Snow Leopard of Western Mongolia
- January 12th, 2025, January 20th, 2025
- Spaces Left: SOLD OUT! (Maximum 5 Photographers)
WORKSHOP AT A GLANCE
This bespoke expedition to western Mongolia in Winter is for dedicated and passionate wildlife photographers who want to capture dramatic and powerful photographs of the enigmatic Snow Leopard. Western Mongolia is the best place in the world to photograph wild Snow Leopards. There is significant hiking at altitudes up to 10,000 feet. We have a small group size and personal, one-on-one tuition for the duration of the workshop. There will also be landscape opportunities during this workshop, although our primary focus is Snow Leopards.
- Dates: 12th January 2025 until 20th January 2025 (Duration 8 Nights / 9 Days)
- Investment: $9,750 USD (Deposit to secure place $3,000 USD)
- Participants: Maximum 5 Photographers plus leader
- Start and Finish: Ulaanbaatar Ghengis Khan International Airport, Mongolia.
- Trip Leaders: Joshua Holko Master Photog II
- Fitness Level: Tough
- Temperature: Freezing
- Experience Level: Intermediate to Professional
ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
In mid-January 2025, I will lead a new expedition for a small group of photographers to find and photograph the enigmatic Snow Leopard in Western Mongolia in Winter.
We will be based in Western Mongolia and camping in Gyrs (Yurts) for this expedition. We will operate at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet above sea level. Temperatures at this altitude and this time of year will hover around -20º Celsius + wind chill. The Gyrs are heated by small coal-fired stoves and are usually kept around +20º Celsius. Each Gyr is equipped with a bed and basic wash facilities. There are no showers, no running water, and bathroom facilities (although clean) are limited to western-style pit toilets. Fresh bottled drinking water is provided, along with all meals, for the duration of the expedition. There will be no cell phone coverage or internet access once we leave Ulaanbataar, the capital city of Mongolia.
We will use 4WD vehicles to commute from our base camp as we search the terrain for the Snow Leopard.
Places on this expedition are extremely limited. Applicants should be able to walk a minimum of 500 meters over steep rocky ground whilst carrying their camera equipment. Snow Leopards are among the rarest and hardest to find wild cats on earth. All participants understand that there are no guarantees. However, every effort will be made to find and photograph Snow Leopards using local guides and trackers highly skilled at locating Snow leopards. Local guides will be pre-scouting for signs of Snow Leopard before our arrival to maximize our time and opportunities. Please use the register button at the bottom of this page to register your interest.