Mongolia - Valley of the Cats

Summary

Following on from the success of our summer Snow Leopard holiday, this expedition ventures into the wilderness of western Mongolia in the winter on a quest for three very special cats – the enigmatic Snow Leopard, the diminutive Pallas’s Cat and the elusive Eurasian Lynx! Wolf, Corsac Fox and Siberian Ibex may also be found along with some of the region’s most iconic birdlife such as Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Azure Tit and Mongolian Ground-jay. Our tour begins with a flight, via Istanbul, to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Here we spend our first night in a comfortable hotel on the banks of the Tuul River where Azure-winged Magpie, Red-throated Thrush, Azure Tit and Long-tailed Rosefinch are likely avian highlights.

The following day we will take the short flight to Ulaangom, in the north-western corner of the country, and board our comfortable 4-wheel-drive vehicles for the journey into the spectacular Margaz Mountains. For the following seven nights we will be based in a comfortable ger camp and will spend our days exploring this spectacular landscape, surrounded by awe-inspiring granite rock tors, dramatic peaks, endless snowy steppe and towering dunes. With the help of a team of dedicated trackers, as well as our expert guides, our primary objective will be to secure sightings of these three elusive cats. At this time of year, Snow Leopards often descend out of the high mountains and chances of a closer sighting are greater. Each day will be spent driving and walking to the best vantage points and patiently scanning across this vast landscape for wildlife. We can also hope to find Daurian and Pallas’s Pika, Grey Wolf, Corsac Fox, Siberian Ibex and Wapiti, while birding highlights may include Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Eurasian Eagle-owl, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Saker Falcon, Mongolian Ground-jay and White-winged Snowfinch.

After a wonderful week in the mountains, we will retrace our steps back to Ulaangom for our flight back to Ulaanbaatar. Here we have the time to visit the natural history museum and enjoy some sightseeing before our final night in the capital and our journey home the following morning.

• Search for elusive Snow Leopard, Pallas’s Cat and Eurasian Lynx in the Mongolian wilderness
• Grey Wolf, Corsac Fox and Siberian Ibex all possible
• Birding highlights include Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Ground-jay, Mongolian Lark, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Lammergeier and Saker Falcon
• Stay in a comfortable ger camp amongst spectacular scenery