The Yeti: Finds in high places

Posted in: 18th Dec, 2012 Post Category: Blog of Nepal

Of all the myths & legends of the high Himalayas of Nepal, Perhaps the best known is that of the yeti or “Abominable snowman”. According to the sherpas, the yeh-tch- literally,” man of the rocky places’ is of three  types.

1) The huge, cattle eating Dzu-tch or juti: This creature is about 8ft tall when standing on its hind legs, but it usually on all fours, & is almost certainly the blue bear of Tibet.

2) The Thema: a small ape like creature which walks on its hind legs, has long dangling arms & covered in red or blond hair. This is probably the Assam gibbon strayed far from home.

3) The Mih-tch or miti : A man sized ape, which but for its face & stomach is covered in shaggy red hair. By all accounts, it is an adominable creture, attacking on sight. some say it is a man-eater. A priest at the Pangboche monestery displays a yeti scalp. The originals were stolen from the monastery in the 1990s. Replicas are expected to increase revenues in the Pangboche Monastery. New Zealand pilot is in Nepal to return a replica of what some believe is the hand of a yeti to a remote monastery in the Everest region.  Mike Allsop will fly from Kathmandu to the Everest region to take the models to Pangboche Monastery, located at 4,000 m (13.123 ft).  The first came to light in the 1950s when an expedition to find the mythical yeti found him in the monastery. Mr Allsop, said he decided to make replicas of the hand and skull after climbing in the Everest region. He talked about the company’s head of Weta Workshop New Zealand, who were responsible for the development of special effects and accessories for the Lord of the Rings. They agreed to make the replicas for free from photographs. Mr Allsop has not yet told the monks in the monastery that he is returning with replicas of the hand and skull. The Min-tch is the true yeti for which there is no definite explanation. Several expeditions have sent out i search of the yeti. A Sherpa girl was said to have been attacked by a large ape in 1974. Several yak’s necks were broken by something that grabbed them by horns & twisted their hands. The high whistles have been heard again. Expedition camps- Japanese in 1974, Polish in 1980- have been visited at night by creature that left in telltale footprint in snow. When members began following & photographing, something screamed at team. Ape, sub-human, wald man of snow or demon – the myth lives on. Perhaps someday the yeti will be found.