The Snow Leopard

An unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas— now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary IN 1973, Peter Matthiessen and field biologist George Schaller traveled high into the remote mountains of Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and possibly glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard. Matthiessen, a student of Z en Buddhism, was also on a spiritual quest—to find the Lama of Shey at the ancient shrine on Crystal Mountain. As the climb proceeds, Matthiessen charts his inner path as well as his outer one, with a deepening Buddhist understanding of reality, suffering, impermanence, and beauty.

PETER MATTHIESSEN is the award-ûwinning author of numerous works of nonfiction, including The Tree Where Man Was Born, and fiction, including At Play in the Fields of the Lord.

PICO IYER is the author of many books about travel and Asia, including The Lady and the Monk, The Global Soul, and, most recently, The Open Road.