Buzz
In April 2019, an expedition by the Indian Army stumbled upon enormous footprints in the snow high in the Himalayas. They shared the photos on Twitter, asserting that the images provided proof of the mythical Yeti, a large, hairy creature said to inhabit the mountain range. As expected, many were skeptical.
Supposed Yeti tracks have been spotted numerous times, with many proposed explanations attempting to debunk them. If Yetis truly roam the Himalayas, wouldn’t someone have encountered one by now? Well, that’s a bit more complicated...
10. Where’s a Camera When You Need It?
In 1925, photographer N.A. Tombazi was exploring the Himalayas while capturing scenic photos. One day, his porters called him from his tent to point out a dark figure approximately 183 to 274 meters (600-900 feet) away.
Tombazi observed the figure and saw that it resembled a human walking on two legs. It was dark in color and appeared to be bare, without any clothing. The mysterious figure moved between rhododendron bushes, searching through them and even pulling some out. After a minute, the creature disappeared into dense shrubbery, leaving Tombazi bewildered as he hadn’t had time to grab his camera or binoculars.
A few hours later, Tombazi and some of his men returned to the area to investigate. They found numerous footprints in the fresh snow. The tracks were clearly humanoid, but unusually small—only about 15 to 18 centimeters (6–7 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide at the widest part. The prints showed five toes, and the arch was visible, but the heel was often unclear or just a faint mark. The footprints were spaced 45 to 60 centimeters (18–24 inches) apart and unmistakably belonged to a bipedal creature. However, the thick brush and worsening weather prevented Tombazi from following the trail.
The porters were all convinced the creature was a Yeti, but Tombazi was reluctant to accept that conclusion. Still, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the being had seemed so human-like in appearance.
9. Local Expert
Tenzing Norgay was born and raised near the Himalayas. His journey into mountaineering began when Englishman Eric Shipton selected him to assist in the 1935 reconnaissance of Mount Everest, which aimed to identify a suitable climbing route. Tenzing found the experience so thrilling that he participated in nearly every subsequent Everest expedition. On May 29, 1953, he and Edmund Hillary became the first people to reach the summit of Everest.
In 1951, during another expedition with Eric Shipton, the team came across strange footprints in the snow. Tenzing recognized them as belonging to a Yeti and recounted to Shipton that he and other Sherpas had witnessed a Yeti two years earlier near the village of Thyangboche. The creature was about 23 meters (75 feet) away, and Tenzing described it as standing 168 centimeters tall (5’6″), with a pointed head. Its body was covered in reddish-brown hair, but its face was hairless.
Shipton arranged for another man to question Tenzing in his native language, and Tenzing remained firm in his account. He was familiar with both bears and monkeys, and this humanoid figure was neither of those.
8. The Thrill of the Chase
At around midnight in May 1951, Richard Steinwinkler reached a remote plateau in the Himalayas. Climbing alone, he had planned to rest upon reaching the plateau, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a large figure moving behind an overhang. His immediate thought was Yeti. While not a staunch believer, he knew no one else should be up there, especially at that hour, so he rushed to investigate the overhang.
At first, there was nothing visible. Then, Steinwinkler noticed a footprint in the clay before him. He took a photograph of the print and followed the trail for hours, eventually coming upon the creature that had made the print. The animal was about 50 meters (164 feet) away and appeared to be walking on two legs and was extremely tall. However, the terrain made it difficult to get a good look. As his excitement faded, Steinwinkler realized he was all alone with an unknown creature. Nervously, he took a few more photos before cautiously retreating.
7. That’s Gotta Hurt!
In 1952, Norwegians Aage Thorberg and Jan Frostis were surveying the Zemu Glacier near Kangchenjunga when they discovered fresh footprints in the snow. Thorberg, Frostis, and two local men decided to track down the creatures that had made the marks... and they eventually found them.
The creatures appeared to be monkey-like with long tails, but were human-sized and walked upright. Frostis suggested shooting one to bring back, but Thorberg argued that capturing one alive would be far more valuable. They improvised a lasso to try to catch one.
