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Monstrous Science: How the Yeti gets research funded Monstrous science: how the Yeti gets research funded
(about 3 hours later)
The 1960-61 Silver Hut expedition was an extraordinarily ambitious physiology research programme, which provided significant insights into human adaptation to altitude, and kick-started the careers of some of the twentieth century’s leading physiologists. It was also expensive, and part of the funding came from a promise by mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary to organise a hunt for the Yeti. The 1960-61 Silver Hut expedition was an extraordinarily ambitious physiology research programme, which provided significant insights into human adaptation to altitude, and kick-started the careers of some of the 20th century’s leading physiologists. It was also expensive, and part of the funding came from a promise by mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary to organise a hunt for the Yeti.
Silver Hut was dreamt up by Hillary and the physiologist Griff Pugh – the man responsible for much of the research that allowed Hillary to climb Everest in 1953. Inspired by time spent in the Antarctic as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition , Pugh suggested that a team of explorer-scientists could go to the Himalaya and overwinter in specially designed huts, in order to study the long-term effects of adaptation to high altitude. By promising a Yeti hunt, and an attempt on one of the nearby high peaks, the team managed to get funding from a publishing company, Marshall Field Enterprises of Chicago.Silver Hut was dreamt up by Hillary and the physiologist Griff Pugh – the man responsible for much of the research that allowed Hillary to climb Everest in 1953. Inspired by time spent in the Antarctic as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition , Pugh suggested that a team of explorer-scientists could go to the Himalaya and overwinter in specially designed huts, in order to study the long-term effects of adaptation to high altitude. By promising a Yeti hunt, and an attempt on one of the nearby high peaks, the team managed to get funding from a publishing company, Marshall Field Enterprises of Chicago.
Hillary wrote confidently about the chance of finding the beast, as apparently he thought he’d figured out where all the other Yeti hunters had gone wrong: they looked in the summer, when the Yeti would be hiding from human disruption high in the mountains. Instead, serious hunters should go in the winter months, when the animal would be forced into the lower valleys to search for food. Hillary’s scheme was a complicated affair; in October, a ten-man team would set up lookout points in the Rolwaling Valley, then in December they’d look in the Hongu Valley, and then in March search in the Hongu and Barun Valleys. Hillary wrote confidently about the chance of finding the beast, as apparently he thought he’d figured out where all the other Yeti hunters had gone wrong: they looked in the summer, when the Yeti would be hiding from human disruption high in the mountains. Instead, serious hunters should go in the winter months, when the animal would be forced into the lower valleys to search for food. Hillary’s scheme was a complicated affair; in October, a team of 10 men would set up lookout points in the Rolwaling Valley, then in December they’d look in the Hongu Valley, and then in March search in the Hongu and Barun Valleys.
High-tech equipment was used, as the lookout posts were connected using radios and the team took automatic trip cameras, long-range needle guns and even a teargas pencil. This equipment was handled by Marlin Perkins, the director of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, although few of the team got the hang of all the technology, as climber Peter Mulgrew admitted rather sarcastically:High-tech equipment was used, as the lookout posts were connected using radios and the team took automatic trip cameras, long-range needle guns and even a teargas pencil. This equipment was handled by Marlin Perkins, the director of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, although few of the team got the hang of all the technology, as climber Peter Mulgrew admitted rather sarcastically:
...all one had to do on coming face to face with a Yeti was to estimate the body weight of the creature, carry out a small mental calculation, enabling one to set the correct amount of drug so as not to kill the beast, load the gun and fire…In any event I found myself quite unable to do the mental sum required and on the one occasion when I did manage it, took a full six minutes...all one had to do on coming face to face with a Yeti was to estimate the body weight of the creature, carry out a small mental calculation, enabling one to set the correct amount of drug so as not to kill the beast, load the gun and fire…In any event I found myself quite unable to do the mental sum required and on the one occasion when I did manage it, took a full six minutes
Needless to say, the team did not find the Yeti: nothing was seen in the valleys, ‘abominable snowman’ footprints turned out to be melted fox or wolf tracks, and a mysterious animal scalp was identified as probably belonging to a bear. But, as the slightly more sceptical Griff Pugh suggested, the hunt for the Yeti was a valid activity, as it would persuade climbers that such a long expedition was worthwhile and was ‘a valuable means of obtaining financial support for the expedition.’Needless to say, the team did not find the Yeti: nothing was seen in the valleys, ‘abominable snowman’ footprints turned out to be melted fox or wolf tracks, and a mysterious animal scalp was identified as probably belonging to a bear. But, as the slightly more sceptical Griff Pugh suggested, the hunt for the Yeti was a valid activity, as it would persuade climbers that such a long expedition was worthwhile and was ‘a valuable means of obtaining financial support for the expedition.’
