A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity ---
KarmaQuest trips have added nine to the count of foreigners who have seen a snow leopard in the wild. Join the 2009 Quest and hope to join them!

KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel is proud to collaborate with the Snow Leopard Conservancy on this special winter snow leopard tracking trip to Ladakh, India. The snow leopards’ winter mating season offers the best chance of seeing these elusive creatures in the wild. Trip members will join Dr. Rodney Jackson and the Ladakhi staff of the Snow Leopard Conservancy-India on their winter monitoring activities, studying the snow leopard when they descend from the mountaintops in search of food.

KarmaQuest’s award winning trip “Wintertime Quest for the Snow Leopard in Ladakh” soared to new heights in last year with a dramatic snow leopard sighting. On this Outside Magazine Trip of a Lifetime, the group of eight members, led by Dr. Jackson, observed a snow leopard on a kill for more than an hour and got some great photographs.

Here’s what trip members had to say about the trip:

“THE trip of a lifetime.”
Caroline D. Gabel, President and CEO, The Shared Earth Foundation

“The trip was fabulous. Spotting that leopard at the end of our trek was priceless! To be able to spend an hour in the presence of such a magnificent creature (on HIS terms) is something we'll never forget.”
Barry and Erin Sharaf

“The exceptional people who organized the trip, took care of us, and guided us, were a real highlight of the trip.” John and Jilian Lawson

In addition to the wildlife-viewing trek, this trip introduces the Ladakhi lifestyle. Trip members will visit and overnight in a homestay at the village of Rumbak where farmers and herders are working with the Conservancy to develop community-based conservation and ecotourism programs to help protect the snow leopard and its prey species, as well as their natural habitats. Communities commit to not harming rare wildlife in exchange for receiving training from the Conservancy in setting up homestays and in nature guiding, both of which have turned their innate knowledge and hospitality into income-generating livelihoods through ecotourism.

Trip Highlights:

• World expert on snow leopards, Dr. Rodney Jackson, Director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, will accompany the field visit, directing the viewing outings, and sharing
  his 30 years of accumulated knowledge and passion for this high altitude cat.
  
  
• You’ll stay with a Ladakhi family in a Himalayan Homestay, a traditional home

  “We crouched on the mats around the stove… chatting and trying out a few newly-acquired Ladakhi phrases. We watched them assemble a fine meal of homemade pasta, cooked with some greens and peas. We had so much fun talking with them, showing photos and looking at their family albums. We tried their home made beer, or chang, and Dee tried spinning some sheep’s wool. With Tsering Dorje’s knowledge of English, we made some good headway in understanding a bit of their way of life. Around 9 PM, we headed off to our room, a delightful space on the top floor, with floor to ceiling windows on two walls, giving us an excellent view.” Brian & Dee Keating, Director, Calgary Zoo, March 2007

• A tax-deductible donation to the Snow Leopard Conservancy goes directly to support snow leopard conservation in Ladakh and the ecotourism development programs that benefit and inspire the Ladakhi people to protect it.

  Itinerary
  
  NOTE: Due to the nature of this trip, and the exceptional opportunity available to spend time in the field with Dr. Jackson, the day to day itinerary must remain flexible, responding to information he and his team gather about where snow leopards have been sighted, weather conditions, etc. The following itinerary remains subject to alteration in the field as information and opportunities become available. The number of trek days will remain the same, barring weather or other unusual circumstances that require a change.
  
  Trip Length: The trip is 16 days in length, not including flights from and to the US or Europe, depending upon international flight schedules. The itinerary below begins and ends in Delhi.

  Day 1 Arrive in Delhi, transfer to hotel
  
  Day 2 Fly to Leh (11,500 ft), explore Leh and acclimatize: A trip briefing, and welcome dinner with the Snow Leopard Conservancy staff. Hotel accommodations.
  
  Day 3 Full day at your leisure to explore Leh Market: Leh is full of small lanes with hidden treasures – take the time to explore, or rest up as you are still acclimatizing to the elevation. Overnight in the hotel.
  
  Day 4 Walking Tour of Leh: A guided walking tour of Leh Palace, Victory Peak, the old quarter, LEDeG gift shop and offices (a local conservation organization). Hotel accommodations.
  
  Day 5 Leh to Phey, Trek to Camp: Leh to Phey, trek to camp. Hike along the Indus River gorge, a dramatic entry to Hemis National Park. Camp at wildlife study camp, 12,400’.
  
  Day 6 Wildlife Viewing: A full day of tracking snow leopard and its wildlife prey. Hemis National Park is home to blue sheep, argali (a large horned sheep), numerous mountain and migratory birds, as well as an occasional Tibetan wolf. You are likely to see sign of snow leopard as winter is the time that they descend to lower elevations. Camp.
  
  Day 7 Wildlife Viewing: Spend another day with Dr. Jackson and trained naturalists on the look-out for snow leopard and its prey. The views of this stark landscape, the sky pierced by upward tilted strata and – on snow-free days -- the ground adorned with hardy alpine plants, provides constant fascination. Camp.

  Days 8 to 13: Wildlife Viewing, Visit Villages and Homestays: Trek to nearby sites where snow leopard may have been sighted recently. Visit neighboring villages, and experience a home-stay. Homestay hosts have been trained in hospitality and are members of a community conservation effort to conserve the endangered snow leopard. Spend one night in a traditional home and otherwise camp. Village elevation: 13,500’
  
  Day 14: Trek to Zingchen, and Return to Leh: Free time to explore Leh and do some souvenir shopping for handicrafts. Hotel accommodations.
  
  Day 15: Leh to Delhi: Early morning transfer to airport for flight to Delhi. Arrive in Delhi transfer to hotel. Rest or explore your own in Delhi.

  Day 16: Extra day in case of flight cancellation: Due to mountain weather conditions, flights to and from Leh are occasionally cancelled. For this reason, we have built one extra day into the trip. If the Leh-Delhi flight is cancelled, this day will be spent in Leh. If the flight goes as planned, this day will be spent in Delhi on your own. Overnight in a hotel. Transfer to airport for homeward flight.
  
  Trip Cost:
  
  4-7 persons US $4,725/person

  8-12 persons US $4,450/person

  Single supplement US $675/person

For more information about snow leopard conservation and ecotourism development in Ladakh, please see the Snow Leopard Conservancy website.

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