The science behind the search.
The science behind the search.
22 April–02 May 2028
Created to celebrate the relationships that have made &Beyond’s first 20 years in Asia so rich, this expedition returns to a wildlife story that began before &Beyond established its operations in Asia. In 1996 and 1997, members of the team who would later establish &Beyond Asia worked alongside Dr Raghu Chundawat in Ladakh while filming snow leopards and other wildlife for the BBC and PBS series Land of the Tiger.
Guests can now search the same high-altitude landscape with the scientist who joined those early expeditions as scientific adviser. Raghu takes part in the tracking and gives talks, interprets observations in the field and leads discussions throughout the journey, revealing how behaviour, prey, terrain and human activity fit together. Six nights in Rumbak allow each day to respond to weather, recent signs and local knowledge. The search cannot promise a sighting, but it can offer a different way of seeing: one shaped by evidence, patience and decades of attention.
Dr Raghu Chundawat draws on decades of snow leopard research in Ladakh, helping you understand the ecology, behaviour and conservation context behind the search.
Tracks, prey movements, recent reports and changing weather shape the programme. Experienced spotters and Raghu interpret these clues before deciding where to look.
Bharal, ibex, wolves, foxes, raptors and other high-altitude wildlife bring the wider ecosystem into focus, whether or not its most elusive predator appears.
Local relationships and shared information are central to tracking. Time in and around Rumbak also reveals how people, livestock and wildlife share the same mountain.
Six nights in the valley create time to watch, wait and return. The experience lies not only in what is seen, but in learning how to notice what the mountains reveal.
Beginning in Delhi, fly across the Himalaya to Leh, where a carefully paced stay allows time to acclimatise and begin understanding Ladakh’s wildlife, geology and Buddhist culture. Continue to Rumbak Valley for six nights dedicated to tracking, with each day’s programme determined by weather, wildlife movements and information shared between experienced spotters and local communities.
Raghu’s early fieldwork helped establish the scientific understanding of snow leopards in India. Throughout the expedition, he interprets the tracks, prey behaviour and terrain encountered during the search, connecting each clue to the wider high-altitude ecosystem and decades of conservation research.
A snow leopard encounter can never be guaranteed. The journey instead offers something deeper: the opportunity to enter the search alongside a scientist who has spent much of his life learning how to read this landscape.
This is an active high-altitude expedition. Most of the time in Ladakh is spent at approximately 3,600 m (11,811 ft) or higher, with the highest sleeping altitude around 3,900 m (12,795 ft). The first day in Leh is reserved for rest and minimal exertion, followed by a gradual introduction to activity. Guests must meet the journey’s medical and physical requirements before travelling.
1 night Delhi | 3 nights Leh | 6 nights Rumbak
Stay: Roseate House
Highlights: Airport welcome, private transfer, time at leisure
Arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where an &Beyond representative will welcome you and arrange your private transfer to Roseate House in Aerocity.
Spend the remainder of the day at leisure before the journey moves into the high-altitude landscapes of Ladakh.
Stay: The Grand Dragon Ladakh
Highlights: Himalayan flight, acclimatisation, Leh, conservation briefing, weather-dependent excursion
Fly from Delhi to Leh across the Himalayan ranges. Your first day in Leh is deliberately free of scheduled activity. Rest and minimal exertion are essential after the rapid ascent to approximately 3,500 m (11,483 ft). The following day’s programme will depend on weather and acclimatisation.
Explore Leh and meet members of the Snow Leopard Conservancy team, or drive east towards the gorges of Gya, Lhato and Meru in search of high-altitude wildlife. Time and conditions permitting, visit Thiksey Monastery overlooking the Indus Valley.
Stay: House of Rumbak Wildlife Lodge
Highlights: Flexible snow leopard tracking, local spotters, remote valleys, high-altitude wildlife
Travel into Rumbak Valley and settle into House of Rumbak Wildlife Lodge, your base for six nights. After a traditional Ladakhi welcome and lunch, begin learning how to scan the surrounding ridges, gullies and rock faces with experienced spotters.
The next five days have no fixed programme. Each morning, Raghu and the tracking team assess weather, wildlife signs, prey movements and reports from local communities before determining the route.
Stay: The Grand Dragon Ladakh
Highlights: Return to Leh, time at leisure, final expedition reflection
Return to Leh after breakfast and check in to The Grand Dragon Ladakh.
Spend the remainder of the day at leisure before joining Raghu and the expedition team for a final reflection on the signs, sightings and questions that shaped the search.
Stay: Roseate House, day room only
Highlights: Flight to Delhi, day room, private airport transfer
Fly from Leh to Delhi and transfer to Roseate House, where a day room will be available until your international departure. This is not an additional overnight stay.
Later that evening or early the following morning, transfer privately to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for your onward journey.
Dr Raghu Chundawat is a pioneering conservation biologist whose work has transformed understanding of snow leopards and tigers. After studying botany, he completed what has been described as the world’s first doctoral dissertation devoted to snow leopard ecology, based on years of fieldwork in Ladakh, India. Raghu has worked with the Snow Leopard Trust since the 1980s, including as Regional Science and Conservation Director, overseeing research and conservation programmes across Asia.
His relationship with the people behind &Beyond Asia stretches back to early natural-history filming expeditions in Ladakh, when he accompanied crews in the field as scientific adviser. Throughout this limited edition journey, Raghu shares the science behind the search through talks, discussions, field interpretation and time spent tracking alongside the expedition team.
Rates are per person sharing, based on double or twin occupancy, with 4–8 guests travelling.
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