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In spite of the temperature of Ladakh (very cold) we were well looked after by our leader Valerie and the trekking team.
The magnificent views of the Himalayan mountain scenery.
Excellent, experienced and knowledgeable of the region.
Make sure you are prepared for the cold and take more warm clothing than on other treks
I felt privileged to see this unique part of the world – its awesome magnificence,its wildlife,and its culture.The Buddhist ceremonies at Matho were fascinating and I appreciated the fact that it was nota show put on for tourists,(of which there were very few) but for the ladakhi locals.Once we began trekking and camping,the environment revealed its beauty,but also its harshness and austerity – the cold and the altitude were a challenge for most of us I think,although we were very well catered for by our ladakhi guides and porters.
Seeing the Rumbak valley.Seeing wolves and a lynx.
Valerie was an excellent group leader - tougher than any of us,and always on hand to give advice.
The obvious thing - take good cold weather gear,especially sleeping bag and down jacket - however,you dont really need great big waterproof walking boots as the trails are mainly dry and dusty.
This is an amazing and very spiritual place. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. The stars are unrivaled. The hiking is technical and challenging, and makes you focus in a way that is very rejuvenating. The homestay was a wonderful experience. The crew that we had while camping were amazing, and we were always in awe when it felt like we had hiked so far away, and then two of our guys would show up with tea or lunch!!
I have to say although it was very brief, the most inspirational moment was catching a glimpse of a snow leopard in the wild. What an incredible animal, and I feel very lucky to have seen it in it's home.
Chosphel Sonam was excellent. He has a good sense of humor and made sure everything was done for our trip to run smoothly.
Of course you want to see a snow leopard in the wild. But it is certainly not a guarantee. We didn't see one until the last day, and even then it was just a few seconds. I was actually surprised at how desolate the place is. Besides snow leopards, I thought we would see other wildlife. We did see signs of wildlife, but really saw very little. The scenery and experience is worth it, but if you are expecting to see a lot of wildlife you will be disappointed. Also, it is really, really cold at night so take the absolute best sleeping bag you can!!!!
A memorable winter holiday, superbly organised and led. We went for the winter walking, the Buddhist monasteries, Leh out of season and of course the snow leopards, but even had we seen none of the latter this holiday would have been a delight.
The Matho Festival, when, after a day of golden sunshine and intense blue skies, joyous crowds and masked dancers, we watched one of the state oracles appear right in front of us and then leap to the rooftop wall and stand, silhouetted against the backdrop of snow and moon, mountain and crag. And I loved walking on the frozen river! And I loved hearing wolves howling round the valley in the night!And oh, the starry starry skies!
Valerie Parkinson is, without doubt, the best leader we have had on a group tour. Her knowledge and skills were excellent, her care for the group was superb, and her care for individuals within the group was wonderful.
Take the best cold-weather camping equipment you can afford to buy. We took Rab Expedition down bags, and down sleeping mattresses with built in pumps. Neither of us were cold at night though the tents were thin and the temperatures very very cold. We also took microspikes for our boots and these made walking on the frozen river a real pleasure.In Leh we were all given the opportunity to have our own guide/porter (for an additional payment). We decided to do this and it made the holiday even more special. We could go where we liked, when we liked because of having our own guide, who kept in touch by radio with the main group guides so could get us to snow leopard sightings very quickly. We usually plan our own holidays and enjoy being on our own, so this was wonderful for us, like a tailormade within a group holiday. By the way the group members were all very very pleasant and friendly.
A very rewarding trip to one of the more remote parts of the Himalaya, with great scenery, a great crew, and overall a great experience!
Hearing first-hand about the work of the Indian Wildlife Service, and how the local population are protecting the snow leopard in Hemis rather than persecuting it as in other parts of its range. Support for local communities, in the form of homestays with local families, as well as employing local guides and staff, is a central part of the ethos behind this trip. As a result of this support, and encouraged by the revenue available from sustainable tourism, poaching in the park has been reduced to zero. In a world of environmental bad news, this is surely an inspiring example of how people and wildlife can coexist for the benefit of both.
