5 Days/4 Nights
Easy
11000 ft./3352 m
6 Participants
December-January
Ladakh

Brown Bear Expedition Overview

Himalayan Brown Bears are rare and endangered species found in the highlands of India. Colloquially called Dren-Mo, these exotic Himalayan wildlife are rarely photographed owing to their exclusive presence. There are very few places to have a close encounter with exquisite animals, and Drass Valley in Kargil District is known to have a decent population of these rare mammals.

One of the coldest inhabited places in the world, Drass Valley is frequented by this endangered species of brown bear, increasing the chances of their sightings in and around the valley surrounded by jagged mountain peaks.

Whether you are a wildlife lover or a photographer, the Himalayan Brown Bear Expedition is meticulously curated to help you encounter these rare animals in their natural habitat.

OWLS is organizing an exclusive Brown Bear Expedition for wildlife lovers in autumn. Join us and witness them in their natural habitat before they slip into hibernation in winter.

Brown Bear Wildlife Expedition brochure

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Inclusions

Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners (Day 1 Dinner to Day 5 Breakfast)
Accommodation
- Tents, Homestays/Dorms
- Cloakroom Charges
Highly Experienced Leaders and Guides
- Trained and Qualified Guides
- Certified Outdoor Leaders
Permits
- National Parks and Sanctuaries
- Forest Permits and Entry fees
Camping Equipment
- Kitchen Tent
- Toilet Tent
- Dome Tents
- Sleeping Bags
- Mattresses
Technical Equipment
- Wilderness Medical Kit
- Climbing Rope
- Climbing Accessories
- Ice Axe
- Microspikes
- Oxygen Cylinder
- BP Meter
- Oximeter, Thermometer etc.

Exclusions

Travel cost from pick-up point to and from the basecamp (Srinagar to Kargil cab fare)
Transit meals (Day 1 and Day 5)
Personal expenses
Cost incurred due to change in the itinerary
Additional services (including mules, assistance, health-related support etc.)
Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions list.

Brown Bear Wildlife Expedition Itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Srinagar to Kargil

argil is a quaint village surrounded by snow-covered jagged peaks and pink and brown-streaked mountains. The second coldest inhabited place in the world, Drass is known for harsh winters. Drass is around 141 km away from Srinagar, and the distance is covered in 5-7 hours. Situated at a height of 10760 ft, this quaint-trans Himalayan village flaunts the richness of Kashmiri culture. Nestled between Leh, Ladakh and Srinagar, Kashmir, Kargil has the best of both regions.

On Day 1 of your expedition, you will reach Dras and acclimatize. Once you reach, you will meet a beautiful Himalayan family and stay in their homestay. Studded with Kashmiri carpets and traditional Kashmiri cutlery, you will have butter chai and roti along with the family. We will have breakfast with our host and rest till the afternoon. In the evening we will take a stroll around the village and interact with locals. You will encounter locals with many stories about their brown bears’ encounters. The evening is for a briefing for the next day by the local naturalist who will also be your guide. As a local and an expert, he will apprise the team on the dos and don’ts of spotting a Himalayan Brown Bear. Our guide comes with excellent local networks. Having local networks mean being updated about all the possible sites for sighting this animal.

Day 2-4: Excursions around Drass for spotting Brown Bear

e will get up early in the morning, have breakfast and move towards the regions of possible sightings of Brown bears. We will go around Drass, Pandrass, Matayen and Mushko valley to try our luck to find this beautiful species.

Brown bear sightings are very rare, so we will have to constantly be on the lookout. We might also witness other species like marmot, ibex, red fox and wolves while on our excursion.

During this time, we will also learn some other outdoor activities like map reading, lighting a fire and Outdoor cooking to help you independently hike in case in future you want to do such excursions yourself.

We will have traditional trans-Himalayan meals for both lunch and dinner with our host family.

Day 5: Drive back to Srinagar

ou will bid your final goodbye to your host family with whom you would have spent many quality days. You can prepare for your onward journey from kargil towards srinagar or Ladakh to start your flight to your destination metro cities.

How to reach Kargil for Brown Bear Wildlife Expedition?

The pick-up point of the Brown Bear Expedition is Srinagar. You have to reach Srinagar on Day 0 for this experience.

OWLS pickup vehicle will leave Srinagar Airport at 8:00 AM and head over to the main city of Kargil. The journey will take around 7-8 hours to reach Kargil.

[Note: Fare for a 5-7 seater cab will be Rs. 6,000- 7000 per vehicle. The 12-seater Tempo Traveller costs Rs. 11,000. This amount will be split by the participants and paid to the driver]

Here is a step-by-step guide to plan your travel to Srinagar

Book your flight to Srinagar on Day 0 i.e. A day before your trek starts.
Book a hotel in Srinagar for the night. (Note: Book hotels near Dal Lake or Boulevard Road for safety purposes.)
Reach the OWLS pick-up point in time.

Travel Plan option A – By air to Srinagar

Travelling to Srinagar by air from your city is the most convenient option to reach Srinagar. There are direct flights to Srinagar from many metro cities.

Book an early morning flight from your city to Srinagar. Reach Srinagar airport in the afternoon or evening of Day 0.

Arriving in Srinagar on day 0, instead of Day 1 allows you to rest well before your trek.

Travel Plan option B – By train to Jammu, followed by road/train journey to Srinagar

Another option to reach Srinagar is to travel by train to Jammu followed by a road journey. It takes around 9-12 hrs to cover the distance of around 250 km between Jammu and Srinagar.

Although this option is economical you need to plan well in advance. The highway connecting Srinagar and Jammu is often troubled by roadblocks.

Here are a few options to reach Srinagar from Jammu

Fly from Jammu to Srinagar – Travel by train to Jammu and fly from Jammu to Srinagar. It is a short flight of 50 minutes.
The second option is to travel by bus from Jammu to Srinagar. You can avail of the bus service outside Jammu Railway Station or ISBT Jammu. It takes roughly 9-10 hours if there are no roadblocks en route.
The third option is to get on a shared cab outside Jammu railway station or ISBT Jammu.
The last option is to reach Jammu by train, followed by a road journey to Banihal. From Banihal, you can catch a train to Jammu.

Note- If you are opting for option B to reach Srinagar, plan well in advance and include buffer days. The roadblocks are frequent on the Jammu Srinagar Highway, especially during monsoon.