The Daily Mail and the Abominable Snowman The Daily Mail and the abominable snowman
Western interest in the Yeti, or abominable snowman, really kicked off in 1951, when British climber Eric Shipton published photographs of what were supposed to be Yeti tracks, taken while on an expedition testing routes and equipment for the 1953 Everest attempt. Many climbers, explorers and scientists seriously believed in the possibility of a missing link, or unknown creature (although they were not convinced by the more supernatural explanations for the Yeti). There were plenty of accounts – from European climbers as well as local people and Sherpa guides – of strange noises, strange tracks, and even strange sightings on the mountains.Western interest in the Yeti, or abominable snowman, really kicked off in 1951, when British climber Eric Shipton published photographs of what were supposed to be Yeti tracks, taken while on an expedition testing routes and equipment for the 1953 Everest attempt. Many climbers, explorers and scientists seriously believed in the possibility of a missing link, or unknown creature (although they were not convinced by the more supernatural explanations for the Yeti). There were plenty of accounts – from European climbers as well as local people and Sherpa guides – of strange noises, strange tracks, and even strange sightings on the mountains.
In 1954 the Everest Expedition’s cameraman, Tom Stobart, led a team to find the Yeti, which was funded by the Daily Mail. The ‘Daily Mail Himalayan Expedition’ included journalist Ralph Izzard who sent exclusive stories about the hunt back to the newspaper, which led some people to suggest that it was just a publicity stunt. In fact, the expedition was a serious affair, including an expert ornithologist, a specialist in animal capture and a senior member of the Indian Zoological Survey, and was intended to survey a range of birds and animals across East Nepal. The team was asked to supply specimens to Kew Gardens, and anything really unusual – say, an Abominable Snowman – was to go was to go direct to the (London) Huntarian Museum’s Honorary Curator Prof. F. Wood Jones, a well known anatomist and anthropologist. While it may not have found a Yeti, the expedition did gather information about other animals, and identified several new bird species. In 1954 the Everest Expedition’s cameraman, Tom Stobart, led a team to find the Yeti, which was funded by the Daily Mail. The ‘Daily Mail Himalayan Expedition’ included journalist Ralph Izzard who sent exclusive stories about the hunt back to the newspaper, which led some people to suggest that it was just a publicity stunt. In fact, the expedition was a serious affair, including an expert ornithologist, a specialist in animal capture and a senior member of the Indian Zoological Survey, and was intended to survey a range of birds and animals across east Nepal. The team was asked to supply specimens to Kew Gardens, and anything really unusual – say, an Abominable Snowman – was to go was to go direct to the (London) Huntarian Museum’s honorary curator Prof F Wood Jones, a well known anatomist and anthropologist. While it may not have found a Yeti, the expedition did gather information about other animals, and identified several new bird species.
007 and the Lost Plutonium 007 and the lost plutonium
Sometimes Yeti hunts were taken too seriously – scientific explorers and mountaineers were often accused of being involved in spying and espionage. The Himalaya are in a politically sensitive area, crossing the borders of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, as well as being a site of conflict between Russia and its enemies (including at times both Britain and the USA). The American Yeti-hunter Tom Slick had some connections to the CIA, and Ralph Izzard is said to have been the major inspiration for the fictional spy James Bond; a tense poker game played against Nazi naval intelligence officers in Brazil was apparently the basis for Casino Royale.Sometimes Yeti hunts were taken too seriously – scientific explorers and mountaineers were often accused of being involved in spying and espionage. The Himalaya are in a politically sensitive area, crossing the borders of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, as well as being a site of conflict between Russia and its enemies (including at times both Britain and the USA). The American Yeti-hunter Tom Slick had some connections to the CIA, and Ralph Izzard is said to have been the major inspiration for the fictional spy James Bond; a tense poker game played against Nazi naval intelligence officers in Brazil was apparently the basis for Casino Royale.
So it may be that anything suspicious going on in the Himalayan valleys was more likely to be the work of spies than an undiscovered bigfoot. In 1965 a CIA-organised team of American and Indian climbers attempted to put nuclear-powered surveillance devices on the summit of the mountain Nanda Devi, in order to spy on Chinese weapons tests. The climbers failed to reach the summit and stashed the devices ‘safely’ at 7200m above sea level. When they returned to complete the job in early summer the devices, and their plutonium payload, had vanished without trace. Now that’s scary.So it may be that anything suspicious going on in the Himalayan valleys was more likely to be the work of spies than an undiscovered bigfoot. In 1965 a CIA-organised team of American and Indian climbers attempted to put nuclear-powered surveillance devices on the summit of the mountain Nanda Devi, in order to spy on Chinese weapons tests. The climbers failed to reach the summit and stashed the devices ‘safely’ at 7200m above sea level. When they returned to complete the job in early summer the devices, and their plutonium payload, had vanished without trace. Now that’s scary.
But, as we all know, every good twentieth century monster is created by exposure to radiation, so perhaps there’s hope for the Yeti still… But, as we all know, every good 20th century monster is created by exposure to radiation, so perhaps there’s hope for the Yeti still …
Vanessa always wanted to be a cryptozoologist when she grew up, and likes to pretend she was named after the famous loch monster. Tweet your alien big cat sightings to her @hps_vanessaVanessa always wanted to be a cryptozoologist when she grew up, and likes to pretend she was named after the famous loch monster. Tweet your alien big cat sightings to her @hps_vanessa