Search for snow leopards…Explore the dramatic and stunning Himalayas on the quest for a rare sighting of the most elusive cat in the world! Experience the charming hospitality of the mountain dwellers…and become one of the elite few who have sighted this rare cat

The very name evokes all that is most wild, mysterious and elusive in nature – for this is an animal that comes cloaked not just in the subtle beauty of its own coat but also in all the high drama of the harsh and magnificent environment that it dominates.

To search for snow leopards would appear to be the most forlorn of quests and yet it is in the nature of such quests that the rewards lie as much in the journeying and the search as in the stated objective. The chances of actually seeing a snow leopard, especially in a relatively short period, are slim indeed. The reclusive nature of the animal, the inhuman scale and vertical topography of the habitat, the relative sparseness of snow leopards on the ground all combine to frustrate the seeker. But the snow leopard of the himalayas does not occupy this environment alone, it sits at the apex of a rich and diverse pyramid and in searching for this master predator you will be exploring its environment and all that live in it in some detail.

The diverse and rare assemblage of fauna includes the blue sheep or bharal, the staple of snow leopard diet, ibex, kiang or wild ass, long-tailed and Himalayan marmots, Tibetan hare, the pika or mouse hare, wolf, wild dog and fox. The skies are patrolled by golden eagle, bearded vultures, hobbys and kestrels while on sunny hill-slopes plump Tibetan and Himalayan snow cocks and chukor partridge feed warily.

This hardy trekking adventure, at times that give one the best opportunity to see snow leopards in lower pastures because of the winter snows, is also an opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of these stone-hard mountain people and to understand the gentle and cheerful Buddhism that they practice. You will have time to visit some of their great monasteries as well as their picturesque villages, staying in one or more of the award winning homestays started by the Snow Leopard Conservancy.

Costs 2008

From £2,475 per person based on twin share room and tent.
Based on a minimum of 3 people travelling together.

Travelling from outside the UK
We are happy to quote you either in US dollars or Euros – without flights to the destination city. Because of recent currency fluctuations we will quote you separately for this. Please do contact us for the price.

This includes return scheduled international flights, all meals excluding lunch and dinner in Delhi, all domestic flights, transportation, all accommodation and tentage, arrangements as per the itinerary, a US$200 contribution to Snow Leopard Conservancy of India, expert tour leader, local guides, porterage and services. The expertise of Rinchen Wangchuk or one of the other snow leopard researchers who heads up the Snow Leopard Conservancy in Ladakh.

Single Supplements
No single supplement is payable if you are willing to share but we cannot find you a roommate. If you want guaranteed single room and tent the cost is £425pp.

Weather
Our trips are specially planned to optimise your chances of seeing snow leopards, namely when they are lower down in the valleys following the domestic flocks and prey.

At this time of year, most passes may still be snow bound, the both days and nights are very cold and even during the day the temperature drops when out of the sun, so proper high quality winter clothing and footwear is essential at this time. July & August is a recognised trekking period in these mountains with warmer temperatures at night and hot during the day but less chance of seeing snow leopards or even signs of them.

This Trip Supports..

Snow Leopard Conservancy

Field Expertise

Rinchen Wangchuk

Rinchen serves as India Field Programme Director, based in Leh, Ladakh. He oversees Snow Leopard Conservancy projects in local livestock herding communities, and provides necessary input for developing the ongoing program. His commitment to working for the welfare of both the wildlife and the rural people of Ladakh has grown out of his own Ladakhi village upbringing, and from his experiences as a skilled mountaineer.

With fellow Indian climbers, he summited the 24,660 foot Saser Kangri II, in Ladakh’s Nubra region. He received special training in community-based tourism from The Mountain Institute (Nepal) and RECROFT (Thailand).

He has served as a naturalist and assistant on several documentaries filmed in Hemis National Park including the soon to be released BBC Wildlife on One programme.

He or one of his research colleagues guides each trek.

Click here to see his trip

“My Ladakh photos arrived home this morning…what a super trip this was. Lovely friendly people and magnificent scenery. I want to go back next year..it’s worth the search, a breathtaking part of the world.”
Pat Blair March 2006