S5 E32: Hunting the Abominable Snowman - Footprints, Folklore & The Real-Life Indiana Jones

What if one of the most famous monsters in the world…
wasn’t just a legend of the mountains - but the centerpiece of a secret Cold War operation?

High in the Himalayas - where the air thins, the snow never melts, and the mountains feel ancient and alive - Sherpas whisper about screams echoing across the ridgelines.
About something powerful enough to snap a yak’s neck with a single blow.
About a creature that walks like a man… but is anything but human.

For centuries, locals have known it by another name: the Yeti.

This week, we ascend into the frozen heart of the Rooftop of the World to explore the legend of the Abominable Snowman — from ancient Tibetan tapestries and monastery relics, to chilling eyewitness encounters, to the famous footprints photographed on Himalayan glaciers.

But the mystery doesn’t end in the snow.

Because in the 1950s, as the world edged closer to nuclear war, the Yeti attracted the attention of a Texas oil heir named Tom Slick — a millionaire adventurer, monster hunter, and possible CIA asset who funded multiple expeditions into Nepal, attempted to trap the creature alive, and smuggled alleged Yeti remains out of the Himalayas… with the help of Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart.

Together, we’ll trace the tangled trail of folklore, footprints, secret missions, and unexplained deaths that make this one of the strangest stories we’ve ever covered.

🎙️ This episode, we’ll uncover:
• The terrifying Sherpa accounts of a yak-killing beast stalking the high mountains
• The ancient name metoh-kangmi — the “foul-smelling man of the snows” — and how it became the Abominable Snowman
• The legendary Shipton footprints and why some scientists say they don’t match any known animal
• Reports of blood-curdling screams heard by Everest climbers at 18,000 feet
• The monastery relics said to belong to the Yeti — including a mummified hand hidden for centuries
• How a Texas millionaire funded multi-year Yeti expeditions using helicopters, cages, and steel traps
• The shocking claim that Tom Slick used monster hunts as CIA cover during the Cold War
• Nazi expeditions, lost evidence, and the theory of a surviving ancient ape
• The mysterious mid-air explosion that ended Tom Slick’s life — and the questions that remain
• And the unsettling possibility that the Yeti isn’t a monster at all… but something far older, smarter, and determined to remain hidden

So lace up your boots.
Check your oxygen.
And listen closely for the screams in the night.

We’re heading into the snow — where legends walk upright, spies hunt monsters, and the truth disappears into the white.

Stay Curious.
Stay Spooked.

Stay Forever Rad.

CONNECT WITH US:
📲 Instagram: @thatwouldberad — Tag us or DM your favorite Yeti sightings, cryptid theories, or Cold War conspiracies.
🎙 Share a Story / Send a Voice Message: thatwouldberadpodcast.com
✉️ Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

SHOW INFO:
Hosts & Producers: Woody Brown & Tyler Bence
Recorded At: Midnight Radio Studios

Sound Wizardry:
• Woody Brown — Sound Design, Editing, & Music
• Tyler Bence — Mixing, Mastering, & Art Design

Outro Jam:
“Ghost Story” by The Modern Society

RAD WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW:
🎧 Join Our Patreon: Exclusive episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes weirdness — patreon.com/thatwouldberad
☕️ Buy Us a Coffee: Fuel our late-night deep dives — buymeacoffee.com/thatwouldberad
🛍 Check Out Our Merch: Grab official RAD gear — thatwouldberad.myspreadshop.com