Valerie is a fantastic leader, but it was also brilliant to see how the local guides were so enthusiastic about the wildlife of the park and it was great to see them warm to the different personalities in the group over the course of our stay. Once animals were spotted, the local guides were just as keen to get time at the spotting scopes and take photographs. And they are good at finding the animals. Quite how they can spot a leopard curled up on a ledge high on a rocky mountain side is amazing to the untrained eye. As a result we were treated to several hours of sightings of a number of animals which far exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Although the trekking days on this trip are neither long nor arduous, extremes of temperature and the effects of altitude can combine to make it more challenging, so I would say that this trip is towards the tougher end of grade B. A super-warm sleeping bag is vital, as is lots of high-factor sunscreen.
I’d wanted to go in search of snow leopards and experience a major Tibetan Buddhist festival since reading Peter Mathiesen’s The Snow Leopard while in Lhasa in 1984. This trip exceeded my expectations in every way!
For me there were two amazing moments. The first was at the Buddhist festival at Matho, when after hours of watching masked dancers and musicians, surrounded by expectant crowds of Ladakhis, the oracles appeared and raised the event to a very different level. The second unforgettable moment was when we were sitting on a ridge in the Husing valley and got a message to say that a snow leopard was visible from down in the valley. We sprinted down the mountainside and got to the spot where we saw a snow leopard going up the hillside and over a ridge - but not before he turned round and looked straight at us. This was both something I'd never expected to experience, but had also in some way been waiting for for 30 years. We saw snow leopards on two other occasions: once when stalking (unsuccessfully) a blue sheep; and the other when after watching it sleep, stretch, sleep for hours, it finally roused itself and walked slowly across the mountainside across the valley from us. I managed to switich my camera to video, and the 3 minute film I took is on YouTube.
Valerie Parkinson is the best leader I've ever had - or could hope to have. Her knowledge and understanding of Ladakh, Tibetan Buddhism, wildlife and 'people' is immense, and she shares it with generosity and enthusiasm. She had lots of difficulties to cope with, and did so with complete professionalism, but also with calmness and reassurance.
Be prepared to take life very easy when you first arrive in Leh. It's quite an altitude jump from Delhi, and most people need a couple of days to acclimatise. It's cold in winter, so take as good quality warm gear as you can afford. And a set of light-weight crampons (Kahtoola microspikes) was really useful on the frozen rivers. In our group there were people with super cameras and others with compacts. The super cameras produced some amazing photos, and even those with compacts managed to get some shots. But I took a Panasonic Lumix 'bridge' camera (FZ150) which was light, robust and easy to use, and gave me some brilliant photos and video footage. Oh, and snow boots were really good for keeping my feet warm - as we spent a lot of time sitting and standing and waiting.
the trip is amazing, hard going but so rewarding.Valerie parkinson ‘s abillity and personallity are fabulous and she makes the trip easier in some respects,her organisation and easy going nature are a credit to her, and i would say, probably the best guide ive ever had!
my most inspirational moment was easy.....the first time i squeezed the shutter on my first snow leopard...hoping it wasnt going to be my last.....but it just got better!!!1then our final sighting was to become an epic....4.5-5hrs sat watching a majestic male as he walked,stopped,stretched,yawned...walked...all the time....shutter was firing, recording his every move.ive been privilaged to see big cats thru africa and asia, but seeing this wonderful majestic cat is a sight to behold!!
Valerie parkinson was as prviously stated , probably the best guide ive ever had,
the only advice that could be passed on, is .....enjoy !!!!!its very hard work scrambling with adrenalin pushing you to get to sightings, then its just amazing!!!on a technical front, i would certainly advise any one else doing this trip to take crampons, as the walks incorporate crossing many frozen streams/rivers . walking poles and gaiters are also necessity.just be prepared for very cold temperatures at night, so the best mat/ sleeping bag would certainly help!!!the advise given from Valerie is priceless.
This was a trip into a remote area in the winter to search for what we all thought was unattainable. We expected cold, camping at altitude and rough walking. We got all of that but we did not expect hot water bottles every night!!
Surrounded by steep sided snow covered mountains it seemed impossible that anything could live in this terrain , until we saw tracks and scrape marks of a snow leopard. Expectantly scanning the mountainside and intently watching for any unusual movement of blue sheep (snow leopard fodder!), added to the excitement. We all hoped, but no one really expected to see a snow leopard, after all, we all knew that film crews had staked out areas for months before getting footage of them. Then after hot footing it up a steep snowy mountain track, there it was high on the mountainside but visible through binoculars. When it decided to move, the full length of its powerful sleek body and equally long tail was fully shown. We were so priveledged!It was not all about snow leopards though as this area is stunningly beautiful with other plenty of other wildlife and prolific birdlife. However when the second snow leopard was sighted 2 days later, late in the afternoon, with it snowing gently, it just could not get any better!None of this would have been acheived without the experience and knowledge of our superb wildlife guide - Khenrab -he was inspirational!
