Snow Leopard Trail The 1st Fair Trail in the Himalayas

The Mission:
Fair Trails Himalayas

The development and implementation of sustainable tourism projects is a central mission for us Trail Angels. And “Fair Trails Himalayas” is one of our most ambitious projects! “Fair Trails Himalayas” combines sustainable and fair trekking with unique, extraordinary travel experiences in the Himalayan countries, such as the Snow Leopard Trail. We work together with our partners from Ennovent and the Austrian Development Agency, the official agency for development cooperation of the Republic of Austria. You can find out more about our Fair Trails Himalayas project here.

The Story
The Snow Leopard

The spirit of the mountains: The snow leopard is the most difficult land mammal to observe on earth ©Snow Leopard Conservancy

Of all the big cats, the snow leopard is the most mysterious. And in addition to some subspecies of the tiger, also the rarest. Conservative estimates put the number at around 5,000 in the wild, despite the fact that its habitat stretches across the vast area of ​​Central Asia’s mountains, from Bhutan in the south to Mongolia in the north. But precisely because the treeless high mountains, in contrast to the jungle or savannah, offer hardly any camouflage options, the snow leopard has developed into a true master of hiding. And thus justified its mysterious, myth-enshrouded reputation as the “spirit of the mountains”. Because no other large land mammal on earth is as difficult to observe as the snow leopard. The difficult, fascinating search for him has even found its way into world literature: In his world bestseller “On the Trail of the Snow Leopard”, Peter Matthiessen describes an expedition he undertakes with the world-famous zoologist George Schaller to the highlands of Dolpo and places him in the midst of dramatic forces of nature to experience the limits of one’s own ego. The Destination Annapurna Himal and Nar Phu

Most extreme commitment to exploring the Snow Leopard Trail: The world’s leading expert Dr. Rodney Jackson of the Snow Leopard Conservancy crossing the Kang La Pass (5,322m) ©Trail Angels/Josef Essl

It was the book “On the trail of the snow leopard” that inspired us to dedicate the 1st official “Fair Trail” in the Himalayas to the snow leopard and its protection. For the project development, we were able to work with the renowned Snow Leopard Conservancy under the direction of the world’s leading snow leopard expert, Dr. Get Rodney Jackson as a partner. After the northern Annapurna area and the remote Nar Phu region were selected as project areas, a first reconnaissance expedition started in November 2018, in which our two trail scouts Josef Essl and Raimund Napetschnig, ENNOVENT CEO Peter Scheuch, Rodney Jackson and the well-known nature photographer Tashi R .Ghale participated. Project manager and trail angel Günter Mussnig then explored the observation opportunities around Manang in the Annapurna Himal as part of a second exploration in April 2019 together with the Nepalese wildlife experts Tashi R. Ghale and Rinzin Phunjok Lama.

The special
Wildlife trekking in the realm of the snow leopard

In the presence of the wondrous: Fresh snow leopard tracks captured during the first exploration on the Snow Leopard Trail in November 2018 ©Trail Angels/Josef Essl

The result of these exploration tours is impressive: two routes were determined for the Snow Leopard Trail, which follow the tracks of the snow leopard off the beaten path. Because our experts, who accompany this unique wildlife trekking, know about these very special places through their many years of experience: camera traps, marking places, hunting routes with tracks, etc. . In addition, there are exceptional observation opportunities for many other wild animal species, in particular the blue sheep, the main prey of the snow leopard.

The longer variant runs through the remote and Tibetan-influenced Nar Phu region in a large loop, which is also culturally protected as a “Restricted Area”. The fortress village of Phu, the lonely mountains of the Peri Himal and the crossing of the 5,322m high Kang La Pass form the high point of the original “Snow Leopard Trail”. The shorter and less strenuous option focuses more on the area surrounding Tashi’s home village, Manang in the shadow of the mighty Annapurna Himal, and caters to wildlife trekkers who are primarily concerned with avoiding higher altitudes. The two routes are then reflected in the form of bookable packages (see also there).

