The Kibber area above Kaza is the best-known ground, with a wildlife sanctuary and a long history of research and community-based tourism. The cliffs above the village and the adjoining valleys are worked daily through the winter season.

The Pin valley, to the south, is the other main area and holds the same species with fewer visitors, along with the ibex herds that are the leopards' main prey.

The prey base itself is the reason the cats are here: blue sheep on the open slopes and Siberian ibex on the cliffs, both easily seen and worth watching for their own sake. Where they concentrate, the leopards follow.

The villages and monasteries hold red fox, Himalayan wolf on the higher plateaus, and a good winter bird list — snow pigeon, Tibetan snowcock, lammergeier and golden eagle.

The season is winter: roughly late January to March, when snow pushes prey and predators to lower altitudes and the cats become findable. Summer visits give a spectacular landscape and almost no chance of a snow leopard.

Practicalities

Access in winter is via Shimla and a long, cold drive over the Kunzum route being closed — typically two to three days from Shimla with overnight stops, and the road is snowbound and occasionally cut. Homestays in Kibber and nearby villages provide the accommodation, and the payments are a central part of the community's stake in protecting the cats.

Altitude is the serious risk: Kibber sits above 4,200 metres, and you arrive from low elevation. Acclimatise properly, and take the cold seriously — night temperatures fall far below freezing and there is limited heating.