Adventures In Snow & Ice

Travelling doesn’t need to come to a standstill because winter has arrived. Indeed, there are many good reasons why we should all be embracing the cold

- William Gray

ASIA

See snow monkeys relaxing in Japan

The simien craze for hot-tubbing at Jigokudani – a hot spring (or onsen) in the foothills of the Japanese Alps near Nagano city – is thought to have started when a plucky female macaque dipped her toes in the 40°C water back in the early 1960s. Now hundreds of so-called snow monkeys are at it. The best time to see the pink-faced primates soaking in the steaming waters is during winter when snowdrifts surround the geothermal pool. You can catch a train from Nagano to the Jigokudani trailhead, from where it’s a 45-minute hike to the monkey park. These are wild animals, free to come and go as they please. Feeding or touching the monkeys is a no-no – and don’t even think of joining them for a dip.

Also See: As well as some 3,000 monkeyfree onsens, other winter highlights in Japan include the flamboyant courtship dance of red-crowned cranes at Kushiro Marsh near Tsurui. Skiing is popular at several resorts in Hokkaido.

Track snow leopards in Ladakh, India

Endangered, elusive, exquisitely camouflaged… it’s small wonder snow leopards are so difficult to see in the wild. You can boost your chances, however, by joining a dedicated snow leopard tracking holiday in Hemis National Park, deep in the Indian Himalaya. A stronghold for the silvery, solitary feline, this spectacular mountain wilderness is conveniently also inhabited by blue sheep – high on the big cats’ menu.

During winter, predator and prey are both forced to descend to lower altitudes, increasing the chances of a sighting. With luck, your local guides will find clues – maybe some scats and prints – confirming the big cats’ presence, but you will also spend long hours training telescopes on precipitous slopes of rock and ice, waiting, hoping, praying…