SNOW LEOPARDS & WILDLIFE OF LADAKH, INDIA – In Search of the Grey Ghost of the Mountains

Photographic Highlights

• A magical search for one of the world's rarest and most elusive cats, the Snow Leopard
• Travel through endless incredible mountain desert scenery where colourful lines of prayer flags reach up to the heavens
• A wide variety of mountain wildlife including Blue Sheep, Siberian Ibex, Tibetan Wolf and pikas
• The beautiful Ibisbill feeding in the shallows, along the stony banks of the rushing River Indus
• The warmth and friendliness of the Ladakhi people
• Buddhist monasteries perched on hilltops and friendly, colourful monks
• Learn to spot signs of the presence of the grey ghost of the mountains, looking for its tracks, scent marks and scats
• Watch evening shadows creeping up sunlit mountainsides as Snow Leopards stir from their daytime slumber
• Hearing the crack of Blue Sheep’s massive horns as rams indulge in head-butting contests
• Impressive male Siberian Ibex in their white-saddled, thick winter coats
• The prehistoric-looking Lammergeier (or Bearded Vulture) is a common sight as it soars above the vast mountain landscape in search of a bony meal
• Walk in a sacred grove of junipers, where their twisted and gnarled forms have witnessed centuries of history
• Coveys of striking Tibetan Partridges scratching a living in the most barren of environments
• Kiangs (or Asiatic Wild Asses) grazing the sparse dry grasses of the Tibetan Plateau
• Grey Wolves prowling the wide-open landscapes of Tso Kar in the east of Ladakh
• Delightful Tibetan Sandgrouse can be confiding as they scuttle among miniature sand dunes on the roof of the world
• Petroglyphs carved on rocks depict the same animals that lived here 2,000 years ago!
• Camping in the Himalaya in winter is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people and we do our best to make it as cosy as possible!

PRICE INFORMATION

Wild Images Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

Our tour prices also include all tips for local guides, drivers, camp staff and accommodation/restaurant staff.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement covers the hotel nights in Leh. During the camping nights all participants have their own individual tent. At the homestay (3 nights) there are twin rooms, but anyone wanting single accommodation is welcome to use a tent.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

SNOW LEOPARDS OF LADAKH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1

Our Ladakh wildlife photography tour starts early this morning at Leh airport (flights from Delhi generally arrive at breakfast time). We will be transferred to our hotel in Leh for an overnight stay.

The flight over the Western Himalayas from Delhi to Ladakh is usually spectacular, with views of ice- and snow-encrusted peaks stretching away towards the horizon. As Leh is situated at an altitude of about 3,300m or 10,800ft, we will take it easy today and start to get adjusted to the thin air of Ladakh.

Ladakh is one of the few remaining abodes of Tibetan Buddhism and the Leh area is home to a number of impressive religious buildings, including the Shey, Thikse, Spituk and Stok monasteries. These show unique prayer wheels, chortens (stupas), statues of Buddha, thangkas (Tibetan silk paintings) and prayer flags. This afternoon we will pay a visit to Thikse monastery, which is a wonderful place for photography.

We will also explore a couple of interesting areas for bird photography near Leh. The town is situated in the Indus valley, not far from where the Zanskar river joins its turbulent waters, and a ribbon of vegetation lines the river in this otherwise barren landscape. Human settlements, however, are more richly vegetated due to irrigation and are surrounded by fertile fields and trees. Natural vegetation commonly seen along water courses includes Tibetan Buckthorn, willows, wild roses, Tamarisk and caraway, while natural vegetation in the unirrigated desert around Leh includes capers, rhubarb and several species of aromatic Artemisia (wormwood).

A few pairs of the strange but beautiful Ibisbill inhabit the shingle banks of the Indus river. Small marshes and pools hold Mallard and other wildfowl, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, White Wagtail and Water Pipit. In the willow groves and fallow fields, we should find species like Oriental Turtle Dove, Black Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Güldenstadt’s (or White-winged) Redstart, Eurasian Magpie, Red-billed Chough, Cinereous Tit and perhaps Black-throated Thrush.

Day 2

After breakfast, we will transfer to the roadhead in Hemis National Park, situated at an altitude of about 3,600m or 11,800ft.

From the roadhead, it is only a little over an hour’s walk, gently uphill alongside a river, to our campsite situated at about 3,700m or 12,100ft. Our luggage will be carried by donkeys and ponies and during our walk, we will get acquainted with the more common birds and mammals of these magnificent mountains. After settling into our camp, where we will spend six nights, we will have our first opportunity to look for Snow Leopards from a nearby viewpoint.

 As everyone will soon realize, landscape photography in Ladakh is simply amazing and the contrast between the wild gorges of Hemis and the wide Indus valley is startling.

