The second reason for us to dare to, if possible, locate and see the gray ghost of the snows that haunts the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh (West to East Himalayas):
The Haunting Gray Ghost, Snow Leopard
As it can neither roar nor purr, it is called an intermediate big-cat. The snow leopard prefers higher altitudes. Only in summer is it best sighted, when it frequents the fringes of the snowline & high pasture areas. Perhaps the most beautiful & elusive of cats, it is sadly, endangered today. So, we were prepared for disappointment sighting the gray ghost- The Snow Leopard.
We left early in the morning by a Jeep and it took us about 2 hours to south to reach at the entry point. One way is to take NH 1 D via Thiksey, Igoo, a distance of 45 kms from Leh.
There are four entry points to Hemis National Park:
- Martselang i.e to the south east of the park which is 45 Km from Leh
- Chilling i.e to the North-West and is 60 Km from Leh
- Third is Stok to the north and is 13 Km from Leh and
- The last is zingchan again to the north and is 25 Km from Leh.
It was a beautiful pleasant day in summer. Our Home stay was arranged with the help of Snow Leopard Conservancy India office at the village Rumbak. Neat basic accomodation. We were welcomed with buttered tea followed by an exotic traditional Ladakhi meal of mutton dumplings (momos), stew (skiu) and fresh vegetables. Wow!
We started with a small entry fee at the gates of the national park. After walking for another half hour, the gorge narrowed with rocky towers on either side. This was fascinating trekking country and the visuals surrounding us 360 degrees were absolutely stunning. I never knew bleakness could be so beautiful with so many shades of brown and slate. It is this landscape that helps the metallic grey feline to camouflage itself and become almost invisible to humans. The trail continued to criss-cross a mountain stream for another hour.
We took mini-breaks to replenish our falling energy levels till we reached a small plantation with a narrower valley to the left. We continued walking along the main valley for another half-an-hour till we crossed the Rumbak stream to the right. The gorge became rocky and narrower as we approached a latho with prayer flags and blue sheep horns on it.
The rest was a dream!
I think we saw the gray ghost...may be at the top of rocky edge, our guide confirmed but I'm not sure...
However we saw snow wild animals-The Himalayan wolf, red fox, wild dog, bharal (Blue Sheep), Ibex, Tibetan argali, Ladakh urial, long-tailed marmot and Himalayan mouse.
The best area however to spot the snow leopard is in the Shang Valley, where its density is believed to be the highest. According to a survey the total population of this rare specie ranges approximately from 10 to 30.
Though the park remains open throughout the year, however the best time to visit is from mid-June to mid-October. This is also the ideal time for trekking and forest walks. But if your interest lies in the spotting some rare animals, winter is the best time when animals like the snow leopard come down to the valleys.
This region is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, and does not receive much precipitation. Hence, dry forests of juniper, Populus - Salix forests, subalpine dry birch - fir are present at lower altitudes.
Home Stays:
Available in villages.
Foreign Tourists have certain restrictions on movements
Permission has to be taken from the Deputy Commissioner, Leh. This is issued only subject to several conditions, including the condition of travelling along certain identified tour circuits in groups of 4 or more. Permission to enter the other restricted areas can be sought from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi.
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