The Snow Leopard (Pomelo Travel 2024 Book of the Year)

About The Snow Leopard, Pomelo’s 2024 book of the year: 

In 1973, Peter Matthiessen and a field biologist named George Schaller traveled to the remote Himalaya in Nepal to study the habits of the Bharal, or rare Himalayan Blue Sheep, as well as catch a glimpse of the elusive Snow Leopard. The expedition produced a book, written by Matthiessen, entitled The Snow Leopard that is filled with beautiful prose, detailed accounts of their travels, and a glimpse into a place rarely visited by westerners, even now.  But what I’d argue is more remarkable than snow leopards, or the scientific expedition, is the spiritual quality of his writing.  His wife had recently passed away from cancer, he left his 8-year-old young son at home (at great pain to the author) and took a month's long trip. It’s a deeply personal journey. He records his thoughts in diary form; you get a day-by-day log of his experience. You feel like you’re there, hiking mountain pass after mountain pass, listening to the birdsong, thawing in the sunshine on a warm day or about to collapse carrying a 60-pound pack of lentils.  Beauty and hardship mix beautifully, leaving you inspired and engrossed by their experiences. 

This off-grid, spiritual, and deeply personal journey encapsulates the feeling I had when starting Pomelo Passport. These are not just bucket list journeys, but journeys of the heart. I hope this book further inspires you to move beyond your comfort zone.