The Abominable Snowmen ( TV story ) The Abominable Snowmen was the second story in season five of " Doctor Who " . This story introduced the Robot Yeti and the Great Intelligence . Only episode two still exists in the BBC Archives . Synopsis . Mysterious forces are at work in 1930s Tibet . The once gentle Yeti have turned savage and besieged a Buddhist monastery . The Second Doctor , Jamie and Victoria arrive expecting a friendly welcome from the abbot , but soon become ensnared in the plans of the extradimensional being known as the Great Intelligence . Plot . Episode one . Professor Edward Travers , an anthropologist and explorer , is awoken from his sleep by the screams of his companion . He is horrified to see a lumbering , hairy creature standing over his friend ' s lifeless body . It grabs Travers ' gun and twists it into scrap metal as the terrified man scampers into the night . The TARDIS has materialised on a cold and windy hillside . The Doctor is delighted at their destination — the Himalayas . He tells Jamie and Victoria to start searching for what he calls a " Holy Ghanta " . They begin searching through a trunk , wherein Jamie finds a pair of bagpipes and a sword , and the Doctor finds a fur coat which he puts on to protect himself against the cold weather . He leaves Jamie and Victoria to look for the Ghanta , which he explains is a bell . The Doctor goes out and observes an ornate monastery in a valley below . He sees a set of gigantic footprints in the snow . Jamie and Victoria find the Ghanta and discover a label on it reading " Detsen Monastery " . The Doctor returns to the TARDIS and convinces Jamie and Victoria to stay put whilst he deals with the situation outside . The Doctor is certain he is being watched and elects to travel to the monastery first . Victoria soon gets bored of the TARDIS and convinces Jamie to explore . En route to the monastery , the Doctor finds the remains of Travers ' camp and the dead body . He takes the rucksack with him . Jamie and Victoria find the huge animal footprints around the TARDIS . Jamie goes back into the TARDIS to fetch the sword . The Doctor arrives at the monastery , clutching the remains of Travers ' rifle and rucksack . There is no response when he knocks on the huge wooden doors . He enters . The inner courtyard is deserted , much to his confusion , but when he turns back to the door , his route is blocked by a group of armed monks . Travers is also present , and before the Doctor can explain his presence , Travers spots his rucksack in the Doctor ' s hand . Travers is convinced the Doctor is responsible for the death of his friend , despite his earlier claims to the monks blaming it on a beast . The Doctor protests that he can ' t be the beast , but Travers states he must have got confused by the coat in the night . The Doctor loudly protests his innocence to the peaceful monks , but Travers insists he is lying . The leading warrior monk , a gruff man by the name of Khrisong , sends the Doctor to a cell . Back on the hillside , Jamie and Victoria have followed the trails of footprints right to the mouth of a deep cave . At first , Jamie is unwilling to enter it for fear of some savage animal , but he changes his mind when he spots timbers holding up the roof and sees it must be a man made system . Victoria sees a huge creature at the cave mouth , and the pair watch in horror as massive claws push a boulder that traps them inside . The Doctor is increasingly irritated in the confines of his cell . He climbs up to a window to peer outside . Travers pops his head through a hatch and mockingly informs him of the hundred - foot drop beneath the window . He accuses the Doctor of being a sabotaging journalist . When the Doctor asks what Travers is talking about , Travers cries , " You know ! The Yeti ! The Abominable Snowmen ! " Jamie , unable to shift the rock , decides to go deeper into the cave system . The Doctor protests he has no idea to what Travers is referring . He does say he has encountered Yetis before , and they are naturally timid so wouldn ' t have inflicted any damage on him or his friend . Khrisong is in conference in the courtyard over the fate of this apparent murderer . The other monks doubt Travers can be certain of his claims , but Khrisong says , " He is an Englishman . Why should he lie ? " The monks are almost certain the Yeti are somehow responsible for this death and a spate of recent deaths of fellow monks . Khrisong believes that if the Doctor isn ' t directly the killer he may be inciting the Yetis . The more peaceful monks elect to turn over the matter to the Abbot after prayer . Once they have gone , Khrisong ignores their decision and orders the Doctor brought to him . Back in the darkness of the sealed cave , Jamie has found a pyramid of silver spheres placed on a raised plinth . Before either can ponder their significance , the boulder shifts again and the huge form of a Yeti enters the cave , trapping the terrified travellers . Victoria screams as Jamie tries to defend her