During the attempt, one of the creatures managed to catch the lasso before it could capture an animal, and another one knocked Frostis to the ground, biting his shoulder. In a hurry, Thorberg fired a shot into the air, causing the creatures to flee as the men rushed to assist their injured companion and bring him back to camp.
6. In A Tight Spot
In 1953, Drs. George Moore and George K. Brooks were returning home after aiding in a typhus outbreak control near the Tibetan border. They were making their way down the mountains toward Kathmandu with a group of Sherpas when a storm began to threaten them. Having entered a muddy, forested area, Moore and Brooks, unburdened by packs and eager to get home, outpaced the Sherpas. Despite the thick fog, they could still follow the trail.
The two men stopped for a break near a large rock so Brooks could remove a leech from his boot. As they rested, something stirred in the nearby bushes, followed by more movement. Both men quickly drew their pistols and backed up against the rock, watching the bush. Suddenly, two screams pierced the air—one from the front and one from the right!
The men, fearing they might be surrounded, climbed onto a boulder as they heard an angry chattering from the bushes in front of them, and more screams echoed from all around. Then, a creature, covered in hair but walking upright, emerged from the bushes in front of them. Standing about 152 centimeters tall (5′), it had gray skin, black hair, a mouth that seemed to stretch from ear to ear, long yellow teeth, and yellow eyes. As six or seven more figures became visible through the fog, the men realized they were encircled by these creatures.
Moore and Brooks determined that shooting one of the beasts would likely escalate the situation, so they fired a warning shot over the creatures’ heads, which caused them to pause. After two more warning shots, the creatures retreated. With no rush to return home, the two men held their ground until the Sherpas caught up with them, staying in the group for the rest of their journey.
5. A Selective Feeder
In 1954, mountaineer Charles Stoner conducted interviews in several Himalayan villages, focusing on the Yeti and other topics. He was keen to learn about the folklore and beliefs surrounding the creature but came across a story that caught him off guard.
While in the village of Tamyeh, Stoner spoke with a man named Lakhpa Tensing, who shared an encounter he had with a Yeti three years prior. It happened in March when Lakhpa had taken his yak herd to graze in an area where the snow had melted. As he was preparing to leave, one yak wandered off, so Lakhpa climbed to a nearby rocky area to search for it. He heard a strange yelping sound, similar to a puppy, and went to investigate. There, he found the remains of a local rodent scattered on the ground, still fresh.
Thirty paces away, seated on a rock with its back to him, was a creature standing upright, about the size of a 12-year-old child. It was covered in reddish-brown fur and had a noticeably pointed head. Realizing he was staring at a Yeti, Lahkpa carefully backed away, making sure not to disturb the creature in any way.
4. News from Russia
In January 1958, Dr. Alexander Pronin, a hydrologist from Russia’s Leningrad State University (now Saint Petersburg State University), was part of a group in the Pamir Mountains. One day, while exploring, he spotted what he initially thought was a bear on a cliff top, but when it stood up, it was unmistakably not a bear.
The figure, resembling a man, was covered in reddish-gray fur and had hunched shoulders. Pronin watched the creature for five minutes as it moved around the cliff top, doing something, before it turned and disappeared from his sight.
Three days later, he saw the same figure in the same spot... and decided that it was time to acknowledge that what he had witnessed was real.
3. A Startling Discovery on the Slope
In March 1986, Anthony Wooldridge was undertaking a run/climb through the Alaknanda Valley in the Himalayas for charity. At the time, he wasn't well-versed in Yeti lore, so when he stumbled upon a remote, wooded area where no other humans had been since the previous summer, he was astounded to find a clear trail in the snow stretching from bush to bush. He snapped two pictures before continuing his run, aiming to make it to Hemkund by the following day, a goal that was going to be a tough challenge.
About an hour later, Wooldridge encountered a steep slope where an avalanche had occurred just before he arrived. He paused to assess the area, seeking the safest way to proceed. As he surveyed the snow, he noticed a strange groove, as if a large rock had slid down the slope briefly, and additional footprints led away from the bottom of the groove. He followed the tracks with his eyes to a thin shrub... and quickly took several photos before moving to a vantage point where he could get a closer look.
