Photographing a wild snow leopard is one of the biggest aspirations for a wildlife photographer. Live that dream with us during the Nature Wanderers Snow Leopard Expedition.
Nestled in the high-altitude belts of northeast Himachal, the Spiti valley is a cold desert mountain valley and is home to some of the most exotic high-altitude wildlife of India. The presence of prey in the form of ibex and blue sheep and the snow-capped mountains and rocky terrains make Spiti home to one of India's most iconic cats - the snow leopard. In the cold winter months of December to March, these elusive cats descend to lower altitudes in search of prey and this makes Spiti a snow leopard hotspot for photographers and wildlife lovers.
In addition to the snow leopard, the area is teaming with wildlife like the red fox, Tibetan wolves, lammergeier, golden eagle, Himalayan snow cocks, chukars, and some breath-taking landscapes which are ideal for photography in day and night. With the mountains reverberating with the peaceful Buddhist chants being showered from the towering monasteries in the Key and Kibber village, the culture and people of Spiti touch your soul and the landscape does call you back every time you bid farewell to the mountain gods.
The Nature Wanderers snow leopard expedition aims to maximize your chances of snow leopards as our team of multiple scanners would be working throughout to help you see and photograph the grey ghost of the Himalayas. Living comfort becomes imperative in such harsh environments and our homestays would be fully furnished with all amenities to ensure you have a comfortable stay.
Early morning pickup from Hotel Ramada Plaza, Chandigarh (Around 8AM) and drive to Rampur in Himachal Pradesh (Approx 250 km / 7-8 hrs drive). Overnight stay in Rampur.
(L, D)
Early morning check-out from hotel and drive to kaza (Approx 300 km / 8 hrs). This will be your acclimatization phase of the expedition. Overnight stay at Home Stay, Kaza.
(B, L, D)
Post breakfast visit to the key monastery, which was established in 11th century and is studded with some extraordinary paintings and artwork from that era. Drive to Kibber village in the Spiti valley. The homestay in Kibber will be our base camp for the next 5 nights at an altitude of 14,500 feet. Overnight stay in Home Stay, Kibber.
(B, L, D)
Our trained team of scanners and trackers armed with their wireless sets would be scanning various areas on a daily basis for snow leopards. While the team is at work you will be working with the Nature Wanderers team photographing at various locations and scouting for species like the Ibex, Red fox, Blue sheep and landscapes. As and when we receive any news of the snow leopard sightings, we would be making use of our 4x4 vehicle along with yaks to ensure that you reach the designated sighting location well on time. The treks have been made extremely comfortable for you as you would be provided with gear like walking poles, camping chairs, and tents in case you wish to rest.
(B, L, D)
Early morning departure from Kibber towards Rampur (Approx 330 km / 9 hrs drive). Arrival at Rampur by evening. Overnight stay at Rampur.
(B, L, D)
Early morning departure from Rampur for Chandigarh post breakfast (Approx 250 km / 7-8 hrs drive). Drop at Chandigarh airport in the evening for outbound flight.
(B only)
A snow leopard expedition involves tremendous amount of logistical arrangements as planning a high altitude photography trip requires skill, experience and expertise. Nature Wanderers has been working in the Spiti landscape for years and along with our excellent ground team, we have the desired experience and skill sets to help you photograph the elusive grey ghost of the Himalayas. Photographing in high altitudes requires a certain skill set and the experience of your photo guide comes in handy. The hands-on field guidance and the understanding of the animal behaviour helps you to plan your images better and that becomes a major differentiator. The support of the on-ground team in such tough terrains is vital and what they can do for you cannot be expressed in words. You need to be there onsite to live the experience!
Your stay would be in a home stay which is fully furnished with all facilities. Room heaters, fire-place, electric blankets, dry and wet toilets and delicious food and of course a warm family and their team to host you. The home stay is also equipped with basic medical equipment’s. A 4x4 vehicle would be available all the time not only for wildlife and landscape photography purpose but also for emergency use.
A snow leopard expedition needs a lot of pre-trip preparation. We have a long list of travel advisory which we would be sending once you register for the tour. However just to clear your basic ideas about this expedition here are some pointers:
Cancellation for an event will be considered via a written mail to info@naturewanderers.com. The date of the mail would be considered for calculation of the cancellation fee.
Price per person : INR 79,000 (5% GST to be Applicable)