In Search of the Elusive Snow Leopard

The elusive snow leopard, an animal Ian Johnson has always dreamed of trying to find! In December Ian flew to the Jammu Kashmir Province of India; this is the extreme northern part of the country bordered by Tibet, China and Pakistan.

A friend, Dr Raghu Chundawat, who is the former director of the Snow Leopard Trust, had invited Ian to visit. He is the world’s leading authority on snow leopards in this remote part of the world, having studied them for nearly ten years.

An hour’s flight from New Delhi took them to Ladakh in Leh, easily accessible by all major airlines. They spent two days acclimatising at the ancient city’s altitude of 9,800 feet (nearly 3,000 metres) using the time to visit the white washed 'Gompas', Buddhist monasteries. This period of acclimatisation was imperative for the trekking ahead - at a variety of altitudes ranging from 9,000ft to 19,500ft (2,740m - 5,940m).

The tracking trek for the shy and rare snow leopard began in Hemis National Park. The exclusive expedition consisted of Dr Chundawat as Expedition Leader, their own Chita tracker and mountain guide, two camp staff and a chef, plus donkeys and ponies.

Over the next 5 days the group trekked and searched numerous spectacular valleys, crossing many frozen rivers protected and blessed by Ladakhi prayer flags. They also visited remote Ladakhi homes where the hot butter tea breathed life back into their chilled bodies. Temperatures reached minus 15 degrees Celcius (5 F) at night and most days were around minus 5 C (23 F). This was unusually warm for December, which accounted for little snow in the valleys; usual temperatures are between -10 and -25 C (14 to -13 F). The beauty of doing this trek in the middle of winter is you have this entire area to yourself, plus it holds the best chances of spotting the snow leopard.

Ian and Dr Chundawat were treated to many spectacular sightings of Bharal or Blue Sheep and Ladakh Urial on steep knife-edge cliffs - these are the snow leopards favourite prey. Golden eagles, Bearded and Griffon vultures were also ever present, scouring the slopes and valleys for any sign of a kill. It was not to be on this trip, with plenty of fresh signs of both Tibetan wolf and snow leopard every day. These ghostly predators remained but shadows in the night... Ian cannot wait to go back to resume the search in this magnificent mountainous region - Ladakh: "The Land of High Passes”!

Epic Private Journeys is offering one privileged departure per year, with Dr Raghu Chundawat as Expedition Leader. For more details, please contact us for more details.

Canyoneering in Arizona

Brad Horn and Kevin Jackson (Epic’s “Man in the Americas”) recently completed a canyoneering expedition in the wilds of Arizona.

Canyoneering is Epic’s latest offering in the US and this trip was designed as a showcase for a select few high powered Travel Agents. Programmes are customisable and can be tailored to suit any group and duration, ranging from one day to multiple nights.

What an experience! We spent our time in a place called Waterhole Canyon, a slot canyon just south of Page. It's one of the last tributaries to Lower Glen Canyon before the Colorado River emerges at Lee's Ferry. Words can’t do justice when describing the exhilaration of canyoneering; large rappels, sheer walls, the reddest sandstone and inordinate scrambling over the canyon floor.  The images below hopefully paint the picture.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.

Groote Eylandt - A Fisherman's Paradise

The warm tropical waters that brew cyclones at the start of the monsoon season in far northern Australia make for hot fishing action. Pedro spent a few days recently at Escape Sportfishing and Wilderness Lodge on remote Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. He came home smiling after catching some prize fish.

The eco-friendly, tented safari camp comprises 12 twin share tents each with en suite, air conditioning and feather-soft beds that ensure you sleep well after a long day hauling in fish. The fishing philosophy is one of catch and release, but invariably a sample reaches the dinner table. The mouth watering delights of fresh coral trout, red emperor or Spanish mackerel will be sure to please the most discerning palate.

An amazing amount of research has gone into selecting the best boats, tackle and specialist guides for this remote location. A fleet of 26 ft Haines Hunter Prowlers, which are powered by 450 hp and cruise at 40 knots, allow guests to travel to all points of the island. The convoluted coastline provides numerous sheltered bays that are ideal for salt water fly fishing; the rewards include huge trevally, giant herring, barramundi, queenfish and even sailfish in the drier months of October – December.

A fleet of ATVs allows clients to explore the back roads and pristine floodplains of the island. A strong indigenous culture flourishes and evidence of thousands of years of habitation can be clearly seen in the galleries of aboriginal rock art. The freshwater creeks, which are spring fed from New Guinea, offer safe swimming and superb lunch time locations.

For anyone who wants to catch the biggest fish of their lives, this is the place to visit.

Please contact us for more details.