April 2023
Expedition: from April 1 to 12, 2023
Hemis National Park located in Ladakh, India; belongs to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. World famous as the best place to see snow leopards in the wild, it is believed to have the highest density of snow leopards of any protected area in the world.
It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, and the largest protected area in India. The park is bordered to the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak basins, and parts of the Zanskar range.
The observation of the Snow Leopard is the main reason for this trip, although not the only one, our team of trackers are undoubtedly the best at their job and last season they made 100% of the trips a success. All the participants of the trips they are making have managed to see the snow panther and in the vast majority of trips they have been able to see more than 3 specimens.
Something unthinkable just a few years ago, where the leopard was considered a ghost of the Himalayas.
On this trip we will first fly to New Delhi, the capital of India, and from there another plane will take us to Leh, the largest town in the Ladakh region in the Himalayas.
At Leh airport, the SNOW LEOPARD team, our tracker guides on the expedition, will be waiting for us. They will take us to our hotel in Leh, located at an altitude of 3,500m, a 5-star hotel where we will spend the night acclimatising, since during the rest of the days we will ascend in altitude and it is necessary for the body to get used to the slight lack of oxygen. Before dinner, we will be offered a presentation talk about the snow leopard and about the latest movements of the animal, as well as an explanation of all the details of our expedition.
From this moment on, our adventure in Indu land begins and together with our guides we will travel through the vast mountainous territory where the Snow Leopard lives.
The program is an estimate of the activities that we will carry out, but it is totally adaptable to the situations, that is, the schedules can vary based on the needs of the group, the locations can change depending on the weather, etc…
Arrive in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Transfer to the hotel and rest to acclimatize. During the night we will give a briefing on the Snowleopard expedition. Night at the hotel.
After breakfast we will visit the famous Thiksey monastery. Then we will walk through the Induss River area to observe interesting birds in the area: the Picoibis, the Chiffchaff, Hume’s Warbler, Hodgson’s Pipit and the Lone Snipe among others. At sunset we will pay a visit to the Shanti stupa and whoever feels like it to the Leh market. Night at the hotel.
In the morning we go to the town of Ulley, an excursion of approximately 3 hours, reaching 4000 meters of altitude. Along the way we have the possibility to see the Tibetan wolf and the Ladakh urial. In the afternoon we will visit a snow leopard observation point. Night in a local house.
During this day we will explore the Saspotse Valley on foot, habitat of the Asiatic Ibex and the snow leopard. Night at a local house.
After breakfast we move with the vehicle to the Stok valley within the P.N. of Hemis at a height of 3600m. Along the way we can see snow leopard tracks, marking sites, scratches, footprints and feces. Overnight at Shan camp (base camp).
These days we will explore the valleys, tracking the snow leopard and its prey, such as the Himalayan Blue Goat. Nights in Shan camp.
The itinerary will be flexible depending on the presence of fauna.
Descent from the base camp. Transfer to Leh and night in hotel.
Breakfast and farewell. Transfer to the airport and flight to New Dehli.
International flight to our place of origin.
In addition to the snow leopard, we will visit specific points where it is possible to observe the Tibetan Wolf, seen on 6 out of 10 trips, the Eurasian Bear or the Tibetan Fox. There is also a good presence of a multitude of ungulates that are part of the Leopard’s diet and will be visible for much of the route.
We will sleep in hotels, private homes of families that collaborate with the snow leopard conservation project; and at the mountain base camp during the expedition.
In Leh we will eat in the restaurant of the Hotel where we stay.
During the expedition, we have specialist cooks at the base camp where they will prepare all our meals.
In the villages of the region that we visit, we will eat traditional food in the houses of the families that collaborate with the snow leopard conservation project.