Snow leopard tracking review

Winter is the best time to see snow leopards in Ladakh because this is when these beautiful creatures descend below their normal habitats above the tree line to go in search of their usual prey – the bharal or blue sheep, Asiatic ibex and argali sheep. So yes, it is really cold, and yes, you do camp. Leopard love doesn’t come easily, but these days, high tech winter trekking and camping gear boast and high levels of cosiness. But do expect very cold nights of -10°C and snowfall, although you will often get sunny days with daytime temperatures rising to 10 - 15°C.

As you need to be reasonably fit, with many days of trekking, Colin had put this vacation off for a long time thinking that he might not be able for it. But take comfort in the fact that he certainly was – at 75 years old. He had been reassured by other trekkers he met elsewhere on his travels, who had been to Ladakh, that they had met lots of mature people snow leopard trekking, so this helped Colin take a leap of faith. And his tour operator was able to give in depth advice on the best gear to bring.

Big cat lovers agree unanimously on this one, and with our vacations boasting up to an 85 percent sightings success rate, it most definitely is worth it. During his time in Ladkah, Colin saw six snow leopards and he would have been happy to have seen just one. Your guide will be equipped with top class binoculars or Swarovski style spotting scopes to assist your viewing, and of course there will be plenty of other wildlife to see too. These include yaks, Tibetan ibex, bharal, hares, wolves, red fox and lynx as well as golden eagles and lammergeyers.

Between leopard tracking, you will spend time in local villages, drinking tea or eating with local families, or perhaps spending the night in homestays. It is a tradition to have the fire burning at all times in Ladakhi homes, and this warmth is something you will find in their ethos and outlook as well as in their front rooms. You will also see villagers going up and down the mountains with their pony trains to carry bits and bobs from one place to the next. As people living off the land, there has been a history of conflict between human needs and conservation ones in Ladakh, as snow leopards will prey on livestock. Colin talked about this issue with his guides and with people he met along the way and was delighted to see that local people are now protecting their local feline royalty.