the large workforce upgrading the road. Further work on the road, started by the army without approval of the Forest Dept, has been stayed by the Supreme Court pending a final judgment.

View from the Sessni Campsite Sessni, at 1250m, overlooks a vast bay in the hills and is situated in the midst of excellent upper-tropical forest.

View from Khellong Situated at 750m just below the sanctuary boundary Khellong is ideal as a base for the entire lower reaches of the park from Doimara to Sessni.