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Ulle village, west of Leh is an area that is only recently being developed for snow leopard watching but is in the centre of three interlocking valleys supporting approximately 12 snow leopards. The big advantage of Ulle is that it is relatively free of tourism and the chaos that has enveloped the first snow leopard destination. Ulley itself is a hamlet of just about 7 houses beyond which are the high summer pastures of Yak and Dzo. This is excellent Ibex spot and there are few more evocative sights than a magnificently horned male Ibex standing vigil on some impossibly narrow outcropping, a few thousand feet over a plunging cliff. This is an area that has only recently been developed for Snow Leopard tracking and has quickly gained a reputation not just for the high numbers of snow leopards but as one of the best areas to see Ibex, Urial, Wolf, Himalayan fox, Bearded and Himalayan griffon vultures and golden eagles. From home stay good views down the valley and the high mountains surrounding it and you are certain to see Ibex from here and if you are lucky much other wildlife including Wolf, Himalayan Fox and perhaps even Snow Leopard.
NOTE:-
if there is any monastic festival during your tour in Ladakh, then we will have complete day tour to witness a monastic festival.
All the itineraries can be customized to suit your own special interests, preferences, abilities, extension and reduction of numbers of days.
Our services start with your arrival at Leh airport. Meet & greet and transfer to the Hotel. Welcome drink on arrival. We recommend you to completely relax for the few days to enable yourselves to acclimatize to the rarefied air at the high altitude and a successful trek in Ladakh requires you to acclimatize well with high altitude. O/N hotel
Take a guided walking tour of Leh town, including a visit to Leh Palace, Known as “Lhachen Palkhar” which was built at the beginning of 17th century AD, Founder of the Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh, Tsewang Namgyal embarked on building the Leh Palace on the Tsemo Hill in 1553. The construction of this regal building was completed in the 17th century by Singey Namgyal known as the ‘Lion’ King. He was the nephew of Tsewang Namgyal. While the upper floors of the nine-storied palace were used for residential purpose by the royal family, the lower floors had storerooms and stables. Back to hotel. O/N hotel
After breakfast take a full day excursion to renowned monasteries and palaces of Ladakh region. Founded in 1433 by Palden Sherab. Thiksey monastery is the most beautiful monastery of Ladakh. This monastery majestically overlooks the valley, a magnificent group of about 80 monks; discovery of the beautiful inner courtyard which distributes access to the various temples. The most amazing is certainly the temple of Maitreya with its gigantic interior statue which covers all floors of the building. To join the next site, we will take the path of school children.
Founded in 1632 by Lama Staktsang Raspa. Visit Hemis Monastery, it is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage. The monastery houses an amazing collection of the age-old relics such as the idol of Lord Buddha made up of copper gilt, gold and silver stupas It holds the distinction of being the biggest as well as the wealthiest monastery of Ladakh. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in June.
Visit Shey (Built in 17th century by king Deldan Namgyal) ancient capital of Ladakh, is an interesting complex whose importance is still measured by the quality of the paintings and the astonishing quantity of chortens or other votive monuments that surround it, especially the copper gilt statue of lord Buddha. The Rock-carved statue of five Buddha can be seen below the palace on the roadside, which was probably carved during the reign of Singay Namgyal.
Built in 1825th by king Tsespal Tundup Namgyal. Stok Palace, residence of the present kings of Ladakh. Transformed into a museum , the collections presented evoke a recent past where the royal family ruled over this valley. O/N hotel
This road journey takes approximately three hours on mainly well maintained roads, driving west on the road to Kargil and Srinagar, following the Indus River. Pass through the small town of Nimmu – one of the most important in Ladakh where the Zanskar River meets the Indus. After a little over an hour, head north on a road marked to Likir – one of Ladakh’s famous Buddhist monasteries – this is snow leopard country. The landscape here is big, expansive and open until you turn off onto a dirt road winding up a narrow valley, following a stream called the Ulle Chhu.This is excellent ibex country and there are few more evocative sights than a magnificently horned male ibex standing vigil on some impossibly narrow ridge a few thousand feet over a plunging cliff.
Arrive at Ulle village, the centre of three interlocking valleys that support approximately 12 snow leopards according to the last census. Check in home stay and take time to acclimatize to the higher altitude of Ulle. The advantage of Ulley is that it is relatively free of tourism and from here you explore three valleys which apart from snow leopards are great for finding urial, ibex, wolf and Himalayan fox. O/N home stay
Proceed for a full day of tracking Snow Leopard and its wildlife prey Ulle is in the centre of three interlocking valleys that house the villages of Saspol and the more substantial Hemis Shukpachen. The three valleys are connected by road and over the next few days, explore the area with your guides, by vehicle and on foot. Track snow leopard, wolf, urial, Ibex, fox and the array of birds that surprisingly still survive in this harsh winter landscape. The next few days will follow a similar pattern, as you search Ulle and its surrounding mountains for snow leopard and its prey. O/N home stay
How a day begin?