Days 3–7

We will spend our time at Hemis looking for Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep (their main prey species) and other wildlife, while enjoying the truly spectacular scenery. Photography opportunities are very varied and will likely include many encounters with Blue Sheep and usually some chances to get reasonable or better images of Snow Leopards.

Hemis National Park is a high altitude area in the eastern Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is India’s only protected wildlifew sanctuary inside the Palearctic (temperate Eurasian) ecozone and with its 4,400 square kilometres it is presently the largest national park in South Asia. The park is bounded on the north by the Indus River, and includes the catchments of the Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak rivers, and parts of the Zanskar Range. The park houses numerous Tibetan gompas and holy chortens within its boundaries. These include the famous 400-year old Hemis Monastery. Hemis was a destination and transit point on the silk routes across the Tibetan Plateau. The highest mountain in the park is Stok Kangri (6,123m or 20,090ft), which dominates the area and offers simply magnificent views.

Hemis National Park is probably the best place in the world to try to see the fabled Snow Leopard. The park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 of these big cats. This magnificent mammal occupies alpine and subalpine areas, generally between 3,350 and 6,700m (11,000 and 22,000ft) in Ladakh, and is currently restricted to the mountain ranges of Central Asia in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The geographic distribution of the Snow Leopard runs from the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and the Syr Darya through the Pamir Mountains, the Tian Shan, the Karakoram, Kashmir, the Kunlun, and the Himalayas to southern Siberia, where the range covers the Russian Altai mountains, the Sayan, the Tannu-Ola mountains and the mountains to the west of Lake Baikal. In Mongolia, the Snow Leopard is found in the Mongolian and Gobi Altai and the Khangai Mountains. In Tibet it is found up to the Altyn-Tagh in the north. The total estimated Snow Leopard population is 4,080-6,590. However, the effective global Snow Leopard population (those likely to reproduce) is suspected to be fewer than 2,500. The Snow Leopard features on the endangered species list as it is still widely poached and persecuted for its coat and as a recent substitute for the high-priced tiger bones used for Chinese medicine. Other individuals are killed by herders because of raids on domestic stock., although mercifully this is diminishing in some areas because of the influence of Snow Leopard tourism, which is helping change the attitudes of the Ladakhis and provide an economic incentive to view Snow Leopards in a different light!

Hemis National Park is an especially good habitat for the Snow Leopard as it has abundant prey populations. The prey base for this apex predator is primarily supported by Bharal (Blue Sheep, Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep), Ladakh Urial (Shapu) and livestock. Smaller wildlife prey consists of marmots, Woolly Hares, pikas, various rodents, and birds such as Himalayan Snowcock and Chukar. Considerable predation of domestic livestock occurs, which brings it into direct conflict with humans. Loss of natural prey animals due to over-grazing by domestic livestock, poaching and defence of livestock are the major cause for the decreasing population of Panthera uncia. Snow Leopards have not been reported to attack humans, and appear to be among the least aggressive of all the big cats. As a result, they are easily driven away from livestock; they readily abandon their kills when threatened and may not even defend themselves when attacked.

Snow leopards are smaller than the other big cats and stand about 60cm (24 inches) at the shoulder. They have long thick fur, and their base colour varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. They have dark grey to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the same colour on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or grey in colour. Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold mountainous environment. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. Snow Leopards’ tails are long, very thick and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain they inhabit. Their tails are very thick due to the storage of fats and are very thickly covered with fur, which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep, as well as serving as a counterweight when they are moving or climbing rapidly. The Snow Leopard cannot roar and its vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls and wails.

Snow Leopards usually live above the tree line in mountainous meadows and in rocky regions. They prefer broken terrain and can travel without difficulty in snow up to 85cm (33 inches) deep, although they prefer to use existing trails made by other wildlife or domestic stock. Like other cats, the Snow Leopard uses scent markings to indicate its territory and common travel routes. These are most commonly produced by scraping the ground with the hind feet before depositing urine or scat, but they also spray urine onto sheltered patches of rock and mark protruding rocks with their cheek glands. They are crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk. They are known for being extremely secretive and well camouflaged.

We will spend the best part of every day scanning the nearby and more distant mountain slopes in the hope of finding and photographing this most wanted creature. We will be amidst some of the most impressive mountain scenery the world has on offer. Our man on the spot has an uncanny rapport with ‘The Cat’ and knows the best areas to find this elusive creature. He will point out the pug marks, show us the scrapes and scat and encourage us to smell the scent marks under overhanging rocks. We stand a very high chance of getting to grips with one of the most mythical animals on earth, perhaps several times, but we will have to keep our eyes open as this beautiful animal can be extremely difficult to spot due to its secretive and elusive nature and perfect camouflage. Once detected it has the ability to vanish in front of the eyes of the observer and the name ‘the grey ghost’ given to it by local people refers to this remarkable characteristic.

