HIMALAYAN SNOW-MEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 886, 1 February 1930, Page 26

HIMALAYAN SNOW-MEN

EXPEDITION FINDS TRACES OF MYSTERIOUS RACE TALK “LIKE HENS CLUCKING” The latest message received through Darjeeling from the German Himalayan Expedition contains the interesting information that the “abominable snow-men” have turned up again, says an exchange. As usual, they have not been visible, but their footprints have been seen and voices have been heard. It is hoped that this time the footprints will be photographed. It may be remembered that the Sogpa, as the hillmen name them, were also reported during the third Everest Expedition, and in 1928 a well-known British climber reported having watched them through field-glasses near the Talung Glacier. Again, last October, porters with a party from Calcutta heard these mysterious half-human creatures around and in their camp in the snow at the Guicha La, and also said that their boxes had been broken into. On the present occasion, two of the Sogpa are reported to have been heard near Camp 5, close to the upper end of the Zemu Glacier carrying on a conversation “like hens clucking” and their footprints, or rather toe prints, were seen next morning. The existence of these snow-men has long been believed in by the Sherpa, the Bhutia and the Lepcha tribes. It is also reported that shortly before the dispatch of the last report, Camp 7, which is next above the new advance base camp, was overwhelmed by an avalanche just after having been vacated. The climbers had been minimising such risks and also avoiding the difficulties of hard snow by climbing a good deal at night, for which the moon and weather had been favourable. The Germans speak in the highest terms of their porters whom they say can hardly hold back. The porters in their turn say that the Germans are full of grit and that is praise indeed from men who have climbed high on Everest with such as Mallory, Irvine Norton, O’Dell and others of the three expeditions.