Pioneering Snow Leopard Safari February 2013

Track the Snow Leopards of Ladakh with World Big Cat Safaris and the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, from £2,250 per person sharing, Excluding International Flights

This exclusive World Big Cat Safaris itinerary is a once in a lifetime chance to join the experts in the search for the elusive snow leopards of Ladakh.

Accompanied by one of the best snow leopard spotters in the world, every attempt will be made to track this beautiful predator. Time will also be spent meeting the local people, tasting the local cuisine and admiring the local cultures, traditions and religions. Accommodation is in tented camps in prime wildlife areas and local village home stays.

Join us now on a rare quest for the elusive snow leopard on our exclusive small group trip… sightings are not guaranteed and if this elusive leopard is sighted it is often at a distance where a spotting scope is required, but this trip is about the all round spirit of adventure and the outstanding location as well as the wildlife. Other than the snow leopards, we hope to see includes, Golden Eagles, Argali, Blue Sheep and Red Fox.

Please bear in mind that the itinerary, whilst you are staying at Husing, may change as we move and camp according to the movements of the snow leopards.

Feb 15
Upon arrival into Delhi International Airport you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your accommodation where you will be able to relax after you flight, prior to your adventures of the last couple of weeks.
Overnight: Mantra Amaltas – A contemporary boutique hotel in the heart of New Delhi, with well appointed rooms and the finest in Indian hospitality. Perfect for your stopover before flying to Leh.

Feb 16
An early start this morning, as you transfer to Delhi airport for your flight to Leh, then transfer to your hotel, where you will be met with a warm drink and briefing on your adventures to come. The rest of the day is yours to relax and acclimatise to the low oxygen levels.
Overnight: Hotel Omasila or Grand Dragon – These are both great properties, with stunning views and decent rooms. The Grand Dragon is our preferred choice; however this may not be available due to local issues, in which case we will use the Omasila - (B/L/D)

Feb 17
A relaxed start this morning before you visit the Shey, Thikse and Hemis monasteries, as well as Stok Palace, giving you an experience of Tibetan Buddhism, prevelant for centuries.

Shey Palace and Monastery were both constructed in 1655, the palace and adjacent fort are in ruins but the monastery is in use to this day. Inside you will find a 39-foot statue made of gilded copper of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the second largest statue of its type in Ladakh. Thikse Gompa is an impressive imitation of Lhasa’s Potala Palace, dramatically perched on a slope overlooking the Indus Valley. Within one of the newly built structures lies a three-story statue of the Maitreya Buddha, one of the most beautiful pieces of religious art in Ladakh. Founded in the 1630s by Stags-Tsang-Ras-Pa under the royal patronage of the great ruler of Ladakh, Sengge Namgyal, Hemis is the largest and richest Monastery in the area.
Overnight: Hotel Omalisa or Grand Dragon (B/L/D)

Feb 18
Today you will set of towards Hemis High National Park in Zingchen by car, about an hours drive. You will then leave your vehicle and trek deeper into the beautiful gorge towards Husing Camp, taking about an hour and a half and arriving in time for lunch.

Husing is at the intersection of three prominent valleys and is know globally as “the world capital of the Snow Leopard”. Snow leopards have been spotted mating here twice recently on its high ridge line.
Overnight: Husing Tented Camp (Alt – 3,700 metres) – A row of 2 person ‘crawl-in’ tents (technically they are 3 person, however we recommend only two so there is space for luggage), each with comfortable mattresses and hot water bottles. There are basic toilets and a dining tent with tables and chairs serving basic Chinese, Ladakhi and Continental cuisine, all cooked fresh. The camp is manned by an experienced chef and great support staff. Tents are Mountain Hardware Trango 3.1 Expedition Series (B/L/D)

Feb 19, 20, 21, 22
For these 4 days your movements will depend entirely on that of the snow leopard, thus flexibility is the key and a major part of the excitement. A typical day begins with bed tea at about 6.30am, before scanning the ridge lines until about 7.30am. The movements of the snow leopard are usually good during dawn and dusk, so these are important parts of the day, not to be missed. Early mornings are chilly, so it is a good idea to be well equipped, keeping hands and face covered from the bitter cold.

At about 8am you will head out to either Husing Nala or Rumbak Doh, depending on the movement of the snow leopards and scouting information. We may also hike out to Tarbunj Valley, a slow and steady climb that gets narrower as you get deeper. Numerous kills have been found here and there is always a good chance of finding one, the further in you go. The mountains around Rumbak provide a unique biodiversity, with four different species of wild sheep and goats, namely Ibex, Blue Sheep, Ladakh Urial and Tibetan Argali. Blue sheep is the predominant prey for the snow leopard population in the area.

