Yeti

Latest Episodes:

Introducing Yeti Jun 23, 2023

Two adventurers delve deep into the myth, legend and reality of the mysterious creature that’s said to roam the Himalayas.

This documentary series from BBC Radio 4 follows amateur yeti enthusiasts Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey as they travel across the mountain range searching for evidence that the yeti might actually exist. Coming to BBC Sounds on 30 June 2023.

1. Ready, Yeti, Go! Jun 30, 2023

Tales of a bipedal ape-like creature persist in the myth and legend of the Himalayas. But does the yeti really exist? Two enthusiasts are determined to find out.

Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey begin their search in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Speaking to villagers and yak herders, they hear multiple accounts of yeti sightings. Will they find the evidence they need to prove the creature is real?

Producer: Joanna Jolly. Executive Producer: Kirsten Lass. Sound designers: Peregrine Andrews and Dan King. Composer of original music: Marisa Cornford. Assistant Producer Maia Miller- Lewis. A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

2. A Murder Mystery Jun 30, 2023

Andy Benfield and Richard Horsey continue their search for the yeti in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh where they stumble across the story of a murder.

They visit the remote forest where the incident took place. Locals say the crime was committed by a yeti, but can this be true?

Looking back through crime reports, the pair piece together what happened and are given a clue as to where to search next.

In this 10-part documentary series, Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey travel through India, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan in search of stories of yeti sightings and encounters. They hear from villagers, yak herders, sherpas and mountaineers, who give surprisingly consistent descriptions of a mysterious, large, hairy creature. This series takes us on a journey deep into Himalayan culture as the presenters grapple with their own inner demons to try to make sense of the yeti myth.

3. Gambolling on the Glacier Jun 30, 2023

While yeti searching in northern Myanmar, Andy and Richard cross paths with a pair of British mountaineers who tell them about a strange creature they saw while climbing in the Himalayas.

While Andy believes this is a real yeti sighting, Richard needs to investigate further. He uncovers more accounts of strange sightings and footprints at high altitude.

Can these stories be true? The yeti enthusiasts decide to find out for themselves.

4. Yak Attack Jun 30, 2023

The yeti enthusiasts have moved their search to Nepal where they are keen to investigate the story of a terrifying encounter nearly 50 years ago.

While Richard remains at home, Andy treks up through the mountains to find out if there’s anyone still alive who can verify the account.

As Andy makes his way up towards Mount Everest, the pair look back over Nepal’s colourful yeti searching history. Andy discovers he’s the latest in a long line of explorers who’ve looked for the creature. Will he be the one who finds it?

5. The Yeti Jewellers Jun 30, 2023

Yeti enthusiast Andy is in Nepal where he’s stumbled across a photo of strange footprints in the snow. Could these belong to a yeti?

Andy tracks down the photographer who tells him he’s seen footprints several times. He says yetis are often seen by nomads who make necklaces from yeti hair.

Can Andy track down these nomads and get hold of some yeti hair? This means travelling up to the remote district of Lo Mantang, hot on the trail of yeti evidence.

Producer: Joanna Jolly. Executive Producer: Kirsten Lass. Sound designers: Peregrine Andrews and Dan King. Composer of original music: Marisa Cornford. Assistant Producer Maia Miller- Lewis.

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

6. Footprints in the Forest Jun 30, 2023

Determined to give yeti searching one more try, Andy and Richard head to the remote kingdom of Bhutan. This is a country where belief in the yeti is widespread and there’s even an official dedicated yeti sanctuary.

Andy and Richard head to the capital Thimpu, where they speak to a wildlife expert who led an expedition to look for the yeti.

Along the way they meet a businessman who shows them photographs of strange footprints he stumbled across in a forest. Could these have been made by a yeti?

7. Monsters of the Mind Jun 30, 2023

Frustrated by their inability to find physical evidence of the yeti, Andy and Richard consult an astrologer to find out whether the omens for their search are good.

After exploring the spiritual significance of the yeti with a Buddhist nun, Andy questions the motivation behind his need to keep searching. Is he chasing after the unobtainable? Or is there something there?

He and Richard decide they need to focus their search back onto reality and make plans to head to the official yeti sanctuary in the far east of the country.

8. Yeti Chasers will Never Find Them Jun 30, 2023

Having decided to visit the official yeti sanctuary in the far east of Bhutan, Andy and Richard fly to the town of Bumthang.

Here they visit the ancestral home of a Bhutanese historian who is an expert in yeti folklore. She tells them about the importance of the yeti in Bhutanese myth and legend, warning them that yeti chasers will never find them.

But determined to see this search to the end, Andy and Richard continue on, heading towards Bhutan’s official yeti sanctuary.

9. Into the Yeti’s Lair Jun 30, 2023

Andy and Richard finally reach Bhutan’s official yeti sanctuary in the far east of the country, where they speak to rangers and nomads about their yeti experiences.

Andy is told of the location of a yeti cave, where a yeti is supposed to have slept. He persuades Richard to investigate.

The pair hear stories of a royal yeti hunt before celebrating with nomads, with disastrous consequences.

10. It’s Testing Time Jun 30, 2023

In the final leg of their yeti search, Andy is taken ill leaving Richard to spend the night alone in yeti country.

Meanwhile, Andy receives a mysterious phone call from a man who says he has evidence of the yeti.

The pair are reunited in Thimpu where they discuss their findings. Have they finally found the evidence they’ve been searching for? Can they once and for all prove the creature is real?

Yeti Bonus Episode coming soon! Sep 08, 2023

A mysterious stranger gives Andy and Richard a hair. Could it belong to a yeti or an unknown species? They submit it for DNA testing and await the results.

Find out what they discover in a very special bonus episode of Yeti, coming to BBC Sounds on 20 October, 2023.

Bonus Episode: DNA Results Oct 20, 2023

After years of searching the Himalayas for the mythical yeti, Andrew and Richard were given a purported yeti hair in Bhutan. In this special bonus episode of the series, they send it to the US for DNA testing.

While they wait for the results, they hear stories of apparent yeti encounters from listeners.

When the DNA results finally come in, Richard is sanguine but Andrew is nervous. Will it be the evidence they’ve spent so long looking for? And what does it mean if it’s not?

In this documentary series, Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey travel through India, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan in search of stories of yeti sightings and encounters. They hear from villagers, yak herders, sherpas and mountaineers, who give surprisingly consistent descriptions of a mysterious, large, hairy creature. This series takes us on a journey deep into Himalayan culture as the presenters grapple with their own inner demons to try to make sense of the yeti myth.

Producer: Joanna Jolly Executive Producer: Kirsten Lass Sound Designers: Peregrine Andrews and Dan King Composer of original music: Marisa Cornford Assistant Producer Maia Miller-Lewis A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Omnibus Dec 14, 2023

Andrew Benfield has a thing about yetis - he believes they’re real. So he persuaded his friend, Richard Horsey, to join him on a four-year yeti search across the Himalayas.

The pair travelled to remote villages and mountain valleys and heard extraordinary stories about the mythical creature. They even received apparent bona fide evidence that the yeti exists. Is there any truth in these yeti stories?

Andrew and Richard look back over their long and driven quest and are surprised by what they find. You can listen to the whole series in full including the special bonus episode on BBC Sounds now.

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4

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