Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Elusive Yeti
The Himalayas are home to the legendary Yeti—or “Abominaﾭ
ble Snowman.” This gigantic, yet incredibly elusive “ape man” is
a shaggy beast that is reported to roam the high, snowﾭcovered
mountains. The name
Yeti
means “rockﾭliving animal.” Many
folktales exist among the Sherpas, who have believed in the
Yeti's existence for many centuries. In traditional Nepalese art,
there are a number of paintings of the Yeti as a humanlike creaﾭ
ture. According to Sherpas, in 1974, a Yeti attacked a girl who
was grazing yaks. Nearby villagers reportedly found several
dead yaks with broken necks. Following this event, the villagers
were even more convinced of the Yeti's existence.
There is, however, no conclusive evidence to prove that
anyone has ever seen or photographed a Yeti—and no other
evidence has ever been found to prove their existence. There
are occasional reports of a sighting, even by famous mounﾭ
taineers. Some claim to have seen a dark, humanlike figure in
the distance. Others claim to have found strange footprints
in the snow, heard a weird sound, or found hair or some
other sign of the creature's existence. Who knows? Perhaps
future expeditions will stumble upon conclusive evidence
of the Yeti's existence. Until then, however, the Abominable
Snowman will remain a shadowy and elusive legend of the
remote Himalayas.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Nepal's conditions of weather (dayﾭtoﾭday atmospheric conﾭ
ditions) and climate (longﾭterm average of the weather) are
the result of two primary controls: elevation and the seasonal
change in moisture resulting from the South Asian monsoon.
On average, temperatures drop about 3.5°F with each 1,000ﾭfoot
increase in elevation (6.5°C/1,000 meters). For example, if the
temperature on a summer afternoon in Kathmandu were 80°F,
it would be about 35 degrees colder atop a mountain rising
10,000 feet above the city. Weather conditions and the resulting
