Early mornings following fresh pawprints across frozen valleys. Ibex picking their way along the cliffs above. Ger smoke rising in the cold, and hours of patient scanning. Then the tracker lowers his scope, points, and says: “There.”
In search of the “Ghost of the Mountains”
A winter expedition into the Mongolian Altai to find and photograph the snow leopard, led by trackers who know these valleys and the cats that live in them.
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A 20% deposit secures your place; the balance is due 45 days before departure. WeTravel payment plans let you spread the balance in monthly instalments at no extra cost. Places are held in the order deposits are received.
This is one of the world’s most important snow leopard landscapes: the Jargalant Khairkhan mountains of Western Mongolia. Glassy mountainsides, ibex on the cliffs, snow-covered valleys, traditional gers and the rich traditions of nomadic life.
February is one of the best months of the year for dedicated snow leopard photography. Winter changes the cats’ behaviour — their natural prey becomes harder to find, so they move down into lower elevations and narrower valleys. It is also the start of the mating season.
We work with local trackers who understand individual territories, tracks, caves, ibex movements and recent sightings. Alongside the snow leopard we search for Pallas’s cats, Mongolian saiga, argali sheep and more.
Pick-up from the airport and check in to the Ramada hotel. Lunch or dinner depending on your arrival time, followed by a short city tour, and an overnight in the capital before we head west.
Fly to Western Mongolia, Khovd city, lunch and drive to Jargalant Khairkhan mountain National Park . See the Khar Us Lake which is about 1.5 hours’ drive from Khovd city. The lake offers the possibility to see many different kinds of migratory birds. This wildlife buffer zone also offers the chance to see wildlife such as bactrian camels, gazelle, wolves and foxes. We will visit a throat singer family and stay in a tourist ger camp.
The first of seven full days dedicated to exploring, photographing and filming some of Mongolia’s most elusive and captivating wildlife.
Our first full day in the Jargalant Khairkhan Mountains begins the main focus of the expedition: searching for the elusive snow leopard.
We will spend the day in carefully selected areas of prime snow leopard habitat, working with experienced local guides and wildlife trackers who know the mountains and their wildlife exceptionally well.
While snow leopards are our primary target, the area is home to a fascinating variety of wildlife. We will also look for gazelles, wild antelopes and Pallas’s cats, with opportunities to photograph and film any wildlife encountered along the way.
Patience is key to successful snow leopard photography, and our extended stay gives us valuable time to wait, observe and respond to fresh sightings and tracks.
Today is dedicated entirely to the continued search for snow leopards.
Rather than moving on to another destination, we remain within the same wildlife-rich region, exploring different areas according to recent sightings, tracks, weather and local knowledge.
This approach gives us the flexibility to spend more time in productive locations and significantly increases our chances of encountering these magnificent and highly elusive cats.
There will also be further opportunities to photograph Pallas’s cats, gazelles, antelopes and other mountain wildlife.
We continue our intensive wildlife search, focusing on both snow leopards and Pallas’s cats.
The rugged terrain and varied habitats of the Jargalant Khairkhan Mountains provide opportunities to explore areas where these elusive species may be active.
Today we will also search for the remarkable Mongolian saiga, one of Mongolia’s most distinctive and rare mammals.
With our cameras ready throughout the day, every journey into the mountains has the potential to produce memorable wildlife encounters and exceptional photographic opportunities.
A full day of exploration in the mountains, searching for snow leopards and Pallas’s cats.
We will explore different potential areas within the mountain range, adapting our plans according to wildlife activity and information from our trackers.
The advantage of spending several consecutive days in the same region is that we can respond to new information and concentrate our efforts where the chances of sightings are strongest.
Alongside our main targets, we will continue to look for the many other species that inhabit this spectacular landscape.
Another full day dedicated exclusively to the search for the elusive snow leopard.
This gives us valuable additional time in the mountains and, importantly, the flexibility to return to areas where fresh tracks, signs or previous sightings suggest the best opportunities. We can spend longer watching likely slopes, ridgelines and rocky valleys and adapt our plans according to the latest information from our experienced local trackers.
The focus will be on finding, observing and photographing snow leopards in their natural environment, while maintaining a respectful distance and minimising disturbance to the animals.
We will also remain alert for Pallas’s cats, ibex, wild argali sheep, gazelles, saiga and other wildlife that may be encountered during the day.
Success often comes down to time, patience, local knowledge and being in the right place when an opportunity arises.
An additional full day in pursuit of the elusive snow leopard.
With another day dedicated entirely to the search, we have the rare privilege of time and flexibility in this extraordinary mountain wilderness. We can return to areas where fresh tracks, signs or recent sightings suggest the greatest potential, allowing us to settle in and patiently watch promising slopes, dramatic ridgelines and remote rocky valleys.
