Lying north of the Indus River at the head of the Ulley Valley, the small village of Ulley in Ladakh, India stands at almost 4,000 metres above sea level. The Ulley Valley has only recently been developed for snow leopard tracking, but it has quickly gained a reputation for observation of the cats. That being said, snow leopards are a difficult sighting. According to the Snow Leopard Lodge, Ulley village’s only homestay, and our accommodation on this safari, there is a 60 % chance of seeing a leopard between November and April, which is when snow leopards and their prey descend to lower elevations. Ulley’s population of snow leopards is estimated at around 10 individuals. We remain six days in Ulley to maximize our chances of spotting one.
There is other wildlife to see in this Himalayan paradise: Siberian (or Asiatic) ibex; Ladakh urial (a native wild sheep with long legs and relatively small horns); and Himalayan fox and wolf. Among the bird highlights are Chukors (a ground-dweller and national bird of the Kurdish people); Tibetan partridges; Red-billed choughs; Golden eagles; Lammergeiers; Bearded vultures; and Himalayan griffon vultures.
The Snow Leopard Conservation Trust
The trust works in five of the 12 countries where snow leopards are found – China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. Collectively, these 5 countries contain over 75% of the world’s population of wild snow leopards. Ulley, Ladakh, India is one of the Snow Leopard Conservation Trust’s bases. The Snow Leopard Trust works through a local partner organization led by local staff members. They conduct snow leopard research, lead community conservation programs, and negotiate policy decisions with local authorities.
Culture
Ladakh belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir region of Northern India. Leh is its capital and largest town. It is the historical capital of the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh. The Leh Palace, the former mansion of the royal family of Ladakh, was built in the same style and at about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Ladakh is a Buddhist country with brightly coloured prayer flags fluttering in the wind and long ‘Mani walls’ covered in carved prayer stones, stupas and chortens. There are many Buddhist monasteries called gompas.
The 2023 Snow Leopard Tour was a huge success. We were very fortunate to have eight sightings of these rare and beautiful cats! The next Snow Leopard Safari is January 31- Feb 10, 2025. It begins and ends in Delhi. This is a one-of-a-kind wildlife and cultural experience that you should not miss.
Cost per person based on a group of 6 paxs, 2 paxs sharing: 4701 USD + estimated 450 USD pp for Delhi – Leh – Delhi local flights.
Cost per person based on a group of 8 paxs, 2 paxs sharing: 4375 USD + estimated 450 USD pp for Delhi – Leh- Delhi local flights.
Single supplement: 2200 USD
MTT Safaris Director Leslie Nevison will guide this small group departure