You will have a warm packed lunch around 12.30, spending the rest of the day scanning then heading back to camp around 5pm for hot drinks. You will then keep a watch out for the cats as night falls, before dinner at about 6.30pm. A guide will usually be around at dinner to sit with the group and discuss the plan of action for the next day. They will also help clarify any doubts or answer any queries you may have.

Throughout the day you will learn how to interpret the movements of the leopard through techniques of smelling of rock spray (smell of urine of the leopard), reading of pug marks, scrape (digging of ground by the animal), scat (stool) and rock-face rubbing of the snow leopard. Your trip leader and expert will also share local traditional knowledge on how to identify the hunt patterns and kill spots of the snow leopard.
Overnight: Husing Tented Camp (B/L/D)

Feb 23
Today we break camp and shift towards Rumbak Village, known as the ‘snow leopard capital of the world’. Here you will have the chance to stay in home stays which offer you a unique opportunity to stay with and share the culture of the Ladakhi people in remote villages during the night, and explore the rugged habitat of the endangered snow leopard during the day. By staying with the local people of Ladakh you help generate an income for the villagers through tourism and also in promoting the benefits of “snow leopard tourism”. Rumbak also offers excellent vistas into the higher ridges where the snow leopards hunt, so we can maximise our chances of spotting snow leopards at every opportunity. During this trip, you will climb up to 4,600 metres and look out for Tibetan sheep towards Yurutse pasture.
Overnight: Village Houses, Rumbak – twin share, basic clean and comfortable accommodation with dry composting toilets. There are no showers here, however hot water may be provided in buckets if needed. Solar light or candlelight makes for an atmospheric stay! (B/L/D)

Feb 24
Today we make our way up towards the higher grounds of Husing Pass (4,450 metres), where you will find spectacular views. This location also offers the possibility of seeing other wildlife such as baral (blue sheep), red fox, lammergeyer, golden eagle, yellow beaked chough and the Tibetan magpie. This evening, hike down to Sumdo to continue the search.
Overnight: Village Houses, Rumbak (B/L/D)

Feb 25
After breakfast, hike for 3 to 4 hours towards Ganda la base, a faint trail where we will come across the quaint village of Yurutse (a single housed village). This valley offers great chances to come across the globally threatened Tibetan argali, a small population of which colonized this part in the 1970’s. Argali is a magnificent wild sheep and the males grow enormous horns. The area is also good for Eurasian Lynx, woolly hare and Tibetan wolf. Late in the afternoon we return back to Rumbak.
Overnight: Village Houses, Rumbak (B/L/D)

Feb 26
Spend the morning exploring the area around Stok la Base, returning to camp for lunch before venturing through the Kharlung area in the evening.
Overnight: Husing Tented Camp (B/L/D)

27 Feb
This morning we trek back to Zinchen where we board our vehicles to be driven back to Leh. The rest of the day is at your disposal to relax, enjoy your surroundings and have a hot shower. You can also head out to the local markets for some culture and souvenir shopping.
Overnight: Hotel Omalisa or Grand Dragon (B/L/D)

28 Feb
Early this morning you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the airport to board your return flight to Delhi. The flight provides spectacular views of the Zanskar Range to the west, including the two peaks of Nun and Kun, while to the north you easily spot K2, the second highest peak on Earth. Towards the east is the spectacular Chang Thang plateau whose landscape is dominated by vast turquoise lakes and rolling mountains. Upon arrival in Delhi, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel where you have a chance to relax and reminisce over the adventures of the last couple of weeks.
Overnight: Mantra Amaltas (B/L/D)

01 March

This morning you depart your hotel and transfer to the airport in time for your international flight back home (B)

If we do not get to see the snow leopards in the first few days we will move to Ulley (about 4 hours drive) to see the Asiatic Ibex. This is a completely different valley in Western Ladakh which has 7 or 8 snow leopards, according to the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust’s surveys; we usually spot the Ladakh Urial and sometimes the Tibetan Wolves on the way.

Guiding
During the expedition you will be in very good hands, your expert guide will be Jigmet Dadul, who has been working with the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust for over 10 years. He is easily one of the best snow leopard spotters in the world, with over 20 sightings in the last 10 years. Apart from Jigmet, K.C Namgyal and a team of scouts and helpers who have the ability to spot the cats, and even the cooks have managed to spot the elusive ‘Shan’ as it is locally known.