This offers you the exotic sights of snow-clad Himalayas from everywhere and never miss the chance to negotiate with the frozen pathways in your expedition to spot the rare Snow Leopards.
Enjoy walking around the beautiful kingdom of Ladakh where you can find architecture and nature are blended in a perfect proportion.
Revel in the soothing ambience created by the unique flora and fauna of the cold deserted land.
Marvel at the particular Buddhist culture and preserved traditions of the town.
Get excited to click pictures of the very rare Snow Leopards, blue sheep, yaks and unique birds.
About the Snow Leopard Trek:
You are invited to take part in a Snow Leopard Trekking package that offers eight days of complete adventure and excitement. It starts once you arrive the wonderland of Leh. Begin the expedition with an exploration of the glistening town when the Himalayas are forming the best background every time. Zingchen is the gateway to the entrance of the most awaited Rumbak Gorge. You will be climbing up to an impressive altitude of 3050 meters and come at the narrow gorge.
Then you are invited to unfold the wild paths of mystical land of Husing by understanding the mountainous slopes. In extreme winter, the Snow Leopard and other animals are forced to come down from the high altitudes they live usually and that is why Hemis National Park is a perfect winter trek. You will have chances widened to spot them easily.
Explore Husing and walk around the Rumbak Valley and watch the Argali Sheep roaming around. Come back to Leh after capturing the manipulative sights of Husing and wind up your Snow Leopard trek.
About the Snow Leopard Trek:
Snow Leopard Trek is one of the most sought after treks in Ladakh. It is situated in the eastern part of Ladakh, at an altitude of 3000 meters. Being a dominant part of the famous Hemis National Park, it spreads an area of 600 sq.kilometers in the valleys of Markha and Rumbak. Since it is a protected area, the trek to spot the rare animals here would be a thrilling experience. Not just about animals, birds and other species of insects will make the bio diversity an attractive one here.
On this trek, you may get chances to spot the rare and endangered species live only in the cold desert among which the snow leopard, Ibex, Shapo, Marmot, Tibetan Hare, Antelope etc are the very unique ones to have a look. Birds like Snow Patridge, Snow Cock, Horned Lark, Red Billed Chuff etc. And these animals are one of the major attractions in Ladakh and it is a favourite spot for many adventure lovers as well as animal lovers.
Snow Leopard Trek is a popular winter trek which let each of the trekkers would come to see the end of human interference and just the world of wild. The rugged mountains, the wild stretches of greenery and the points where those rare species of animals and birds can be spotted make this trek amusing. At each turn of the trail, you may get surprises that can be cherished a lifetime. It enables you to know the stories behind Rumbak Valley too.
Quick Facts About Snow Leopard Trek:
Altitude: 9,842 ft
Temperature: Daytime; –25°C to +6°C, Nighttime; -10°C to - 25°C
Snow Leopard Trek Difficulty Level: Difficult
Starting and ending point: Leh Airport
Base Camp: Zingchen
To adapt better to the lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes during the trek, it is imperative to strengthen your cardiovascular endurance and stamina. Star by jogging about 5-6 km every day. If you can jog 5 km easily within 25 minutes, you’re fit for the trek.
Besides that, do a minimum of 3 sets of squats with 10-15 reps regularly for knee strength. Yoga asanas and calf stretches also help in keeping muscle cramps at bay during the trek.
The Snow Leopard trek ranges from easy to moderate level of difficulty. The days involving actual spotting of snow leopards push you to quite high altitudes, which means the air gets significantly thinner.
These are the days which will be physically quite demanding, though if you’re fit enough for the trek, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Hemis National Park and the surrounding hills and mountains are covered in snow all-around the year. Hence, the temperature here ranges between 20 -degree Celcius to -20 degree Celsius
The season-wise weather and climate details are as follows.
Summer: During the summer season, the weather in the Snow Leopard Trek is mild and cold and the average temperature ranges from 20-degree Celcius to 15-degree Celsius.
Winter: The coldest time of the year in Leh and Hemis National Park is during the winter season as the weather becomes cold and frosty. The temperature can range between 5-degree Celcius to -15 degree Celsius. In the months of December and January, the temperature can drop to -20 degree Celcius in the Hemis National Park.
It is important to carry good quality shoes with high ankle support and steady grip. Please do not carry regur sports shoes to this or any other Himalayan treks, as they are not meant for such terrains, and can cause fatals slips due lack of grip.
Also, when buying new trekking shoes, please make sure to break them in at least 3 weeks before the trek to avoid unnecessary chafing and blisters. Carry at least 5-6 pairs of cotton socks for trekking.
The Snow Leopard trek ranges from easy to moderate level of difficulty, though the chilling winters add to the challenge considerably. The days when you will actually be tracking snow leopards will take you to even higher altitudes, which means oxygen levels will be low.
To be able to complete the trek successfully, you should be able to jog 5 km in a minimum of 25 minutes. This improves your cardiovascular endurance and stamina, which facilitates better adaptability to the lower oxygen levels during the trek.
Snow Leopard Trek in Ladakh is located in the Hemis National Park. One can reach Snow Leopard trek by air and then by road. The closest airport to Snow Leopard Trek is Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh City. The airport is well-connected to all the major cities and towns of India and has daily incoming and outgoing flights.
After that, you can take a private cab or taxi to reach the base camp of the trek, Zingchen. The snow leopard trekking starts from Zingchen.
No, it is not that dangerous but to some extent, it is dangerous and thrilling. As the trek is located in the Hemis National Park in the cold desert of Ladakh, it is inhabited by various snow animals like the Snow Leopard, Tibetian hare, Ibex, Snow Marmot, Antelope and many others.
Due to the presence of these animals, the trek not only becomes adventurous but also a little dangerous and exciting.
Due to its high elevation, the temperature of the Snow Leopard trek ranges:
Day time:
8 degrees Celcius to -5 degree-Celsius.
Nighttime:
-5 degrees Celcius to -20 degree-Celsius.
Here is the list of other best Ladakh treks that you can book via Thrillophilia: