Wild Felines – Bindu’s Field Trip with The Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT)

In my research for Ladakhi home stays I was tipped off by a fellow traveller to knock on SLC-IT’s door. Radhika, the Deputy Director of SLC-IT was the only soul in the office and furnished me with the home stay maps I was after. In the conversation that unfolded between us it became plainly clear that we both had a deep connection to nature and were having a love affair with the Himalayas; we became friends instantly. What followed was an invitation from Radhika to join herself and her team on a field trip to Zanskar to make a video diary of my experience. How could I refuse? I jumped at the chance!

Zanskar here I come!

So there we were setting off in the SLC Maruti Gypsy, Jigmet at the wheels (the Ladakhi equivalent of Nigel Mansil), and Tashi, Zanskari born and bred (a crazy dancer regardless of what music was playing). Yippie! We were leaving Leh; a sense of relief washed over me as we drove past the many shops, the inevitable commercial hustle and bustle of tourism.We were on our way to Zanskar! I was informed that there would be a fifth member joining the contingent to Zanskar. We would be meeting a K.C Namgyal at Kargil. Now K.C Namgyal was no regular guy but on the contrary, I was told that he was a direct descendent of the Royal family of Zangla, blimey! With Tashi blaring Ladakhi tunes from his mobile phone we swayed on our merry way with Jigmet pointing out wildlife hot spots for Urial, Ibex, and blue sheep. He did this all whilst driving and from vast distances; I mean the guy had a serious set of eagle eyes that I was completely envious of as it took me ages to see anything! Glorious sunshine poured on our path to the confluence of Zanskar and the Indus river at Nimu Village. This was my first sight of the mythical Zanskar river and it did not disappoint. She glistened, sparkled and shimmered a glacial hue of blue never ever seen by these eyes and looked even more fantastic juxtaposed to the silt colour of the Indus. I was skipping with excitement, imagination racing with what beauty lay ahead.

Ariving in Zanskar

Past Parkachik prayer flags and a stupa – we were in Zanskar!!!!!!!!!! The land I had only up till that point dreamt about and seen in photos from other people. We were now in Rangdum valley and the landscape shifted to an entirely different palette of colours, rustic reds with bright yellow and green marshland and ducks! The expansive valley floor dwarfed us as we tootled along in our Maruti Gypsy. Rangdum monastery was in the distance, occupying a location with a mountainous backdrop that simply was epic, cinematic in proportion. We reached the capital of Zanskar, Padum late that evening, found our accommodation and turned in for the night. Woke up the next morning and ventured into Padum market place for breakfast. 

Lungnak valley & beloved Tsarap

The next morning we bid farewell to Padum and set off into Lungnak valley. Sun shining and my love affair with the Tsarap river began. I have decided that if were to be a river it will be either the Tsarap or Zanskar river. Both embody this extraordinary glistening, glittering glacial blue hue that I absolutely fell in love with. Round a bend and a humungous rock on top of which sat Bardan monastery – exquisite location indeed. Onto Mune, where there is another monastery but what caught our attention was a farmer and his wife with their six yaks threshing their harvest of wheat and barley. She was singing from the top of her voice; a love song for her yaks, letting them know how much she appreciated them, how wonderful they were. Past Raru and Ichar village and we stopped at Dorzong and I sampled Pemar (roasted barley flour with butter and salt tea). It’s a staple food in this part of the world and I can see why, ideal mountain food – I loved it.  

SLC-IT home stays – community based tourism

I was on this field trip with the SLC-IT team to check-in with all those villages that had opted into its home stay scheme based on a community based tourism strategy. To become a home stay benefitted the villagers by bringing in additional income, a percent of which they put into a village conservation fund. The fund in turn could then be used to repair local attractions; stupas, mani walls, traditional zanskari bridges as well as set up an eco-café for trekkers to frequent. These incentives enabled SLC-IT to educate the villagers about their natural habitat and local wildlife; especially the snow leopard. SLC-IT provided solar heaters to heat up water, livestock shelters and predator proof fencing. This appeared to be very effective in harmonising the relationship between wild feline and human beings in all villages where the scheme was active in that villagers had stopped killing the snow leopard and realised the precious presence of this animal in their environment was actually a privilege.

Phuktal Gompa

For many, including I Phuktal Gompa or monastery is considered the heart of Zanskar. So when we set off from Purne the following morning I was particularly excited and skipped with joy! For me Phuktal truly conjured up a place that was mystical, remote, difficult to reach but once you do all is one. The trekking towards Phuktal was some of the easiest I had experienced. It was a pleasant walk passing through mountain canvases ranging copper, reds, grey and emerald green rock. And the Tsarap set as a flowing living jewel mirroring the infinite sky.  

Tashi, KC and I walked across a bright red bridge and followed the trail winding up the mountain face passed stupas and chorten. And there we were at the Phuktal gompa gateway bedecked with prayer flags. Tashi and KC paused and let me go through first. I was touched by this gesture, felt like an honour. I walked through and saw caught a first glimpse of the holy abode. It appeared wispy, delicately enmeshed to the mountain face.

Parting 

Phuktal was our last point together before we split into two groups. The plan was for Jigmet, KC and I to go further into the valley to perform a snow leopard depredation survey (hopefully spotting a snow leopard as frustratingly I had only seen pug marks up to that point) and carry out home stay assessment surveys. Radhe and Tashi were to head back up the way we came to have meetings with home stay owners updating them on recent developments and carrying out evaluation on home stay usage. The spanner in the works came when I discovered that the charger for my movie camera had burnt. The battery  we had been using to charge the camera was too high a voltage so alas we decided as a team that it would be better for me to head back to Padum with Radhe and Tashi where there maybe a small chance to get another charger and continue filming in Zanskar. I was personally very disappointed that I could not continue further into the valley but without my camera I could not record anymore footage for the video diary. At least by heading to Padum I had a chance of getting more footage. Big note to self emerged – always carry a spare charger!!!

Extracted from Bindu’s full blog post on http://tangolover.wordpress.com/