Tsewang Norboo

Founder, Shan at Uley | Expert Snow Leopard Spotter 

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Tsewang Norboo was born and raised in Uley, when life here was very different from what it is today. There were no roads, very little connection with the outside world, and almost every part of life depended on the land. Families farmed their fields, looked after livestock, travelled on foot or horseback, and spent long periods in the mountains.

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Norboo grew up with this way of life. Before tourism ever reached Uley, he worked as a shepherd, farmer, horseman and builder. Much of his time was spent outdoors, looking after livestock and travelling through the valleys and high pastures around the village. Without knowing it at the time, these years were also teaching him the skills that would later make him one of Ladakh’s most respected snow leopard spotters.

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He learned to read the mountains through experience. A movement on a distant ridge, fresh tracks in the snow, the behaviour of ibex, alarm calls, the direction of the wind, or simply knowing where an animal might choose to rest. For Norboo, this knowledge did not come from books. It came from a lifetime of living in the same landscape as these animals.

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When wildlife tourism slowly began reaching Ladakh, Norboo started helping visitors search for snow leopards around Uley. His knowledge of the valleys, patience in the field, and ability to find wildlife quickly became well known. Over the years, he has guided wildlife travellers, photographers, researchers and film crews from around the world.

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His experience has also taken him into major wildlife film productions, including work connected with the BBC and National Geographic. But despite the recognition, his way of working has remained much the same: quietly watching the mountains, trusting experience and never rushing the wildlife.

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For Norboo, finding a snow leopard is only one part of understanding the landscape. He watches the ibex and urial, follows the movement of wolves and foxes, notices changes in weather and snow, and understands how all of these things are connected. Sometimes the smallest sign can tell him what has happened in a valley hours before.

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His journey with wildlife tourism also changed the way his family looked at conservation. Like many families in Ladakh, they had experienced livestock losses to snow leopards and wolves. Over time, tourism showed that these same animals could also bring opportunities to the village. This became an important part of Norboo’s belief that protecting wildlife and supporting local communities have to go together.

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That experience eventually became the foundation of Shan at Uley. What began with Norboo taking guests into the mountains has grown into a family-run lodge where local knowledge, wildlife, conservation and hospitality remain at the centre of everything.

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Today, even after decades in the field, Norboo still spends much of his time looking towards the mountains. His knowledge continues to guide our team and shape every snow leopard expedition at Shan at Uley.

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More than anything, the lodge carries forward the life he has lived here and what the mountains have taught him over the years: patience, observation, respect for wildlife and a deep connection to Uley.