Our trek concluded with a homestay in the picturesque village of Ulley, northeast of Hemis, known for an increasing snow leopard population. The homestay programs are a means for local community members to participate in a collective and benefit from ecotourism. However, often due to limited internet, bookings are made through larger tour groups, leaving the local proprietors with a smaller percentage of profit. We are encouraging more local bookings so the families and the villages can receive a larger share of the profits, which in turn can be turned into local conservation projects.
We hiked up slope behind the village, gaining more incredible views with each step. Though not seeing snow leopards while hiking, we gained an appreciation for the hardship of living in this region, both for people and animals. Our days were filled, one afternoon spent traveling to a village across the ridge looking for wolves said to be in the area, and another day, after receiving word of a snow leopard down valley from Ulley, watching a solitary male. That day, near dusk, we had the joy of hearing a female snow leopard calling for a mate. The sound, though seeming distant, echoed around the hills and was truly mystical to hear.