Every day will start with hot tea/coffee, followed by a bowl of hot water for a refreshing wash. Our guides will already be on the lookout for snow leopards either from the homestay or from a nearby vantage point. Trackers may have gone out into the valley and are in constant communication with the team. After breakfast, the group will set out and drive into the valley before hiking on foot to search for snow leopards. The trackers will be in constant communication with one another and keep the group informed of any information along the way.
Your guide, who will use a network of local intelligence to narrow down the likely sites for snow leopards. In the process of tracking there will be opportunities to gain insight into local folklore, as well as to learn about local customs and traditions.
The search for the snow leopard is of course not in isolation. They are the apex predator of a fascinating eco-system, preying on blue sheep, bharal, ibex and Ladakhi urial all of which may be seen, along with other predators such as the wolf. Return to home stay for some hot servings and warming tea and share tales of the day
Note:- cab will always remain with the crew just in case if we get any news of spotting snow leopard in nearby villages and the crew will immediately move toward that village
Today we leave Ulle village, say goodbye to your hosts and drive back to leh via visiting Alchi temple. Renowned as the oldest Buddhist learning centre, the Alchi Gompa is one of the magnificently built monasteries in Ladakh., it is also the largest and most famous of the gompas built by Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo in 11th century. O/N hotel
Early morning transfer to airport to board flight back to home and tour ends with sweet memories.
Pay heed to the guidelines given by trek leader or instructor in order to enjoy a safe and sound trekking experience. Single rooms and tents can be requested for a supplement (subject to availability). Please enquire at the time of booking.
Ladakh is very safe, tourist friendly and cheering place, but still you need to take care of some preparations which can make your tour even better and memorable: Carry headache, stomachache, anti-vomiting tablets with you. Please respect the culture of Ladakh. We are Providing world class services in the secluded place, which is similar to an oasis, is very difficult and challenging. Still we try our best to bring cheer on your faces.
Code of Ethics for tourists visiting Ladakh
Eating and Drinking
All food is included. In Leh the food will be a mix of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese and Continental. On trek we provide a full breakfast including porridge, eggs and bread and hot drinks. Lunch on trek will either be packed or hot; dinners will be mostly pasta, rice or potato based and a mixture of Indian, Continental and Chinese style.
There is usually snow around from January to March. You must be adequately equipped and prepared to deal with the cold on this trip. Please read the equipment section thoroughly. The January trips will be colder than the March trips.
This is an adventurous tour and you need to be flexible in your approach to the trip. The trip takes place in winter when Ladakh is cut off from the rest of the world by road and temperatures drop well below zero. Although the hotel in Leh is comfortable, water pipes can freeze in winter and water (both hot and cold) may be provided in a bucket. On trek conditions will be basic either camping in sub-zero temperatures or staying in local Ladakhi houses.
The tour is designed to maximise the chance of spotting a Snow leopard and this will mean you need to be flexible and we may need to adjust or change the itinerary at short notice should snow conditions or other adverse or local conditions deem it wise to do so.
What makes this trip challenging is the weather conditions in Ladakh at this time of year. The walking distances each day will be moderate. Most of the walking will be optional dependant on your enthusiasm for tracking animals each day.
Internal flights to Leh are operated throughout the winter when the weather is clear. Delays and cancellations cannot be ruled out.
If you are prepared to be flexible and patient and have a spirit of adventure then this is a magnificent trip into one of the world’s most incredible best kept secrets.
Weather
Ladakh in winter is very cold. From January to March the days can be sunny but there will be a chill in the air. January is the coldest month in Ladakh. By March the days can be up to 7°C The early mornings, evenings and night times will be extremely cold. You must be prepared for temperatures well below freezing. Daytime temperatures in Leh, and on trek, will be from approximately – 10°C to + 6°C. It is a very dry cold in Ladakh and we can expect sunny weather with a wind chill. Night-time temperatures can drop to – 10°C down to – 25°C.
Note:- While on a trek or expedition in a remote area if any client suffers from altitude sickness or any other serious injury, the sirdar/guide sends a runner to the nearest telephone/army post/road head to ask for help. Emergency evacuation becomes necessary in the following cases:High Altitude Sickness – If the client suffers from High Altitude Sickness, he/she needs to descend immediately. Injury – In case the client is badly injured – broken bones/fractures or sickness like thrombolysis (blood clotting), paralysis, loss of eyesight – in these cases as well he/she needs to be evacuated/descend immediately.
What to bring
Hiking trousers and shirts, warm jackets, pullovers and raincoat Good hiking shoes Flash light with extra batteries Sun hat/baseball cap Sunglasses, Light gloves, Lip balm, Thermal top &bottom Sun lotion cream and toiletries