The footpath winds through barley fields fringed by Himalayan birch.

In Kashmir, early scholars recounted that all of their books were written on Himalayan Birch bark until the 16th century.

The route passes through scenic Himalayan birch forests, but is made hazardous in places by falling rocks, high altitude and segments of steep ascent.

Betula utilis (Himalayan birch or Bhoj Patra)

The bark of Betula utilis (Himalayan Birch) is still used today in India and Nepal for writing sacred mantras.

The bark of Himalayan birch was used centuries ago in India as paper for writing lengthy scriptures and texts in Sanskrit and other scripts, particularly in historical Kashmir.

The Trans-Himalayan slope lands consist of some rhododendron, caragana shrubs, salix, juniper, white Himalayan birch, and the occasional silver fir dominate the high meadows of the Himalayas.

Surrounding the room on three sides is a 1,500-square-foot terraced garden of limestone and South American hardwood, planted with Japanese maples, lilac trees, Russian sage, hydrangeas and Himalayan birch trees.

Rhododendron campanulatum, Abies spectabilis, and birch (Betula utilis) form another common assemblage.