Adam Davies @ BOA

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.