Beyond the shrub, there was a figure standing around 183 centimeters tall (6′). Its legs were spread apart, and it seemed to be gazing down the slope, unaware of Wooldridge, who was observing from its right side. The creature was covered in dark hair with a large, squareish head. Wooldridge shifted his position down the slope to gain a different perspective. When he looked back, he had the distinct feeling that the creature was now aware of him as well. As the weather worsened, Wooldridge realized reaching Hemkund that day was no longer possible. Reluctantly, he decided not to camp out and made his way back to the last village he had passed before nightfall.
2. Patience Pays Off
In 1970, Don Whillans was part of a mountaineering team that set up camp near Machapuchare. One evening, a Sherpa from the group, casually glancing past Whillans, remarked, 'Yeti coming.' Whillans turned around just in time to see a shadowy figure disappearing behind a ridge. The following day, Whillans and another mountaineer found unusual tracks near the ridge, exactly where Whillans had spotted the figure the night before. While the other mountaineer dismissed the tracks as those of a bear, Whillans wasn’t convinced.
That night, the moon was bright enough to read by, and Whillans’ tent was positioned so that he could peer out and see the ridge where he had seen the figure the previous night. Despite the biting cold, Whillans kept glancing outside, hoping to spot something. His patience was rewarded when, quite suddenly, a figure sprang out of the shadows on the hillside and swiftly bounded on all fours toward the cliff face. The creature was large and appeared strong, resembling either an ape or a similar animal. Whillans watched for a while, but nothing else occurred that night.
The next morning, Whillans and two Sherpas went to investigate the area and found tracks in the snow that matched what he had seen the previous night... yet the two Sherpas acted as though they saw nothing. Perhaps they feared that Whillans would seek out the source, unaware that he had already seen it.
1. Another Choosy Feeder
In 1958, an expedition was dispatched to the Himalayas with the sole objective of searching for proof of the Yeti. Naturalist Gerald Russell, who had been part of an earlier 1954 expedition, was serving as the deputy leader on this mission.
By the end of April, Russell and his Sherpa guide and translator, Da Temba, found themselves near Choyang Khola. They were taking turns with other members of the team, spending the night in a camouflaged observation post to monitor the area for any unusual activity. A local man informed them of a small Yeti that visited a nearby creek every night to search for frogs, so they decided to investigate. While Russell didn't spot the creature, Da Temba was in the right place at the right time.
Around midnight, a Yeti approximately 137 centimeters tall (4'6″) approached the creek where Da Temba was watching. It was believed that the creature was a young Yeti due to its smaller size compared to the typical reports. As the creature hunted for frogs, Da Temba shone a flashlight into its face. The Yeti immediately charged at them, prompting the men to flee. The next morning, Russell investigated and found not only Da Temba's and the local man's tracks but also the prints of a small biped, resembling the Yeti footprints seen elsewhere in the Himalayas.
+ Don’t Overlook the Tracks
On April 29, 2019, the Indian Army posted a tweet featuring three photos showing unusual prints discovered in the snow on Makalu in the Himalayas.
For the first time, an #IndianArmy Mountaineering Expedition Team has spotted the mysterious footprints of the legendary creature ‘Yeti’ measuring 32×15 inches near Makalu Base Camp on April 9, 2019. This elusive figure, often referred to as the snowman, has previously only been reported in the Makalu-Barun National Park.
As noted earlier, the initial reaction to the tweet was largely mocking. However, let’s take a moment to think about it. In the photos, the large footprints are spaced approximately one and a half times the length of the print itself. If, as the Indian Army stated, each print measures 81 centimeters (32 inches), then the distance between the prints is around 122 centimeters (48 inches)—that’s a significant gap of untouched snow between each print! No one on skis or snowshoes could achieve that, and even the largest bears in the area would find it challenging.
So, what exactly created these prints?
