I just got back from my Himalayan Blue Sheep hunt in Nepal. It has been the most demanding, and the most rewarding too, mountain hunt I have ever been to. I would have not been able to make it without the help of my hunting team of Sherpa guides and Tamang porters.

Here are some photos that I believe you will enjoy.

This is where we set up our first camp, at 10,800ft and three hours hike from the helicopter drop off point.


En route to our hunting block we went through two main mountain passes at 12,800ft and 14,400ft. We covered a lot of terrain walkin during those three days, and the secenery was always breathtaking.








My hunting team:


Glassing and climbing, or what mountain hunting is mostly all about:






Glassing from 16,000ft




We had left camp at 6:15am and I finally had my chance at 3:30pm and dropped my Blue Sheep with one shot taken from 265yds with my 7x65R Kipplaufbüchse and a 150gr NBT:


At some point on our way back to camp the fog set in, and one of the Sherpas, reading the concern in my face, said: fog no problem for Sherpa, Sir.

Thanks to them!


On my way back to the comfort of camp which we finally hit by 7:45pm, tired but, oh my, how happy!


Alvaro Mazon
Camino Real Hunting Cons. SL
Spain

that is awesome...........i really got to get out of australia more......well done

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic report! Thanks
I dream of hunting and hiking in the mountains of Nepal. What a scenery!

How many hunting days did you have?
Did you hunt for other species? Like thar and muntjac?

Fantastic...real hunting.... this is a memory that you will hold forever..well done my friend!!!

Anders,
I shot my Sheep on the 6th day and was in Katmandu three days later.
I only hunted for Bharal, not for Tahr or Chinese Barking Deer.
Alvaro

HUGE congrats mate well done on a fantastic hunt and trophy need to add that one to the bucket list

Thanks for the pictures, what a great trip.

Well done! I could barely walk at a pace at 13,000FT, much less 16k! Thats way the heck up there. Im curious if you live at higher altitude or did you take some days to acclimate?

Congrats again.

bhtkevin,
I live at 2,400ft but went through an hypoxic training programme for sis weeks prior to my departure.
During the hunt, we spent the first three days making the accliomatation excercise of climbing high during the day, higher each day, and coming down to sleep at lower altitude.
Alvaro

amazing, Alvaro do you outfit for this hunt? I am interested, Felicidades.

Cool!!!!!!!!

Thank you all for your kind words.

MexHunt,
Yes I do, please feel free to send me a PM should you require information. Muchas gracias!

Alvaro

A dream hunt of mine, congratulations and fueling the fire for me to get to Nepal! Great sheep and great photos!

Greg

Fantastic looking hunt. Hopefully I can cross it off my bucket list in the next couple of years.

Also, what kind of boots are those? Zamberlans? And how did they work for you?

bwanawannabe,
the boots were Sportiva's Trango S Evo.
for others, maybe interested in knowing about the rest of the gear...
I wore KUIU's merino tops and bottoms as a first layer, putting a cashmere pullover over the merino top when it got very cold.
The first days, at lower altitudes y wore their Attack Pants, switching to their thicker Guide Pants when we reached the 13,000ft mark.
I used their new DCS Guide Jacket at all times.
Quite often, when we stopped to glass, or during belays, or while at camp in the very early morning or late evenings, I used my Barney's Brooks Range Jacket as an over coat, as well as RAB's primaloft over pants.
For gloves I used a Mountain Hardwear liners and KUIU's Guide Gloves but carried a pair of RAB's Latok gloves for colder temperatures.
Sockes were Lorpen's merino liners and merino heavy trekker socks.
My rainwear was KUIU's Chugach but I only used the jacket once during the trip, when it started to snow which was inmediately after I shot my Sheep and for a little while only.
The weather was quite stable, and wind was never a problem.
Rifle was my Blaser K95 single shot chambered in 7x65R a cartridge with identical performance to a .280R, loaded with Norma MRP, F215 Primers, and Nosler's 150gr Balistic Tip at 2,900fps.
Scope was a Swarovski Z6 3-18x50, with a fine duplex reticle and a ballistic turret field tested up to 500 meters (550 yards, approx.). When I test shot it in our first camp, at 10,000ft, it hit two inches higher that when I left Madrid, but I touched nothing, just memorising a new set up of the turret which was 50yds further.
Sleeping bag was Valandre's Shocking Blue, with a 28oz fill of 95/05 goose down and a comfort rating of 20ºF.
I used Zeiss FL 8x32s, and Leica's APO Televid 65.
My walking stick was a Black Diamond Carbon with speedlocks.
I did not use my Icon 5000 pack from KUIU, since all that was needed was a daypack, using my guides' Deuter.
Alvaro

A dream hunt for sure. Congrats

Great hunt. Thanks for sharing

What a great hunt,top report and pics too,well done.
There is no room for a big fat gut on this sort of hunt!

Great job and great result! Conratulations and thanks for sharing.
Tell little bit more about your hypoxic
training please.

Fantastic . Congrats.

I always wonder why there are no Sherpa world class distance runners. Their ability to function with little oxygen is legendary .

Great trophy. Great photos. Once in a lifetime experience. Congrats!

My better half just got back from a week in Katmandu building houses for Habitat for Humanity. She loves Nepal; it was not her first trip.

I saw tons of blue sheep while hiking/climbing in the Himalayas. Cool animal.

As for altitude prep, I would recommend two or three days at 12K feet. Just hang out and take some hikes. That will really help. A guide that knows what they are doing is especially important. I had no problem with 19K a few years ago in Kashmir, but I was pretty sick a decade earlier at the same altitude. The difference: the guide's knowledge of how to acclimate.

AnotherAZWriter thanks for info.

Wow what an adventure. Congrats!!!

ALVERO,
Jerad from Omujeve, congrats on a trophy of a lifetime!!!! You're seriously my new hero...and badass! That hunt looks extreme...I'm so very proud of you!

Hunt of a lifetime! Congratulations sir

Orvar

quote:

Originally posted by montero:

At some point on our way back to camp the fog set in, and one of the Sherpas, reading the concern in my face, said: fog no problem for Sherpa, Sir.

Alvaro Mazon
Camino Real Hunting Cons. SL
Spain

those guys are tough. my mother was always upset that the sherpas who made all the everest climbs were never given the same credit as the europeans who could not have made it without them.

how true your mums words are too!

Nepal Blue Sheep.....the worlds greatest hunting adventure!

Hola JERAD,
Sorry it took me so long to reply but the last two months have been quite busy hunting and guiding.
Thank you for your kind words, and looking forward to seeing you soon!
There is a Gredos Ibex waiting for you here, you know...
Best regards from Spain,
Alvero