Winter Wonderland

In pursuit of the elusive snow leopard in frozen Spiti, RISHAD SAAM MEHTA gets accustomed to the sub-zero temperatures as he strikes gold in his pursuit of wellness.

- Rishad Saam Mehta

I STEPPED OUT OF MY CAR to take a photograph and the freezing cold came for me—similar to when you fall into a pond or a pool and the water seeps into your clothes. And this, even though I was wearing ski innerwear, a thick flannel T-shirt, a fleece, a pullover, and a ski jacket! But why am I going on about the cruel clutches of the cold when I’m supposed to talk about wellness, comfort, and calm? Maybe because, just like the initial shock of the water, I got accustomed to the cold (it was -10°Celsius) in a few moments, and the photograph I took then still fills me with a warm glow every time I look at it.

I was in the Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh, very popular during summer, but deserted during winter because the temperatures plummet to about -30°Celsius. Four of us, in two cars, had decided to make a cheeky run ​to Spiti in January when it is the coldest. The reason: to try and photograph the elusive snow leopard that descends from the high mountains in search of food in winter.