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Animal Planet UK reveals the hidden secrets of Gangkar Punsum
In 2017, Mountain Kingdoms MD, Steve Berry, organised and led an expedition into the remote mountains surrounding Gangkar Punsum - the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. Accompanied by an Icon Films film crew and commissioned by Discovery Channel's Animal Planet, Steve's brief was to search for evidence of the Yeti.
Steve first went to Gangkar Punsum in 1986 as the leader of a British mountaineering expedition attempting the first ascent of the world's highest unclimbed peak. They almost reached the summit, but terrible weather forced retreat. Steve has been back a further six times, exploring the east and west sides of the peak. In 2014, 2015 and 2016 he and his friends found strange footprints in the snow. Take a look at the video captured by Steve during his expeditions - Footsteps in the Snow.
Now Animal Planet reveals that Gangkar Punsum may hide a secret of gigantic proportions.From the Bhutanese wilderness, scientist and yeti-hunter Mark Evans hears fresh reports of repeated sightings and mysterious prints in the snow. Taking into consideration recent developments in DNA-science that could allow the creature responsible to be identified, Steve Berry and Mark mount a considerable expedition into the Himalaya and take their search for the Yeti further than ever before.
Whether you are fascinated by the myths of the mountains or simply appreciate viewing little-visited remote corners of the world, tune in to watch their adventures on Friday 19th October on Animal Planet UK at 10:00pm.
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Farewell to Wilderness Lectures
One summer’s day in 1987 Steve Berry (our MD) and fellow adventurer, Steve Marriott, were standing at the foot of the cliffs in Avon gorge. Having agreed that it was too hot to climb, they had been killing time in a ‘Wouldn’t it be great if…’ competition. This was when the fantasy of listening to the epic stories of their favourite heroes became a solid plan…
Since then, the two Steves and their caving friend Dick Willis, have organised more than 400 lectures whose general theme has been ‘Worldwide Adventure’. These epic stories have taken the audiences from the deepest point of the deepest ocean to the summit of Mount Everest, and from darkest, dankest inner spaces of our planet to even darker journeys in Outer Space. There have been mountaineers, sailors, cyclists, divers, balloonists, and even a man who cycled around the world on a penny farthing, and another who flew his car from Europe over the Straights of Gibraltar to Africa. There have been world famous explorers, record breakers, and people who have headed out into the remote unknown just for the hell of it.
Having run Wilderness for 36 years the three friends have decided to step back and retire so there will be no series this winter. However, they would be really happy if a younger individual, or a group of friends, would step forward to take over Wilderness and pick up where they are leaving off. If anyone is interested contact Wilderness Lectures here.
NEW Naar Phu Circuit Trek
We've just launched new tea house trek in the heart of the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal. An exhilarating, 18-day trekking trip, the Naar Phu Circuit takes you away from the popular trails of the Annapurnas, into a genuinely remote and truly spectacular region where access remains restricted.
Take a look at the full trip details here or speak to Harry in the Mountain Kingdoms office who completed the Naar Phu Circuit Trek earlier this year and rates it as the best he's ever done.
Holidays with Festivals
If you love a festival, but hate muddy fields, tent villages and rubbish food then it may be time to look beyond Glastonbury and Reading. In our latest enews we reveal alternative festivals in the Himalaya and Mongolia that offer amazing music, unusual sports and unique cultural experiences.
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