Our experienced local trackers will continually assess the latest signs and observations, enabling us to adapt our movements and focus our efforts where conditions are most favourable. In snow leopard country, patience is everything, and this additional time gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves fully in the landscape and wait for one of nature’s most elusive predators to reveal itself.
The ultimate goal is an unforgettable encounter — observing and, if fortune allows, photographing a snow leopard in its pristine natural habitat. Throughout, we will maintain a respectful distance and take every care to minimise our presence and disturbance, ensuring that the welfare of these magnificent animals remains paramount.
Our final full day in the national park will focus on the Pallas’s cat, one of the world’s most fascinating and elusive small wild cats.
We will explore different parts of the park and surrounding mountain habitat, searching areas that offer the best potential for sightings and photography.
After a full day in the field, we drive back to Khovd in the evening.
Tonight we move from the ger camp to the Mountain Hotel, a brand-new luxury hotel in Khovd, providing a comfortable and relaxing end to our time in the mountains.
Today we experience another extraordinary aspect of Mongolian culture: traditional eagle hunting.
Local eagle hunters and huntresses will come to Khovd specifically for our group, meaning there is no need to spend the day travelling to another location.
This provides an exceptional opportunity for photography and cultural interaction. You will be able to photograph the eagle hunters in traditional clothing, with their magnificent golden eagles both on the arm and while mounted on horseback.
The experience will also include demonstrations of traditional eagle training, such as:
Calling the eagle from a distance
Calling the eagle towards a fox skin
Feeding and training techniques
Eagle handling and interaction
Photography with the hunters, horses and eagles
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the centuries-old relationship between Mongolian eagle hunters and their birds of prey while creating some truly memorable images.
Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your flight home.
Fly from Khovd to the capital and explore the city’s highlights: the Chinggis Khaan National Museum, Zaisan Memorial, cashmere shops and the famous Black Market, along with some of Ulaanbaatar’s distinctive culinary influences. We come together in the evening for a farewell dinner.
Days 3 to 8 are dedicated entirely to exploring, photographing and filming Mongolia’s most elusive wildlife. Staying in one region lets us respond to new information rather than lose days to travel.
Warm sleeping bags, tents and mattresses are provided. February in Western Mongolia is genuinely cold — we send a full clothing and camera-care list once your place is confirmed.
Patience is key to successful snow leopard photography, and an extended stay in one region gives us valuable time to wait, observe and respond to fresh sightings and tracks. We spend our days in carefully selected areas of prime habitat, watching likely slopes, ridgelines and rocky valleys.
The focus throughout is on finding, observing and photographing snow leopards in their natural environment, while maintaining a respectful distance and minimising disturbance to the animals.
For photographers who need to travel light, a 100–400mm or 100–500mm zoom can be an exceptional single-lens safari solution — everything from wide environmental scenes to detailed wildlife portraits without changing lenses. Its greatest advantage is speed and simplicity: less gear to carry, fewer lens changes, and more time focused on the action. Starting at 100mm also gives significantly more flexibility than a 300mm when large animals move closer.
The trade-off is speed of glass. These lenses are generally slower than a professional 70–200mm f/2.8 or 300mm f/2.8, so they may not perform quite as well in the very low light of dawn and dusk. For the ultimate combination of reach, low-light performance and background separation, carrying multiple fast lenses still has the advantage.
f/2.8 matters when you’re chasing those magical first- and last-light images — and in a Mongolian February, the best light is often the coldest hour of the day.
Hotels, gers and the mountains
The expedition moves through three kinds of stay: city hotels at either end, a tourist ger camp for our time in the Jargalant Khairkhan mountains, and a brand-new luxury hotel in Khovd for a comfortable end to the field days.
Fly into Ulaanbaatar for your overnight on arrival day. We collect you from the airport, then fly west to Khovd city and drive on to the Jargalant Khairkhan mountains, roughly 1.5 hours from Khovd via Khar-Us Lake.
Jargalant Khairkhan, Khovd, Mongolia
Khar-Us Lake, Khovd, Mongolia
Local eagle hunters and huntresses come to Khovd specifically for our group, so there is no need to spend the day travelling to another location. You photograph them in traditional clothing, with their magnificent golden eagles both on the arm and mounted on horseback.
A wonderful opportunity to learn about the centuries-old relationship between Mongolian eagle hunters and their birds of prey — while creating some truly memorable images.
Our team has over 100 years’ combined experience in guiding, photography and conservation. Getting the shot is rarely as easy as it looks — in nature, things happen in their own time. We show you how knowing your subject and having patience reaps its rewards.
