Update from our snow leopard conservation expedition to the Tien Shan mountains
Our behind-the-scenes preparation for this year’s Kyrgyzstan snow leopard conservation expedition has been going for months. It now enters the final phase. As our citizen scientists finalise checklists and pack their gear, so are we.
Meet the team
My name is Darran and I will be your expedition leader. More about me is here and here.
With me will be Emil, our Kyrgyz scientist, and our camp manager Almut:
Also with us for group 1 will be our founder & executive director Dr. Matthias Hammer.
Escaping the Heat for Snow Leopard Conservation
To prepare for the field, I’ve been reviewing our previous research notes. Our first group of volunteers will assemble in Bishkek on 6 July before heading straight to base camp.
As Europe experiences soaring temperatures and official El Niño conditions, the cooler nights of the majestic Tien Shan Mountains will be a welcome relief. Our lead scientist, Emil, reports that afternoon temperatures in the city are currently hitting 34°C, dropping to a more comfortable 22°C at night – though our high-altitude base camp will be much cooler.
Setting Up Camp and the 2025 Report
Our immediate tasks include setting up camp, prepping vehicles, sorting supplies and mapping out our research strategy. Our mission remains clear: to empower everyday people to drive wildlife conservation through ethical volunteering and citizen science.
The extraordinary success of the 2025 expedition will be hard to beat (just look at that amazing camera trap picture above), but we will try our hardest to progress snow leopard conservation even further. Meanwhile I hope you have read your dossier, the 2025 Expedition Report and you are ready and prepared for what lies ahead: Days in the mountains devoid of internet and creature comforts, but filled with wide open spaces, majestic mountains and the knowledge that up there, where the snow glistens and the rocks abound, there are at least five ghosts of the mountains, looking down on us. And our job is to do everything we can to make sure they continue to be up there – living, breeding, dropping their scat for us to find and stumbling into our camera traps, before the poachers get to them.
A Passion for Wildlife Protection
Personally, I cannot wait to get back into the field. This expedition allows me to channel my outdoor career skills alongside a team truly passionate about snow leopard conservation.
To everyone joining us in the Tien Shan Mountains this year: safe travels, and see you very soon!
Read also: 2025 diary of the Tien Shan snow leopard expedition. All Tien Shan 2026 diary entries on one page.
Author: Darran Keog
Darran Keogh grew up in Ireland and has spent much of his adult life travelling and working in the outdoor industry. He has a degree in Outdoor Education and Geography and is a qualified Mountain Leader and an International Mountain Leader Aspirant. An adventurous spirit has taken him to explore remote areas around the world and in recent years Europe’s great mountain ranges from a base in Chamonix Valley, France. Happiest sleeping under the stars, climbing, surfing or exploring snowy mountains, he is now based in Ireland once again, with his attention turned to conservation: Darren is a member of Ireland’s Governing Body for mountaineering’s Climate action group, has another degree in studying Climate, Sustainability and Environment and is a proud member of the Biosphere Expeditions team. More about Darran.