India: In Search of the Elusive Snow Leopard 15 to 28 November, 2012
8 Places Available Price: US$3350
Species of Interest
Tour Gallery
Species of Interest
- Snow Leopard
- Wolf
- Dhole
- Kiang
- Bharal
- Himalayan Ibex
- Tibetan Argali
- Ladakh Urial
- Long-tailed Marmot
- Himalayan Marmot
- Royle’s Pika
- Bearded Vulture
- Himalayan Griffon
- Himalayan Buzzard
- Upland Buzzard
- Golden Eagle
- Saker Falcon
- Chukar Partridge
- Himalayan Snowcock
- Hill Pigeon
- Snow Pigeon
- Wallcreeper
- Red-billed Chough
- Yellow-billed Chough
- Dusky Thrush
- Güldenstädt’s Redstart
- Brown Dipper
- Tibetan Snowfinch
- Robin Accentor
- Brown Accentor
- Black-throated Accentor
- Red-fronted Serin
- Brandt’s Mountain Finch
- Plain Mountain Finch
- Streaked Rosefinch
Perhaps one of the most elusive of the wild felines, the Snow Leopard is a secretive, solitary creature that inhabits expansive, rugged terrain in one of the harshest environments on the planet – The Himalayas. Very few people have the chance to observe this animal in the wild – the lucky ones might merely catch glimpses of its shadowy figure as it passes swiftly by on silent feet.
A journey in search of this species requires patience, perseverance, a sense of adventure, and acceptance of what the wilderness has to offer. The shy nature of the snow leopard and the unforgiving terrain, coupled with the relative rarity of these cats, makes the chances of actually seeing a snow leopard, especially in a relatively short period of time, slim. However, the search in itself and spending time in the harsh beauty of the landscape is an opportunity few people are afforded. The journey itself is a once in a lifetime experience and the intrepid will be rewarded with chances to see a variety of interesting and rare wildlife while surrounded by breath-taking scenery.
Other local land predators include Wolf and Wild Dog. Aerial predators such as Golden Eagles can be seen, along with bearded vultures. Mountain specialists most likely to be seen feeding on sun-drenched hills are Tibetan and Himalayan Snowcocks and Chukar Partridge. Other local fauna include the blue sheep or Bharal, an important component of the Snow Leopard’s diet, Ibex, Kiang or Wild ass, Long-tailed and Himalayan Marmot, Tibetan hare, the pika or mouse hare.
Lest we forget, there are also human inhabitants in these rugged mountains. Their culture is steeped in traditional Buddhism practice and this trip will include visits to some of their magnificent monasteries and picturesque villages.
Please note: We have done reconnaissance in the regions mentioned below and after speaking with the locals and the experts we have come up with the following itinerary. Despite our best efforts, seeing a snow leopard often depends on your luck, which you’ll have to bring along!
Trip Basics
Guide: Patrick Benson
Single Room Suplement: 450 US$
Length: 14 days
Maximum number of persons per group: 10
Accommodation: Comfortable hotel while in Leh. We’ll stay in tented camps while searching for the Snow Leopard
Food: Good food while in Leh, As most of our days will be spent away from our campsite in order to maximize our time looking for the snow leopard, our lunch will be brought to the field, which will include a hot casserole, with a warm flask with soups and a stove for heating
Weather: As we are going to be in the Himalayas in winter, very low temperatures and snow are expected
Difficulty: Medium-high. We might have to hike for hours, sometimes in harsh terrain and cold weather
Notes and Recommendations for the tripItinerary
Day 1
Early this morning after a quick cup of tea/coffee you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Leh. This one-hour flight from the Indian capital to Ladakh’s capital will be something that you might remember for the rest of your life. Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel. There will be no activity on your first day of arrival as it is recommend for tourists to relax and undergo minimal exertion to enable them to get acclimatized to rarefied oxygen level in this high-altitude region ensconced in the high Himalayan plateau. Overnight at the hotel in Leh.
Day 2
In the morning we will participate in a guided tour through the ancient bazaar and alleys of Leh Town. In the afternoon, we will visit the Sankar Monastery and will wrap up the day’s program with a visit to Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda built on a hillock. Your visit to the pagoda will be timed in such a way that you will enjoy a spectacular and panoramic view of the sun-drenched Indus Valley before sunset. Overnight at the hotel in Leh.
Day 3
After a leisurely breakfast, we drive to Hemis Monastery situated 45 kilometers west of Leh, after passing through the Chortens and Mani walls to enter the complex through the East Gate. Hemis is the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh. From Hemis, we will return on the same route, taking time to visit the Thiksey Monastery, located on a hillock with formidable views of the Indus Valley. Thiksey is especially noteworthy for its gigantic seated statue of the Maitreya and is also known for its Dukhang, assembly hall, which houses hundreds of rectangular prayer books, stacked between wooden covers and bound in silk. After that we continue our drive through a series of chortens to Shey Palace, the former summer palace of the King of Ladakh. Overnight at the hotel in Leh.
Day 4-6
In the early morning, we will travel to Rumchung Village, a two-house town, via a route along the Indus River. Upon our arrival, we will be met by our support staff, which includes our cook and his assistant, the camp manager. We then continue to walk to our base camp, Rumchung Lotos, where we will be camping for the next 3 days. Each day we will have different valleys to discover. Ramchung is one valley where snow leopards visit often, due to the rich winter pasture for the Bharal/Ibex. We will search for tracks and other signs that may lead us closer to this elusive cat. We will walk toward Serlung and Rumchung Dok during our search.
Day 7-9
Today, after an early breakfast, we depart Rumchung Village to another valley, which is known for various leopard sightings. We will continue our walk passing Zingchan Village, which again consists of two to three houses, and following a path that crosses a stream. We will cross some small bridges, before we finally reach our base camp just below Hozing Valley. The base camp is marked with a Buddhist flag. This is a very rustic campsite, but the best that is available around the valley. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the surrounding area, followed with a briefing by our guide. Hozing Valley is a very interesting spot with good potential for spotting the snow leopard, as the valley also has good winter grazing, where again you will find the Bharal - a delicacy for our cat! Additionally spring waters run through here all throughout the winter, while other stream waters elsewhere are frozen. Finally, the valley provides the snow leopard with a good degree of camouflage with its rocky, stark jagged mountains.
Day 10-12
Today, after a very early breakfast, we will depart towards Hozing Valley and continue on towards Tarbung Valley, which will also require a full day in the field, so we will have a packed lunch.
We will continue towards Rumbak village, where we will camp for the next three days. The next three days will be spent visiting Rumbak Village, talking with the local village people in order to get an insight into what life is like in these remote villages. As our search continues, we will walk towards Kharlung Valley which is situated high up on a mountain. From here we can get an aerial view of the surrounding area, before we continue our walk towards Yurutse Village.
Day 13
Today, we will have the option to make an additional visit in search of the elusive cat before we depart. Our camp staff will begin with the packing and then walk towards Zingchan Village, where we will have our vehicles waiting to pick us up to take us back to Leh. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 14
Today you will be woken up early in the morning, after a hot cup of tea/coffee you will be driven to the airport to connect with your flight to New Delhi. This will be your last opportunity to catch the spectacular views of the Himalayan ranges before heading home.