This, my friend, is scat from a snow leopard! It has dried and turned
white in the high altitude. We find two paw prints, one in a dried
puddle, another in a yak patty. The prints are about 3½" across and
slightly weathered. The scat is along a ridge from which a leopard
could have an excellent view of the verdant tundra in the trough and
stalk prey from behind boulders. To the other side of the ridge,
we can look down like the cat into the immense boulder strewn valley.
We actually see blue sheep! They are grazing on plants that you can't
see from a distance. The sheep are very difficult to pick out among
all the rocks and gravel, but their movement gives them away. On our
way back to camp towards the end of this fine day, we see a herd that
is along the green mountainside and better to photograph. Blue sheep
photos will be in the beginning of the Third Installment of this series.
Click on photo to see a small pool in the glacial valley.

Click on the griffon or the photo to continue.