Valerie Parkinson was the best!. She had such knowledge of this area and it was obvious she loved being there. The local team and the organisation was brilliant which is why all went so smoothly.
Take the very warmest sleeping bag, lots of layers and a good pair of binoculars.. The altitude is something to consider as its immediate when you fly into Leh, though this trip gave good opportunity to aclimatise by spending a few days around Leh before moving higher. This is not a holiday with mod cons so don't expect them. Just enjoy the shower when back in Delhi.
Very hard, very demanding, very cold, VERY REWARDING. The first view of a snow leopard, like my first encounter with a tiger, was highly emotional and, unashamedly, induced tears !
That first sighting of one of natures most elusive animals. The terrain is difficult, the camouflage is one of the best in nature, the sighting call from the guide and resultant "fast" hike is heart attack provoking at that altitude but you have to do it and when you see the leopard no city fat cats bonus could buy it ! The homestay was really humbling, why do people live at this level of subsistence ? Why are they so friendly and accommodating when the temperature range is -5 to -20C, the world is white, the only transport available is pony, everything is frozen solid and you have to wear 5 layers of thick woollens to keep warm ? I would have liked another day at the homestay as we didn't have enough time with our host/hostess to get to know them.
Valerie was excellent. Very experienced and a great judge of individuals and group interactions. With her knowledge of Delhi she was a brilliant guide to one who would have stayed in the hotel for dinner ! Her trekking and climbing experiences showed in the pace she set for acclimatising us in Leh and the practical advice she administered on how to stay warm or recover after a long spell looking for that elusive snow leopard. Many of us suffered during the "holiday" in one way or another and Valerie knew how to cope with each case, how much advice to offer and when to just let us get on with it.
It is a hard "moderate" and you need to know your own capability and/or listen to advice given by the leader. I hadn't been to altitude before and was lucky in only suffering a little breathlessness and lack of appetite. I'm 63 and only of average fitness but managed to get to all the sitings and viewings but in my own time. There are spare porters/helpers for those like me who needed time or assistance so don't be afraid to ask.
My overall rating would have been a 5 ‘starrer’, if we had seen a snow leopard. However, despite recent signs (pug marks, scrape areas and scats) all round our camp, we did not see one of these secretive cats. Anyway I had a great time.
I enjoy seeing wild life and going to the diminishing pool of wild places. There were two of us on this tour who felt the same way about wild life. We both understood that the best chance of spotting a snow leopard or ounce was to be as unobtrusive as possible. On one day, we climbed to one of the recommended viewing peaks and sat in almost complete silence for nearly two hours. It was a joy to listen to the snow cocks, the yellow-billed choughs and the Chukkar partridges calling to one another. We saw golden eagles and lammergiers wheeling and circling in the bright blue sky. We heard the blue sheep whistling to each other as they came down to drink at a nearby stream. We were surrounded by snow peaked mountains and it was very beautiful. No ounces but a magical experience for both of us.
Our leader Sohan was very good. He was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. I favour using local guides because it helps the local economy and I feel that they get the best out of the local people. It also puts more attention in the conservation of local wild life. However, if there is 'the one' on the tour who demands more attention than the rest of the group, the poor old local guide has to put more effort into satisfying them rather than with the rest of the group. Sohan and all the other guides we had, were excellent but we did have 'that one'.
This tour is a very interesting one. However, it was very cold. Certainly our night temperatures were possibly nudging -20. You must have the right equipment. Good warm, waterproof boots, a good 5 season sleeping bag with mattress, warm clothing, thermal underwear, gloves, hats and a stick. I normally think walking sticks are a bind because I like to have my hands free for binoculars etc. However, on this tour a stick was essential. Gaiters are useful but I never used my yak-trax. Crossing icy rivers was hazardous and we did fall but putting on and then taking off the yak-trax took up too much effort. Remember the altitudes are high - up to 4200 meters. All exercise was exacting. Remember to take slipper socks for the monastery visits. Those floors and the floors of the hotel in Leh are freezing cold.