Wild Kibber Expedition, Spiti
The Wild Kibber Expedition is truly one of the most remarkable journeys into the wilderness anywhere in the world – to the home of the snow leopard!
The participants will make their way up by road, spending 2 days en-route to acclimatise to the high altitude environment of the expedition, before arriving at their final destination in Kibber Village, Spiti.
The group will the spend the next few nights at a local homestay, giving them a chance to experience the warm Spitian hospitality, immersing themselves into the this seemingly inhospitable place in the shadow of the himalayan snow leopard.
During the day, there will be ample opportunity to spot wildlife in and around the several gorges and snow fields. Although the central attraction here is the Snow Leopard, we can see Blue Sheep, Ibex, Tibetan Wolf and several bird species. Our spotters will leave at the crack of dawn to try and scope out the landscape for wildlife so as to increase our chances of spotting them during the day.
QUICK ITINERARY
DAY 1: Chandigarh to Rampur Bushahr by road. 238 km, 7 hrs approx
DAY 2: Drive to Tabo (3280m)
DAY 3: Drive to Kibber (4270m) by road. 67 km, 2 hrs approx
DAY 4 – 8: Wildlife spotting in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary
DAY 9: Kibber to Rampur Bushahr by road by road. 364 km, 10 hrs approx
Day 10: Rampur Bushahr to Chandigarh/ by road 230 km, 6.30 hrs approx
DAY 1: Chandigarh to Rampur Bushahr/by road 238 km, 7 hrs approx
After an early breakfast we drive to Rampur Bushahr. The drive will bypass Shimla and take a total of approximately 7 hrs. We will stop en-route for lunch. Dinner and overnight in hotel.
DAY 2: Rampur Bushahr to Tabo (3280m) /by road 247 km, 7 hrs approx
After breakfast we depart for Tabo, again stopping en-route for lunch. In Tabo we will be staying in a local homestay. Dinner and overnight in homestay.
DAY 3: Tabo to Kibber (4270m) / by road 67 km, 2 hrs approx
Today is a shorter drive but we will be gaining almost a 1000m in altitude. Enroute, we will stop to photograph the Key Monastery, before carrying on to Kibber. Once we get to Kibber, the rest of the day has been deliberately kept free to relax and let the body acclamatise to the high altitude. Lunch, dinner and overnight in homestay.
DAY 4-8: Wildlife spotting in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary
We will be spending the next few days spotting and photographing the wildlife in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. Hopefully, we will also get to see the elusive Snow Leopard. Our guides, spotters and porters will work as a team to make these days as productive as possible.
To break the monotony we may also spend a day visiting the iconic villages of Spiti – Hikkim (location of the World’s Highest Post Office), Komik (the highest village in the world connected through a motorable road) and Langza(the site for the holy Buddha Statue). All meals at homestay.
DAY 9: Kibber to Rampur Bushahr/ by road/ by road 364 km, 10 hrs approx
Today we will depart early for our drive back to Rampur. Dinner and overnight in hotel
Day 10: Rampur Bushahr to Chandigarh/ by road 230 km, 6.30 hrs approx
Drive back to Chandigarh. End of expedition.
Cost Details
₹90,580 (Min 6 participants)
Booking Cost: ₹9000 per person
INCLUSIONS
- AntHill trip leader throughout the expedition
- Local guide with group during expedition in Kibber
- Wildlife spotters in Kibber
- Transport in Tempo traveller from Chandigarh – Kibber – Chandigarh
- Local transport at Kibber for wildlife spotting
- Hotel stay in Rampur Bushahr for 2 nights
- Homestay in Tabo/ 1 night on twin/dbl sharing basis
- Homestay in Kibber/ 6 nights on twin/dbl sharing basis
- All meals from lunch on Day 01 to lunch on Day 10
- Sleeping Bag in Spiti
EXCLUSIONS:
- Any transport besides what’s mentioned in the inclusions
- Accommodation in Chandigarh
- Personal Porterage (Porter charges of Rs.1000/- per day per porter incase of heavy camera equipment)
- Items of personal clothing
- Air Fares, bus tickets, train tickets, Insurance, Airport taxes, laundry, phone calls, alcohol
- Parking Charges
- Tips for guides, cooks & porters
- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.
- Camera gear or rental of camera gear
Winter in Spiti
Winter in Spiti can be harsh, with temperatures sometimes plummeting to 25 degrees below zero. Hence, it is crucial that participants equip themselves with the right gear to stay comfortable, especially because we will be spending a lot of our time out in the field.
Long days
Expect to be out in the field for a minumum of 6 to 7 hrs. Some days can be even longer, after all, wildlife spotting is a game of patience and even more so with the Snow Leopard. They are crepuscular in nature (most active early mornings and late evenings). We will be carrying hot lunch with us on most days.
Meals
We will be serving a mix of Indian cuisine and some western dishes. Expect the food to be on the mildly spiced.
Washroom facilities
During the winter months, most of the water sources of the Kibber village dry up. The only ones that are open are just about sufficient for drinking water. Hence, toilet facilities at the homestay will be in the form of a dry pit. This is the traditional method followed by the villagers. We will provide you a seat to sit on, to make the process more comfortable.
We will also be providing for hot water buckets (1 per day, per participant) for bath/washing up.
Scheduled Departures
Customize this trek
Serviceable in the months of Feb and March