Search for Snow Leopards with Valerie Parkinson

This was a trip into a remote area in the winter to search for what we all thought was unattainable. We expected cold,  camping at altitude and rough walking. We got all of that but we did not expect hot water bottles every night!!

This is an amazing and very spiritual place. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. The stars are unrivaled. The hiking is technical and challenging, and makes you focus in a way that is very rejuvenating. The homestay was a wonderful experience. The crew that we had while camping were amazing, and we were always in awe when it felt like we had hiked so far away, and then two of our guys would show up with tea or lunch!!

An amazing time spent in Ladakh amongst stunning scenery and the local people. We were incredibly lucky to see 6 snow leopards in total thanks to the incredible skills of the spotters. The time spent in Delhi and Leh made an interesting contrast to the mountain wilderness.

Ladakh is a beautiful region of Northern India. Add to that the friendly welcome and the variety of wildlife and culture and you have a destination that it would be hard to find fault with. This was my second visit and this time I was there to see Snow Leopards. Except, of course, they're so rare that the chances of spotting just one would be very low. And indeed spotting just one was impossible - I saw a total of 6 during the 10 days I was there, including relatively close sighting of a mating pair on our first day in the mountains, a mother and her two cubs and a solitary Snow Leopard rolling in the dust to hide its scent before hunting. Our group as a whole saw 12. This amazing tally was due largely to the experience, skill and dedication of the spotting team and our leader, Valerie, who between them took us to the right places at the right time and found the well camouflaged big cats where we may have only seen a buff coloured rock. And let's not forget the Blue Sheep, Lammageier Vultures, Bearded Griffon, Golden Eagles, Woolly Rabbits, Uriel Goats and Alpine Chough. This is a challenging trip - cold, altitude and remoteness all add to the adventure although its well within the abilities of anyone with the right kits and who has trudged the hills in the UK. But it's worth it for the experience of the incredible Himalayan landscapes, the unique culture and the amazing flora and fauna. If you have the chance, book the trip that coincides with the Stok Festival, a colourful and spectacular celebration of Tibetan Buddhism in the form of music and dance culminating in the appearance of the village oracles.

Very hard, very demanding, very cold, VERY REWARDING. The first view of a snow leopard, like my first encounter with a tiger, was highly emotional and, unashamedly, induced tears ! 

This was our second visit to Hemis NP in search of the snow leopard. Our visit in 2011 produced one very brief sighting. On this return visit we were amply rewarded with several lengthy sightings on four of the six days we were there, giving us the chance to view them stalking prey (blue sheep), resting and ridge-walking. Much of our success was due to the incredible skill and dedication of our Ladakhi spotters. We cannot thank them enough. We were also priveleged to have good sightings of a pair of wolves, a herd of urials, picas, woolly hares and several large birds of prey including two Eagle Owls roosting and flying at dusk. Apart from wildlife watching, there were very good cultural experiences too - visiting monasteries, attending a Buddhist masked dance festival at Matho Monastery and a welcoming homestay in the traditional Ladakhi village of Rumbak.

A very well balanced and well organised trip - a very good combination of a little time in Delhi, time at a festival and of course looking for snow leopards and other wildlife. We were incredibly lucky to see lots of snow leopards along with lynx, blue sheep, eagles and a mountain hare. Loved the festival too - lots of colour and a fascinating experience. The crew were efficient, knowledgeable and helpful - in fact, really couldn't have hoped for more. The hot water bottles at night were particularly appreciated! Quality of the hotel in Leh was great too. It was a shame we had to miss out on the homestay but coronavirus meant that we were asked not to do it by the local people (a very fair request). I found that where required Valerie was great at allowing flexibility during the trip and, all in all, I don't think it could have been better organised or executed. Just make sure you have lots and lots of very warm and appropriate clothing as it's really cold - and apparently it was warmer on our trip than it normally is!

A memorable winter holiday, superbly organised and led.  We went for the winter walking, the Buddhist monasteries, Leh out of season and of course the snow leopards, but even had we seen none of the latter this holiday would have been a delight.

This is my second time to Ladakh for snow leopard spotting and both times have been incredible.The landscape, people and wildlife are incredible and matched by the dedication of Valerie and her team to ensure you enjoy your time here and have the best wildlife spotting opportunities.It can get cold and you should pay careful attention to the trip notes, bring plenty of layers and be prepared to trek and work for your sightings, but those sightings are the stuff of magic.The homestay and festival visit are a great extra to the wildlife too, giving you an insight into local life and culture.Lastly the food provided by the local team is excellent and plentiful, with Johnny the chef's culinary delights being worth the trip evenif you didn't have the wildlife.

I felt privileged to see this unique part of the world - its awesome magnificence,its wildlife,and its culture.The Buddhist ceremonies at Matho were fascinating and I appreciated the fact that it was nota show put on for tourists,(of which there were very few) but for the ladakhi locals.Once we began trekking and camping,the environment revealed its beauty,but also its harshness and austerity - the cold and the altitude were a challenge for most of us I think,although we were very well catered for by our ladakhi guides and porters.