Wild Snow Leopards

Your chances of seeing a snow leopard are good, but we do not have a 100% success rate. The wildlife in the Reserve are completely unhabituated and wild - this is very different to other snow leopard destinations where the wildlife has become habituated to vehicles and the presence of humans. This makes our location completely unique and special, and previous guests are always blown away by how remote and wild we actually are.

You will be an integral part of the spotting team, working hard to spot wildlife and track snow leopards wherever we encounter tracks with a small group. The locations you’ll travel to rarely see tourists and the wildlife you'll see are truly wild.

As with any snow leopard trip, you should expect to view a snow leopard predominantly through scopes or high-powered focal lenses as sightings can easily be 1km away. This is also true of snow leopards trips to habituated groups in India, for example. You will be provided with top-end scoping equipment during the expedition and we recommend everyone brings a good pair of binoculars.

Guests joining us later in the season are less likely to see Tian Shan brown bears as they will have entered into hibernation depending on prevailing weather conditions. Some migratory birds, such as sparrow hawks, are also likely to have moved on.

You can see our previous wildlife trip reports here for more detail on previous sightings.

Our campsite is basic, but comfortable. You will sleep privately in winter-grade tents but have access to a shared heated yurt throughout the day and evening. Our site has no running water, but there will be a handwashing station to maintain hand hygiene at our base camp, along with a simple dry toilet. A dunk in an alpine stream towards the end of the expedition is a wonderful way to freshen up.

Kyrgyzstan’s winters are what’s known as a ‘dry cold,’ with very low humidity. This means that even when temperatures drop to –10°C or below, it often feels less harsh than a damp 2°C winter day in places like London. The air is crisp and clear rather than heavy and penetrating, making the cold more comfortable and easier to manage with the right clothing. Take a look at our kit list for more specifics.

The first few days in the Reserve are a 'reduced effort' itinerary which includes getting to know the area, meeting your horse and learning about snow leopard spotting. This gives your body time to adapt to your new environment before we set off on some of the more challenging elements of the expedition.

You can take a look at the full expedition kit list here.

We’re always happy to provide further advice and recommendations.

Food will be provided by local chefs for the duration of the expedition. They will cook a mixture of delicious Kyrgyz, Central Asian, and Western dishes. Veggies and vegans catered for, however, meat is an essential part of Central Asian cuisine. If you are a flexible veggie or vegan, we recommend you take this approach to make the most of the food on offer. Vegans in particular can expect a lack of variety on the expedition itself, but also in major cities and towns.

Nonetheless, whatever your preferences, you’ll be well fed!

Many of our guests travel with us solo and often find they meet wonderful like-minded people on our expeditions.

Individual bookers will have their own room in Bishkek and Barskoon. In the Reserve at our main camp, everyone will have individual tents, and in our second location deeper into the Reserve, guests will have the option of sleeping in a tent or inside the communal space. You may need to share space with another guest here.

We have included some guidance on what photography equipment you might want to bring on our kit list. You can find that here.

You're free to bring a drone on our expedition, however, we do have strict controls on flying drones near wildlife.

We do not permit guests to fly drones near wildlife, including both predators and prey. You are free to fly drones for landscape photography purposes but note take off must be approved by the Expedition Leader.

You should arrive in Bishkek on Day 01. You are free to arrive anytime and an airport transfer will be arranged for you. You will be able to check into your hotel by around 2pm. Early check-ins and additional nights will be at the expense of the guest and arranged directly with the hotel.

You can depart anytime after 11pm on the last day of the expedition (Day 10). However, a single night in a hotel is provided for you in Bishkek, so most people will fly the following morning in case of delays. An airport transfer will be provided for you to the airport.

You are required to have travel insurance covering you for the duration of the expedition and for all the activities you will be undertaking. This includes horse trekking and trekking/hiking up to 4,000m, as well as helicopter medical evacuation.

You will be asked to provide your insurance information closer to departure.

Previous guests have noted World Nomad, BMC and Endsleigh as providing sufficient cover.

We strongly recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance as part of your cover as soon as you have booked one of our expeditions to protect against cancellations.

You don’t need any horse riding experience to enjoy our expedition. Many of our guests have never ridden before, some are seasoned polo players. No matter your experience riding horses, we do not allow for riding at speed (cantering or galloping). This is for the safety of guests and the welfare of the horses. You will be provided with a British safety standard-riding helmet for the duration of the expedition, which must be worn.

In order for us to meet our obligations under our company insurance, you will also be required to sign a helmet disclaimer form. This is required by all guests and will be sent to you before the expedition begins.

Tips for local staff are completely at your discretion. All our staff are paid fairly for their work. Tips are welcomed in either Kyrgyz SOM or USD, with a preference for SOM.

Giving tips at the end of your trip is a wonderful way of showing your gratitude for their hard work. If you plan to give tips, we can provide guidance on this, just get in touch.

You don’t need to be a tough mudder to enjoy our expeditions. You will need to be fit enough and able to ride on horseback for up to 3 hours (with breaks), or trek for up to an hour. We’ll be at altitude for much of the expedition - around 3,000m. No experience of altitude is necessary and serious altitude sickness is very rare at this height. If you have any concerns, please talk to us.

As this expedition is extremely remote, we are unable to accommodate people with existing conditions requiring regular medical attention.

You will be offline for the majority of the expedition. You will have wifi in your hotel in Bishkek, but it may be slow. SIM cards can be easily purchased at the airport. This will provide some connection on the way to the Reserve, but in the Reserve you will not be able to get signal.

We will hold an emergency communication device for the duration of the expedition. This is strictly for emergency use only.

Kyrgyzstan offers free visas for most passports. However, you must check the requirements yourself before departure.

Please ensure you also check vaccination information carefully before departure as these can be subject to change.