One of the many allures of Ladakh, for any travel buff, is encountering its special wildlife - and the most sought after, most rare, would definitely be the Snow Leopard. I walked part of the classic Markha valley trek within the Hemis National Park over three days, without any real hope of glimpsing this rare beast - more an interest to walk its haunt, sniff the air of its home territory, and imagine the goose-bumpy presence of this magnificent creature lurking behind the rocks.
This was the first ever trek that I had done absolutely alone, previously subscribing to a more cautious approach that trekking in wilderness, like all adventure sports, carries its own element of risk, and is therefore better done with a companion. This time, caution, like many things was thrown to the winds and I set off on a solitary amble through the mountain pass, following Indus part of the way, losing it, but still in the ravine, following creeks that feed this mighty river. It was an experience like no other, the definite high of my month long sojourn in Ladakh. Needless to say, the Snow Leopard eluded me, but the sum total of the experience was more reward than I could have imagined, more beauty than I can ever absorb or convey, through words, photos. As a special bonus, I discovered, that I enjoy walking alone, in solitary silence and lack for nothing with a fearless head and a strong body - knowing I will make it to the next shelter for the night.
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