This is a journey without peer. Search for the elusive snow leopard on this intense epic Himalayan expedition, with the world’s foremost authority as your guide.
ON THIS EXPEDITION, we’ll travel into legendary terrains of both ancient and modern myth. This is a physically challenging journey, so you should be prepared for high-altitude hiking, prolonged exertion, and some pretty cold weather. The people you’ll meet along the way will cause you to fall in love with the region; the snow leopard and our search for it will fill you with profound respect. And how often does that happen on vacation?
Balancing out the invigorating hardships of our trek will be the almost overboard luxury of our hotels, Delhi’s Imperial and Trident Gurgaon, and Leh’s Grand Dragon. Prepare yourself for real pampering, subcontinent-style.
General Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVE in Delhi, clear customs, and we’ll take you to the Imperial Hotel for your first overnight stay in India. We’ll brief you on the trip, you can spend the day relaxing or walking around Delhi, and in the evening we’ll all dine together.
Day 2: Fly to Leh, the ancient capital of the former Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh. Our local guides will take us to the Grand Dragon Hotel. Spend the day relaxing and acclimating to the altitude (11,500 feet!). The Grand Dragon is a great place to do it.
Day 3: We spend the day continuing to get used to the altitude, visiting the local sights such as the ancient Buddhist monasteries and the bustling markets around Leh. Return to the Grand Dragon.
Day 4: Drive to Zinchen, and begin our trek through snow leopard country. Pack horses carry the bulk of our gear, you’ll carry a small daypack, your binoculars and camera. We’ll spend 2 – 3 hours hiking to our first campsite, a distance of about 5 kilometers (a little over 3 miles). Spend the night in the sleeping bag you brought (it needs to be rated to at least –25 degrees C). We supply the 2-person tents and mattresses.
Day 5: We’re now at around 12,500 feet, and we should all feel pretty comfortable hiking around at this height. We’ll trek to nearby valleys and rock formations looking for blue sheep, because the snow leopards are looking for blue sheep, too.
Day 6: In the morning, we trek to our new campsite in Housing Valley, an area known for snow leopard sightings. The hike takes about 5 hours, and covers 6 kilometers (3.73 miles)
Day 7: We stay near camp, with short hikes to nearby streams and trails where snow leopards travel. Total trekking time today is around 5 hours, covering 3 – 6 kilometers throughout the day.
Day 8, 9 & 10: We move camp, trekking six hours to the very remote village of Rumbak, where snow leopards are known to prey on livestock. We’ll camp near town, but spend the evening enjoying Tibetan hospitality with the locals.
Day 11: We set out for Yuruche, on our longest trek, about 7 kilometers. The terrain changes to rolling slopes with great vistas, but it’s also exposed and you can expect a lot of cold wind on this hike. We’ll look for snow leopards, wolves, lynx, and the argali, or great Tibetan sheep, one of the most endangered wild sheep in the world.
Day 12: We return to Housing, by a route that will depend on weather and trail conditions. We’ll go through some very scenic areas as we return to Zinchen, where we’ll rejoin our vehicles for the drive back to Leh, and the Grand Dragon Hotel. It will seem even more luxurious than when you first saw it.
Day 13: We fly back to Delhi and head to the Trident Gurgaon Hotel. You’ll spend the day readjusting to the habits of a (really) big city.
Day 14: We take you to the airport where you’ll DEPART Delhi for home, carrying a new portfolio of spectacular images and memories of warm faces, high peaks and long spotted tails.
***
Tour price includes:
- Thirteen nights accommodations including all meals
- Nine (9) days of trekking
- All transfers, in accordance with group activities
- Wildlife expertise of Dr. Raghunandan Singh Chundawat, one of the world’s foremost authorities on snow leopards
- Photography seminar/photo coaching by Amos Nachoum
- Only eight guests
Not included in Tour Price:
- Airfare to and from Delhi
- Overweight luggage or excess baggage
- Meals which aren’t specified
- Personal charges such as laundry, bar, and telecommunication charges
- Insurance – we strongly recommend you buy your own travel, health, and diving insurance
- Gratuities
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, you’ll receive confirmation. All flights and trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed.
- A non-refundable deposit of $7,000 is required to secure a place on the trip.
- Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
- We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full 60 days before departure.
- A refund will be made if the space can be filled in time, less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration, or special promotion.
- Cancellation must be made in writing. Deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made 180 days or less before departure.
- No refunds for unused part of the itinerary.
For payment, please mail your check to:
Big Animals Expeditions
2000 Broadway, Suite #1204
San Francisco, CA 94115
A note on preparation
On this trip, we’ll be exposed to very cold weather. You’ll need to layer your clothing to adapt to changing conditions, with 4 – 5 layers above the waist, and 3 layers below. All clothing should be drab in color. A suggested clothing and personal item list will be sent to you with your preparation materials.
Be sure to bring all medicines you take on a regular basis, and certain vaccinations are highly recommended for India, so please consult your doctor. All visitors to India are required to have a visa before arrival (they cannot be obtained in country; visa-less travelers are immediately deported). Bring your passport and a credit card. U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport and roundtrip air ticket.
A general note
Although we’re confident you’ll enjoy a significant personal experience with us in India, we’d like to remind you that we’re in the wilderness and despite all our careful preparation, Mother Nature may not cooperate with us exactly as we’d wish. Remember, the wild animals are not on contract with us, and the Himalayas are not the zoo. We trust our previous experiences, and so far our record is excellent. We believe that with good planning and a realistic approach, you’ll have a wonderful time with us in the mountains as we seek out photographic encounters with the most elusive of the big cats, the snow leopard.
All information is current as of January, 2011. Dates and prices are subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further questions, please contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 877-229-4253
Email: phototrips@biganimals.com
amos@biganimals.com
We look forward to your joining us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration Form.
