Kyrgyzstan Snow Leopard Expedition

After breakfast, the drive south to Bokonbaevo on the shore of Issyk-Kul, around 270 km and five hours through mountain valleys.

On arrival, a berkutchi puts a trained golden eagle through a live hunting demonstration, with an archery display alongside it, a practice rooted deep in Kyrgyz nomadic culture. Overnight at the Semetei guesthouse, the staging point for the reserve.

From Bokonbaevo you push deep into the Sarychat-Ertash State Reserve by 4x4, around 250 km and six to eight hours on rough mountain roads. The route crosses the Sook and Eshek-Art passes at around 4,000 metres, with the Central Tien Shan spread out around you and argali usually visible on the slopes of the Eshek-Art pass.

By late afternoon you are inside the reserve for a first hour of snow leopard spotting with the rangers. The night is in tents at the Eshek-Art base camp at around 3,000 metres, with a yurt as the dining room.

A short drive from base camp to the Solomo and Syrdabai gorges, around 10 km there and back, for a full day of wildlife observation. With Swarovski and Vortex spotting scopes you scan for ibex, argali and snow leopards alongside rangers who know every ridge.

Then the camera-trap work begins. You replace batteries and memory cards at active stations and learn to set up new traps in snow leopard corridors. Whatever your traps photograph over the following three months is sent to you. Overnight at the Eshek-Art base camp.

You saddle up and ride from base camp into the Koiluu valley, around 8 km and three and a half hours on horseback, with stops along the way to watch for wildlife. The rangers guide you through the Uch-Kol valley looking for snow leopard sign, and you check the camera traps along the route.

The night is in tents at the Koiluu camp, deep in the reserve.

A whole day given to searching for snow leopards and wolves around the Koiluu camp with your ranger team. You service camera traps and install new ones across the valley, then ride or walk around 6 km along the valley floor to a waterfall, watching for ibex on the way. If you want more ground, there is an optional ride into the Chomoy valley, around three hours there and back.

In the evening the memory cards come out and the group goes through the images together to see what the traps have caught. Overnight at the Koiluu camp.

You ride from Eshek-Art to the entrance of the Jaman-Suu valley, around an hour and a half on horseback, to see petroglyphs cut into the rock by people who crossed this ground long before you.

From there the ride continues deeper into the valley, scanning for snow leopards, argali and wolves. You are back at the Eshek-Art station by late afternoon for a night in the yurt.

A ride out to Kashka-Tor for a full day of wildlife observation across the valley. You watch for argali, ibex and vultures on the lower ground while the rangers scan the heights for snow leopards and brown bears. It is one of the most rewarding days in the reserve.

Back to the Eshek-Art station for the night.

An early departure from the reserve to Ak-Shiyrak, where you sit down with community members and rangers for a conversation about conservation, hearing from the people who live alongside snow leopards year round. Lunch is shared with them, and your US$100 per person contribution goes to the community conservation fund through the Snow Leopard Foundation. There is time to buy work from local artisans.

Then the long drive back to Bokonbaevo, around 270 km and six to eight hours, arriving in the evening at the Semetei guesthouse.

The drive back towards Bishkek, around four and a half hours, then south into the Ala-Too foothills to the Supara Chunkurchak Ethno-Resort, a mountain lodge built in traditional Kyrgyz style 27 km outside the city.

After eight days in the field it is a real change of pace: a farewell dinner with the team looking out across the valley.

A last breakfast at Supara with the Ala-Too foothills in view, then the transfer to Manas International Airport, around 45 km and an hour, for your flight home.