In the valley of Shamballa tropical ocean current from the south pushes warmer wetter air through this valley that other parts of Sakria. While the winters in this region are still cold and snowy the warm valley of Shamballa with thick forests of fir trees pines, beach trees, and larches with understories of giant ferns and clubmosses appear lush against the surrounding landscape of frozen mountains and tundra. The trunks of the alpine woods are overgrown with enormous tufts of lichens, mosses, and liverworts that encrust the trunks of the trees. This gives the alpine forests of Shamballa an ethereal and hauntingly beautiful appearance. These high altitude forests are called “Dream Woods” and are host to golden monkeys, red pandas, and brightly colored pheasants. Bearded wild boars hunt for mushrooms and beetle grubs among the fallen britches and tangle of ferns. Beautiful flowers peek from between the carpet of moss following the snowmelts here to take advantage of the light before the forest canopy and ferns overwhelm them.