Snow leopards & Frozen Lakes: Winter in Ladakh
The landscape of Ladakh in winter is big, cold, daunting and powerful. In such a vast, frozen, amphitheatre of rock and ice the search can seem impossible. But, suddenly the guide gasps. “There” he says as he lowers his binoculars and points toward a nearby cliff face, “She’s just over there”. All thoughts of cold immediately retreat from mind. Hurriedly you point your binoculars toward the cliff and there – obvious now you know where to look – is the ghost of the mountains. A female snow leopard basking in the weak winter sunshine. And as you watch there is a movement behind her and two tiny balls of fluff come into focus. Mummy snow leopard has babies.
There is no animal in the Himalaya more iconic than the snow leopard and none that are more elusive (except perhaps the yeti!). For many years the chances of seeing a truly wild snow leopard was considered close to zero. But, in just the past few years, conservationists working in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh in northern India have discovered that, if you know where to look and when, the chance of seeing a snow leopard in the wild are actually pretty good. In fact, spend a few days with one of our expert local guides in the mountain valleys of Ladakh and you’d be unlucky not to see one.
For much of the year, snow leopards live high up in the mountains, way beyond the tree line where the air is painfully thin and few people dare to venture. But come winter and the leopards follow their prey down into the lower altitude valleys. And this is when it’s possible to lay eyes on the Ghost of the Himalaya.
But this adventure doesn’t just focus on snow leopards. We also venture onto the vast, high-altitude Changtang plateau to visit spectacular frozen salt lakes. We will drink yak butter tea with nomads in their felt-hair tents. We will pause at 5000m plus mountain passes festooned in prayer flags. We chat to monks in treasure filled Buddhist monasteries and we hike snowy paths to stunning viewpoints.
Ladakh has long been a popular area of India to visit in the summer, but between November and March only the most determined travel to this frozen land, but for those who are well equipped, then winter in Ladakh, when the landscape is stripped to essentials, is a truly magical time to visit.
This 13 day/12 night journey starts and ends in Leh. The itinerary involves a certain amount of hiking while looking for the leopards. Most of the time this is limited to valley floor hikes and is fairly easy but there is often snow underfoot.
Itinerary
Set eyes on the elusive snow leopard.
Watch herds of Tibetan antelope and ass in the so called Frozen Serengeti.
Explore historic Buddhist monasteries.
Hike through snowy winter landscapes to high passes.
Admire stunning frozen lakes.
Enjoy atmospheric homestays.
Be one of the first foreigners to visit the Tibetan flavoured town of Hanle.
Journey Highlights
Key Details
Number of days: 13 days total.
Start/End: Leh
When: November to March
Minimun number of participants: 1
Highest altitude reached: 5200m
Trek difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Average hours hiking per day: 5-6hrs when looking for leopards
Can this tour be customised? Yes
Accommodation used on this journey consists of upper mid-range properties with good heating in Leh, the Ladakhi capital. Once up in the mountains the accommodation tends to be simple, but clean and comfortable homestays with some form of heating and a whole heap of Ladakhi character. Bathrooms might be shared between all guests and hot showers might not be available every day.
Accommodation
Cold
Ladakh lies in the trans-Himalayan region and although it’s politically within India culturally and geologically this is very much a little slice of the vast Tibetan plateau. This means that mid-winter, the only time when you have a realistic chance of seeing snow leopards, is not an easy time of year. Daytime temperatures in the mountain areas where the leopards live can drop to around –20°C, so you do need to be well prepared for the severe cold. In the Ladakhi capital of Leh we use a luxury hotel with good heating. Out in the countryside we stay with local Ladakhi families in homestay style accommodation. These are basic but they have heating in common areas and some of them have heating in the bedrooms as well. There are always lots of thick blankets available and hot tea is always on offer! Even so, you will need to bring a high-quality winter sleeping bag and suitable winter clothing. We will provide you with a list.
Altitude
This is also an adventure to some of the highest habitable parts of the world. During this journey you will reach altitudes in excess of 4800m. This means that the risk of altitude sickness (AMS) is very real. But, we ensure you have adequate time in the capital Leh to acclimatise before we set out for the high mountains and we ensure that we never climb too high in a single day. Our guides are trained to look out for symptoms of AMS and know what to do in the case of someone on the team falls sick with AMS. Because road access to Ladakh is often impossible in winter we fly from Delhi to Leh. Situated at an altitude of 3500m many people suffer mild altitude sickness (headaches and tiredness) on arrival.
Snow
Although the Tibetan plateau is known as the Land of Snows, heavy snow fall is actually quite rare in Ladakh. But, it does happen and at such times roads can be temporarily blocked and flights cancelled. In general, this is never for more than a day or so, but it does mean that all our winter Ladakh itineraries have to have a certain amount of flexibility, and we may not always be able to stick religiously to the itinerary outlined here. On the plus side, fresh snow makes it easier to find leopard footprints and, with luck, the cat itself.
Important!
Prices for our 13 day/12 nights Snow Leopards and Frozen Lakes journey are based on low season travel and are a miniumn price. The exact price will vary depending on the number of people in your group, accommodation used as well as any additional add-ons.
The Winter in Ladakh: Snow Leopards and Frozen Lakes journey starts at 2970 Euros for one person travelling alone. 4510 Euros for two people (2255 Euros per person) travelling together in a shared room. 5250 Euros for three people travelling together and 6630 Euros for four people sharing two rooms.
This price includes:
5 nights in 3-star hotel in Leh with central heating (additional fee for 4 and 5-star hotels).
7 nights homestay accommodation
Private vehicle and driver for duration of tour
English speaking wildlife guide
All meals and drinks (excluding alcoholic drinks) from lunch on day to breakfast on day thirteen
Use of a powerful spotting scope when looking for snow leopards
Walky-talky in the field for communicating with spotters while searching for snow leopards
Any required entry fees and park fees
All listed activities mentioned within the programme.
This price does not include:
International flights
Visa for India or any third country
Return flights from Delhi or elsewhere in India to Leh, Ladakh. We can help with selectnig suitable flights.
Travel insurance (personal travel insurance is compulsory for joining any of our tours. Please confirm with your travel insurance company that trekking in Nepal to above 4000m is included. many travel insurance do not include this or charge an additional fee for it)
Hotel, meals and activities in Delhi or elsewhere in India prior to the start of the tour or after the end of the tour. These are available for an additional charge.
Transportation to/from home departure airport
Phone sim card/internet useage
Souvenirs
Items of a personal nature
Tips
Alcoholic drinks