Search for Snow Leopards with Valerie Parkinson

This was a wonderful trip, well organised and lead by the wonderful Valerie Parkinson. We had a great mix of people, who all got on together, and this does really help when your trekking in extreme conditions. The hard work put in by the spotters, porters, cooks and helpers was gratefully appreciated. No task was too much trouble, and always done with a lovely smile. These guys certainly earn their money.

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!

This is my second time to Ladakh for snow leopard spotting and both times have been incredible.The landscape, people and wildlife are incredible and matched by the dedication of Valerie and her team to ensure you enjoy your time here and have the best wildlife spotting opportunities.It can get cold and you should pay careful attention to the trip notes, bring plenty of layers and be prepared to trek and work for your sightings, but those sightings are the stuff of magic.The homestay and festival visit are a great extra to the wildlife too, giving you an insight into local life and culture.Lastly the food provided by the local team is excellent and plentiful, with Johnny the chef's culinary delights being worth the trip evenif you didn't have the wildlife.

A very well balanced and well organised trip - a very good combination of a little time in Delhi, time at a festival and of course looking for snow leopards and other wildlife. We were incredibly lucky to see lots of snow leopards along with lynx, blue sheep, eagles and a mountain hare. Loved the festival too - lots of colour and a fascinating experience. The crew were efficient, knowledgeable and helpful - in fact, really couldn't have hoped for more. The hot water bottles at night were particularly appreciated! Quality of the hotel in Leh was great too. It was a shame we had to miss out on the homestay but coronavirus meant that we were asked not to do it by the local people (a very fair request). I found that where required Valerie was great at allowing flexibility during the trip and, all in all, I don't think it could have been better organised or executed. Just make sure you have lots and lots of very warm and appropriate clothing as it's really cold - and apparently it was warmer on our trip than it normally is!

An amazing time spent in Ladakh amongst stunning scenery and the local people. We were incredibly lucky to see 6 snow leopards in total thanks to the incredible skills of the spotters. The time spent in Delhi and Leh made an interesting contrast to the mountain wilderness.

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 ! 

This was our second visit to Hemis NP in search of the snow leopard. Our visit in 2011 produced one very brief sighting. On this return visit we were amply rewarded with several lengthy sightings on four of the six days we were there, giving us the chance to view them stalking prey (blue sheep), resting and ridge-walking. Much of our success was due to the incredible skill and dedication of our Ladakhi spotters. We cannot thank them enough. We were also priveleged to have good sightings of a pair of wolves, a herd of urials, picas, woolly hares and several large birds of prey including two Eagle Owls roosting and flying at dusk. Apart from wildlife watching, there were very good cultural experiences too - visiting monasteries, attending a Buddhist masked dance festival at Matho Monastery and a welcoming homestay in the traditional Ladakhi village of Rumbak.

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! 

Ladakh is a beautiful region of Northern India. Add to that the friendly welcome and the variety of wildlife and culture and you have a destination that it would be hard to find fault with. This was my second visit and this time I was there to see Snow Leopards. Except, of course, they're so rare that the chances of spotting just one would be very low. And indeed spotting just one was impossible - I saw a total of 6 during the 10 days I was there, including relatively close sighting of a mating pair on our first day in the mountains, a mother and her two cubs and a solitary Snow Leopard rolling in the dust to hide its scent before hunting. Our group as a whole saw 12. This amazing tally was due largely to the experience, skill and dedication of the spotting team and our leader, Valerie, who between them took us to the right places at the right time and found the well camouflaged big cats where we may have only seen a buff coloured rock. And let's not forget the Blue Sheep, Lammageier Vultures, Bearded Griffon, Golden Eagles, Woolly Rabbits, Uriel Goats and Alpine Chough. This is a challenging trip - cold, altitude and remoteness all add to the adventure although its well within the abilities of anyone with the right kits and who has trudged the hills in the UK. But it's worth it for the experience of the incredible Himalayan landscapes, the unique culture and the amazing flora and fauna. If you have the chance, book the trip that coincides with the Stok Festival, a colourful and spectacular celebration of Tibetan Buddhism in the form of music and dance culminating in the appearance of the village oracles.

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.