SNOW LEOPARD EXPEDITION
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Exclusions
Snow Leopards are some of the most elusive animals on earth. Spotting them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, the terrain they live in is high, harsh, and difficult. Participants on our Snow Leopard Tour must be relatively fit, have medical clearance from their physician to be at high altitudes (above 10,000 feet), and should be able to walk 3-6Km (2 – 4 miles) per day in sometimes rough, mountainous terrain. There are always plenty of staff around to help you. We promise you, the sight of a Snow Leopard in the wild is something you will never forget. Our itineraries are built with acclimatization in mind and our staff is well trained to always monitor guests’ well-being. Together, our team is well equipped to handle any emergency that pops up. Tourism Scouts’s guests always have access to oxygen (in the hotel in Leh, in camp, in the car), in case they should need it along with pulse oxymeters to easily measure their blood oxygen content.
| Starting point // Endpoint | Leh |
|---|---|
| Destination Covered | Leh, Ulley |
| Altitude | 3500+ mtrs |
| Difficulty Level | The difficulty level of this trek is from moderate to difficult. The trail will be challenging enough for experienced travellers to get exhausted. |
| Weather | The temperature can drop to -1° and the maximum temperature hardly goes up to 18°c |
Day 1: Arrive Leh
Altitude: 3500m.
Upon Arrival at Leh Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure to acclimatize to the high altitude and rarefied air. Leh is at 11400 feet and the flight up from the plains means that you have to acclimatize gently without pushing yourself. The 2 ½ days scheduled here is the minimum required as you will be going to a higher altitude and will be doing a fair amount of walking. At some point over the next few days in Leh, meet with staff from the Snow Leopard Conservancy for a briefing on the history of snow leopard conservation in Ladakh with insight given into the current threats to snow leopards and the strategy adopted to combat these threats. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Leh
Altitude: 3500m
Today you set out for an extraordinary drive East heading towards Taglang La and the villages of Gya, Lhato and Meru. It’s a fantastic drive taking you away from the valley of the Indus up a subsidiary valley to an extraordinary area even by Ladakhi standards that marks the line where the Indian mainland collided with and drove under Asian land mass. There is some dramatic scenery here and you have a chance of sighting wildlife including Blue sheep, Golden eagles and Bearded vultures. Rafts of Red-billed Choughs perform synchronized aerobatics and in the fallow fields you have the chance of seeing the very beautiful Tibetan Partidge and the more common Chukor partridge. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 3: Leh – Ulley
Altitude: 3500m | Distance: 75Km | Approximate driving time: 03 hours
Drive west today on the road to Kargil and Srinagar, generally following the Indus River. You pass through the small town of Nimmu – one of the most important in Ladakh, where the Zanskar river meets the Indus. After a little over an hour you head north on a road marked to Likir – one of Ladakh’s famous Buddhist monasteries. This is all snow leopard country. The landscape here is even bigger, more expansive and open, until you turn off onto a dirt road, winding up a narrow valley, following a stream called the Ulley Chhu. Smaller valleys intersect and the guides have their heads craned all the time, scanning the hill sides and the skyline for any silhouette. This is excellent Ibex country and there are few more evocative sights than a magnificently horned male Ibex standing vigil on some impossibly narrow outcropping, a few thousand feet over a plunging cliff. Ulley village, west of Leh is an area that is only recently being developed for Snow Leopard watching. Overnight at Lodge.
Day 4 – Day 7: Ulley
Altitude: 3500m
Settle in on arrival and acclimatize to the higher altitude of Ulley. You will be based here over 5 nights and the advantage of Ulley is that it is relatively free of tourism and the chaos that has enveloped some other popular areas. The other advantage is that from here you explore 3 valleys, which, apart from snow leopards, are great for finding urial, Ibex, wolf and Himalayan fox. Over the next few days you explore the area on foot and SUV’s with our spotters tracking the snow leopard. You will be amazed at the sheer dedication and commitment they bring to this trade and the effort they take to ensure that the guests leave happy. They interact closely with the local people and uses the network of local intelligence to narrow down the likely sites. In the process there will also be plenty of opportunity for you to get insights into local folklore, as well as learn about local customs and traditions. Overnight at Lodge.
Day 8: Ulley – Leh
Altitude: 3500m | Distance: 75Km | Approximate driving time: 03 hours
Morning Breakfast and drive to Leh enroute visiting Alchi Monastery. Afternoon free for shopping and to spend time and in Leh Market. Overnight at Hotel. Full board.
Day 9: Depart Leh
A. HOTEL / LODGE
- 08 Nights hotel / Lodge as mentioned above.
B. MEALS & BEVERAGES
- Accommodation based on full board basis in Leh.
- Accommodation based on full board basis in Ulley.
- Tea / Coffee all day in Ulley.
C. TRANSPORT
Transport as per programme using Innova Crysta (Maximum 03 pax per Car).
- Day 01: Arrival transfer from airport to hotel.
- Day 02: Full day sightseeing of Leh.
- Day 03: Transfer from Grand Dragon to Snow Leopard Lodge.
- Day 04 – Day 07: Vehicle will remain on disposal and will be used wildlife spotting.
- Day 08: Transfer from Snow Leopard Lodge to Hotel in Leh.
- Day 09: Departure transfer from hotel to airport.
D. LOCAL GUIDE / NATURALIST / SPOTTERS / TRACKERS
- Services of English-speaking local guide for full day sightseeing of Leh on Day 02.
- Services of resident naturalist at the lodge.
- Services of professional / local spotters and trackers.
E. OTHERS
Oximeter.
Government wildlife permit and Environmental fee (Subject to change without any prior notice).
Community charges (Subject to change without any prior notice).
Oxygen Cylinders.
Any taxes / GST.
Personal Expenses such as laundry bills, telephone bills, drinks (mineral water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), any tips to waiters, porters, drivers, guides.
Any photography equipment.
Any Airfare.
Any entrance fee.
Porters.
Travel & Health Insurance to be arranged and paid for directly by the clients.
Any meals other than the ones mentioned above.
Any early Check-in or late check-out.
Cost arises from road blockage, cancellation of flight and other reasons beyond our control such as any kind of natural calamities.
Any emergency evacuation.
Anything not mentioned in the “Cost Includes” column.