Wintertime Quest for the Snow Leopard in Ladakh, India --- Trip Dates: February 17 - March 5, 2011

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity --- Deadline for joining this trip: November 30, 2010

KarmaQuest Wintertime Quest clients have seen a snow leopard on every trip! Join the 2011 Quest and hope to see one too!

KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel is proud to collaborate with the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC), 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 the SLC-India staff on their winter monitoring activities, studying the snow leopard when it descends from the snowy mountaintops in search of food.

KarmaQuest’s award winning trip “Wintertime Quest for the Snow Leopard in Ladakh” soared to new heights in 2007 with a dramatic snow leopard sighting. On this Outside Magazine Trip of a Lifetime, the group of eight members, accompanied by Dr. Jackson and Jigmet Dadul, 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 Jillian 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:

- SLC-India Field Program Coordinator Jigmet Dadul will lead the field visit, directing the viewing outings, and sharing his 10 years of experience in working side by side with Dr. Rodney Jackson and SLC studying snow leopards, camera trapping and working with village homestay operators to protect this magnificent 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 uncertainty of what path a snow leopard may choose on any particular day, the day to day itinerary must remain flexible, responding to information that Jigmet and the local community informants gather regarding where snow leopards have been sighted. Weather conditions may also affect the placement of camp and daily movement. 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 the SLC staff and local 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: Attend Domochey festival: Today you'll attend Domochey festival at Leh Palace for an all-day Buddhist dance ritual performed by masked and silk robed monks from different Monasteries. The purpose of the dances is to throw out the evil and sins of 'last year' and to welcome in goodness, health, prosperity and guard against natural disaster for the coming year. This dance takes place in the end and starting of the Tibetan New Year, which marks the coming of a new year. It is indeed a rare privilege to witness such an authentic demonstration of religious celebration, as few Westerners have. All who are present gain the blessings of the dances as well. Farewell dinner. Overnight in a hotel 

Day 16: 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 17: 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 $3,890 / person

8-12 persons US $3,715 / person

Single supplement US $500 / person

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

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