The Experts:
Tashi Ghale and Rinzin Lama

Accompanying our Fair Trails expeditions on the Snow Leopard Trail: Tashi R. Ghale (left) and Rinzin Phunjok Lama are among the most recognized snow leopard experts in the Himalayas ©Trail Angels

The Fair Trails expeditions on the Snow Leopard Trail are led by the experienced Sherpa team from Himalaya Sherpa Nepal, a Fair Trail certified trekking agency. However, to make this already breathtaking trek a true lifetime experience, the accompaniment of our wildlife experts is required. And with Tashi R. Ghale and Rinzin Phunjok Lama from Third Pole Conservancy, we have been able to win over two of the leading snow leopard experts in Nepal.

Tashi R. Ghale comes from the project area, from Manang and is a trained photographer. He has already made a name for himself as one of the most well-known nature photographers in Nepal when he first encountered and photographed snow leopards in the wild in 2006. Since then he has dedicated his life to studying and protecting the snow leopard. When he is not engaged as a speaker at international congresses, Tashi follows the footsteps of the mystical big cat in the mountains at home. Tashi is a star in various animal documentaries such as National Geographic and has received several awards, such as the Disney Conservation Hero Award 2018.

Rinzin Phunjok Lama hails from the remote Humla Province in western Nepal. Among other things, he studied zoology at the University of Göttingen and set up the Third Pole Conservancy together with Tashi R. Ghale. He is passionate about researching and protecting the wildlife of the high mountains and has already led several research expeditions in extreme nature and at high altitudes.

The project
The protection of the snow leopard

On-site inspection of the stables in the remote village of Julu, which snow leopards have repeatedly invaded in the past: Fair Trails project manager and Trail Angel Günter Mussnig ©Trail Angels

Especially with our “Fair Trails Expeditions” we want to fulfill the mission of making the world a little bit better with every trip. This means that 5% of the travel price is used for a specific project. In the case of the Snow Leopard Trail, this can only mean protecting this magnificent big cat. Poaching continues to be a major problem for snow leopard populations. The fur and bones, which many Asian peoples believe give them supernatural powers, are usually the main reason for poaching snow leopards. The situation is different in the region around Manang: the farmers in the mountain villages complain again and again that the big cats are chasing their goats and sheep and even get into the stalls. Keeping predators away from herds and villages is important to ensure a peaceful coexistence of natives and snow leopards. According to the research of our experts, this works best with acoustic and visual disturbances on the pasture fences. These have already been successfully tested several times and we therefore selected their expansion as a Fair Trails project. The implementation of the project is coordinated locally by Third Pole Conservancy.

The Packages
Fair Trails Expeditions

Our trips along the Fair Trails take place as part of expeditions accompanied by selected experts. With the “Fair Trails Expeditions” we want to break new ground in tourism, open up an experience for a lifetime and make the world a little bit better! The following three packages are offered for Fair Trails Expeditions at the Snow Leopard Trail:

Snow Leopard Trail
The original: Nar Phu

The original Snow Leopard Trail winds through the lonely mountains of the Peri Himal, surrounding the Tibetan-influenced fortified village of Phu, one of the most isolated regions in the Himalayas. ©Trail Angels/Josef Essl

Snow Leopard Trail
Around Manang

The shorter package follows tracks of the snow leopard around the main village of Manang in the northern Annapurna Himal: Our expert Tashi R. Ghale against the backdrop of the Annapurna glacier giant. ©Trail Angels

Snow Leopard Trail
Himalayan Catwalk

Snow leopards in the Himalayas and Bengal tigers in the jungle – the unique “Himalayan Catwalk” package makes it possible: Bengal tigers in Chitwan National Park. ©Trail Angels

Sensational: The combination of wildlife trekking on the Snow Leopard Trail in the Himalayas with tiger watching in the jungle of Chitwan National Park, accompanied by the experienced tiger tracking team from Tiger Tops.
Soon bookable on BookYourTrail!

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