As well as ‘The Cat’, we should encounter a nice selection of other mammals in these forbidding mountains. The Bharal or Blue Sheep is the most abundant mountain ungulate in Ladakh. This gregarious animal displays characteristics of both sheep and goat and lives on high altitude pastures, steep rocky slopes and open hillsides. The Ladakh Urial or Shapu is another unique mountain sheep that inhabits these mountains. The population is declining, however, and presently there are not more 3000 individuals left in Ladakh. The Urial is endemic to Ladakh, where it is distributed only along two major river valleys, the Indus and Shayok. The squat Himalayan Marmot is abundant on open, grassy stone-strewn slopes, but all or most will be hibernating at this season. Other interesting mammals here include Woolly Hare, Royle’s Pika, Red Fox and the extremely agile Mountain Weasel.

The birdlife of these barren mountains is limited and is distinctly Palearctic (temperate Eurasian) in character. We will surely hear the characteristic whistles of Himalayan Snowcocks emanating from high meadows and spot this large gamebird while it searches the alpine meadows for bulbs and tubers, or calls from a prominent point. Chukars abound and favour the vicinity of fields and villages. Rock and Hill Pigeons, and sometimes Snow Pigeons, can be found on precipitous cliffs. The raptor guild is well represented and we should find Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier), Himalayan Vulture, Golden Eagle and Saker. Torrents are inhabited by both White-throated and Brown Dippers, while birding the small damp areas can turn up Solitary Snipe. Common Ravens patrol the skies and vocal parties of Red-billed and Alpine (or Yellow-billed) Choughs forage on the slopes. Birding in the scrubby areas should reveal Robin Accentors and Streaked Rosefinches. Other species we should find here on our birding excursions include Black-winged (or Adams’s) Tibetan Snowfinch, Brown Accentor, Red-fronted Serin, Twite, Plain Mountain Finch and perhaps also Blyth’s Rosefinch and Rock Bunting.

Day 8

After a final day at Hemis, we will retrace our steps to Leh for a very welcome night in our comfortable hotel!

Day 9

This morning we will drive to the remote Ladakhi village of Ullay (or Ulley) for a three nights stay at a simple village guesthouse. This afternoon we begin our explorations of the Ullay area.

Days 10-11

We will explore the surroundings of a Ladakhi village situated at about 4,000m (13,000 ft), staying with a charming local family with a keen interest in wildlife for three nights. Here we will have further chances for Snow Leopard sightings and we will also be looking for such interesting wildlife as Grey Wolf and Siberian Ibex, both of which are regularly seen in this area. This is also a great area for finding Urial, yet another wild goat species characteristic of Ladakh.

Day 12

After a final morning around Ullay, we will return to Leh for a well deserved overnight stay at our comfortable hotel.

Day 13

Today we will drive to Tso Kar, a remote saline lake situated on the Tibetan Plateau in eastern Ladakh, where we will stay for two nights.

Our journey will take us along the course of the awesome Indus Gorge and as we continue eastwards in the direction of its source, near Mount Kailash in Tibet, the sacred river narrows and becomes a rushing Himalayan torrent, sometimes flowing under sheets of ice. One cannot underestimate the importance of the river to the subcontinent. For neighbouring Pakistan, the Indus provides much of the irrigation of its main agricultural region, the Punjab. Even the name India is derived from the Indus. Our route will take us along one of the world’s most spectacular roads as we pass through some very impressive mountain scenery in the deep gorge.

We will make a couple of stops along the way where side valleys join the Indus. Here we should find Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier), Solitary Snipe, the extraordinary Wallcreeper, White-throated Dipper, Black-throated and Robin Accentors, and Black-winged (or Tibetan) Snowfinch. We should see our first Kiangs (or Tibetan Wild Ass) before we ascend the Polongkongka La pass.

Day 14

During our time at Tso Kar we can expect to have great encounters with the attractively patterned Kiang (or Tibetan Wild Ass). Tibetan Argali (or Nyan) should also be encountered. This is the largest wild sheep in the world, standing 3.5 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2m) at the shoulder, the rams sporting an impressive set of horns, some measuring as much as 190 cm (6.2 ft) in length and weighing up to 23 kg (51 lb)! Grey Wolves are also frequently seen in this area and still pose a threat to the livestock of animal herders here. Guinea-pig like Ladakh Pikas haunt rocky areas or even stone walls, emerging on warmer, sunny days.

We will also come across some interesting birds. Upland Buzzard, Saker Falcon, Tibetan Snowcock, Tibetan Partridge, the impressive Tibetan Sandgrouse, the strange Ground Tit (or Groundpecker) and Blanford’s (or Plain-backed) and Black-winged (or Tibetan) Snowfinches are all regularly recorded. Black-necked Cranes have sometimes returned to the area by the third week in March (and are often very approachable), as have Ruddy Shelducks.

Day 15

We will spend a final morning at Tso Kar before returning to Leh for another welcome night at our comfortable hotel.

Day 16

Our tour ends this morning at Leh airport.