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BOA : Audio

1.21.10

Adam Davies

(1 Hour, 31 Minutes)


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Extreme explorer Adam Davies returns to BoA:Audio to give us an update on his two big expeditions from 2009: a trip to Nepal searching for the Yeti and to Sumatra looking for the Orang Pendek. We'll cover the perilous conditions of the Himalayan trip which was showcased as a two-hour MonsterQuest special, the responsibilities of leading a massive expedition, how the trip changed Adam's views on the Yeti, and behind the scenes notes on the trip and special. Then we'll cover his Fall 2009 journey to Sumatra in search of the Orang Pendek. We'll find out how the trip came about, the amazing Orang Pendek sighting that members of his team had, the Sumatran culture in relation to the mystery cryptid, and tons more.

One of cryptozoology's most daring researchers, Adam Davies, provides an up close and personal look at his ground-breaking research of the past year.

Full Preview: We kick things off by discussing the first of Adam's two big expeditions of '09: his journey to the Himalayas in Nepal, which was a two-hour MonsterQuest special, searching for evidence of the Yeti. Adam first gives a thumbnail look at how the expedition came about in the first place. We then find out about the truly harrowing conditions of the trip and how perilous some of the terrain was. Adam shares one tale from the trip where his Sherpa nearly died descending the mountain at the end of the expedition. This leads to some discussion on the serious responsibility that Adam has, as the expedition leader, for the safety of his team, which in Nepal numbered over 30 people. To that end, Adam shares a hilarious story, from his 2004 trip to Sumatra, that involves "dodgy fish heads," a trip to the bathroom, and a close encounter with a tiger.

Next we discuss how, despite common perceptions that the Himalayas are freezing, the ascent up the mountains saw unseasonably hot temperatures for the climbers. This leads to some discussion about the extreme temperature differences as the team ascending the mountain. We then get some more detail on an event that took place on the expedition but wasn't on the MonsterQuest special, where Adam heard a mysterious, and wholly unique, animal noise while the team was camping in the Himalayas. Adam explains how this animal call changed his perspective on the possibility that the Yeti could sustain itself in the treacherous area.

We get Adam's take on the skeptics' theory, put forth during the special, that the Yeti sightings in the Himalayas are actually just misidentified bears. We then talk about one part of the special where the team thinks they've found some Yeti tracks but it turns out to just be an affect of snow rolling downhill. We discuss the dangers of altitude sickness on an expedition of this nature and Adam explains what can happen to someone who develops the affliction. This segues into some discussion on the need to be in good physical shape for such a arduous journey.

Since much of the MonsterQuest special was devoted to the trek up the mountain, we find out what exactly Adam's team did once they reached their destination and what sort of investigation they did on a day-to-day basis. We also discuss how, contrary to popular opinion, the Abominable Snowman is actually not white but more grey or dark haired. Wrapping up the discussion on the Himalayas expedition, we find out from Adam, if he could make a return trip, what sort of changes would he make to the expedition.

We then talk about Adam's 2nd big expedition of 2009: a trip to Sumatra in search of the Orang Pendek. He begins by telling us why he chose to go back to Sumatra for a 5th time, the pre-trip planning involved and the trip itself, which actually started with Adam meeting with the king of the Kubu tribe in Sumatra. Adam also teases why he chose this time of year for the trip and how he may have begun unraveling some kind of Orang Pendek migratory pattern.

Adam then recalls the Orang Pendek sighting that two of his team members had during the expedition. Adam recounts the sighting in vivid detail, including the remarkable reaction of their guide who saw the creature, and provides an update on the evidence that was accumulated on the trip. We also go over what the ideal scenario is when confronted with the Orang Pendek.

This segues into some talk about the kill v. no kill debate, especially with these ultra-rare cryptids. And then we have Adam speculate on what would become of the poor soul who ventured to Sumatra and killed an Orang Pendek. This leads to Adam explaining how the deforestation of Sumatra is threatening the habitat of the Orang Pendek, making its discovery a necessity if we hope to ever preserve it. We also find out about the illness which caused Adam to be rushed to the hospital upon his return to the UK from Sumatra.

Heading towards the close, we find out what Adam has in store for 2010 by way of future expeditions, we find out about his new website, and Adam has a special shout out for one of the BoA staff.


Adam Davies Bio

Adam Davies has tracked so called Mysterious Creatures all over the globe. His adventures include being shot at in the Congo whilst looking for the Mokele –Membe the Congo dinosaur, and being arrested by the Mongolian army as a spy whilst hunting the fabled Death Worm!

Adam sincerely believes that some but not all of these fabled creatures exist, and embarks on filed research in order to substantiate this. He has also had some fantastic successes, with scientists confirming his finds as "remarkable" and "astonishing" in the case of both the Sumatran Yeti and Norway’s Nessie.

Remarkably to date, Adam’s expeditions have been entirely self funded. . He has been featured and or presented some very enjoyable documentaries including "Russian Bigfoot" on the National Geographic Channel and "The Real Hobbit" and "China's Wildman" on the History Channel's Monster Quest series. Adam would love to pursue his passion full time, but at present works as a Civil Servant in Manchester U.K.

His website is extreme-expeditions.com


Next Week :

Peter Robbins

Politics, Religion, and Human Nature:
Practical Problems and Roadblocks on the Path toward Official UFO Acknowledgment

The esteemed Peter Robbins makes his long-awaited return to BoA:Audio for a discussion on his paper Politics, Religion, and Human Nature: Practical Problems and Roadblocks on the Path toward Official UFO Acknowledgment, which deftly examines issues which may arise in a post-UFO disclosure world.

Peter has graciously allowed us to carry the pdf version of the paper here @ BoA for our listeners to download in anticipation and preparation for this interview. You can get the pdf copy of the paper here.


BoA : Audio, Season V archive