from the monster with his sword , only to see it snapped in two by the creature ' s hands as it lumbers toward them . Episode two . Jamie and Victoria evade the Yeti by causing a mini - cave - in and depart with one of the strange spheres . As they do , the buried Yeti emerges from the rubble and begins to pursue them . They head toward the monastery . Thonmi , one of the monks , has been sent by Khrisong to fetch the Doctor . The Doctor stalls for time and extracts information from Thonmi . He alludes to being at the monastery in 1630 and goes to give the bell , which has been hidden in the hay , to Thonmi , but he is interrupted by Khrisong , who pulls him away . Thonmi , left alone , finds the bell and fervently prays before it . The other monks encounter Khrisong leading the Doctor through the courtyard and object to his plan . The Doctor discovers he is to be used as bait to tempt the Yeti . If the Yeti saves him , he is in cahoots with them ; if it attacks , the monks will try to save him . As he is led away , Travers is seen leaving the monastery . He gloats to the Doctor that , without him getting in the way , Travers will claim a Yeti easily . Thonmi takes the bell to the private chamber of Abbot Songsten , who is in communion with the master of the monastery , Padmasambhava . The ancient spiritual guide of the monastery knows the Doctor personally from his previous visit . The Doctor has been tied up by his hands to some kind of pulley which is connected to the gate . No matter how much he protests , it falls on deaf ears . Jamie and Victoria encounter Travers on the mountainside . Jamie explains about the " beastie " and the cave . Travers , almost at gunpoint , tells Jamie to show him the cave of the Yeti . Jamie will only agree if he is shown the way to the monastery . Travers agrees . Padmasambhava knows of the Doctor ' s wisdom , but he fears he will intervene in the " Great Plan " . Thonmi is told to depart , his memory wiped of what he has heard , with the instruction of the Abbot that the Doctor is to be released without harm . Whilst the monks keep watch over the Doctor , Jamie , Victoria and Travers return to the monastery . Travers insists he was wrong to have blamed the Doctor and he should be freed . His wishes are met when Thonmi arrives with the Abbot ' s instructions . Khrisong is shocked to hear of the Doctor being in possession of the bell . In the inner sanctum , it has been decided that the Doctor should leave the monastery . And if he is not to leave , he is to be persuaded . Back in the monastery , Jamie shows the Doctor the sphere he stole from the cave . Bewildered , he puts it down by the Buddha statue . He seems very keen to see a Yeti close up . As he says this , reports of three Yetis approaching the monastery reach the monks . They rush to a window and see the three creatures , much to the excitement of Travers . Jamie has a plan to capture one of the Yetis for the Doctor . Unsure , the Doctor leaves him to it . Jamie sets up a net , not too dissimilar to the trap he has set for Daleks in the past , and captures a Yeti in a net . It struggles briefly but then falls lifeless . Later the Doctor examines the creature and deduce s it is some kind of robot . He finds a small flap in the chest of the machine which now has a missing section . Elsewhere in the monastery , the sphere brought back by Jamie comes to life and begins to roll off in the direction of the captured Yeti . Episode three . Travers is worried that the real Yeti are threatened by the robot ones , but others suspect he is the one controlling the robots . Outside the monastery , he observes two of the robots come to life and head for Det - Sen . It soon appears the creatures are under the control of Padmasambhava , who is moving miniature Yeti - like chess pieces around a map of the area . Inside the monastery , the sphere slowly makes its way toward the dormant Yeti robot with the Doctor . Monks look for it , having worked out its purpose . Khrisong finds a sphere outside the walls , and the others observe the two Yeti retrieving it without harming it . The Doctor concludes the two were obeying specific orders . Khrisong is overawed by the situation . He begins to trust the Doctor , who decides to try to return to the TARDIS with Jamie for equipment to track the missing sphere . The pulsing globe reaches the dormant Yeti and revives it , causing the robot to menace Victoria and her new friend Thonmi . Episode four . The awakened Yeti fights its way out of Det - Sen despite warrior monks encircling it . Their swords penetrate its flesh but it staggers on . The Yeti returns to the cave where it meets Abbott Songsten . When the Doctor and Jamie reach the TARDIS they find it guarded by another Yeti . Padmasambhava communes with the Great Intelligence and vows that " the Great Experiment begins " . Songsten places the pyramid in the centre of the cave that Jamie was in earlier . It begins to glow . Travers watches as the Abbott leaves and enters the cave himself . The Doctor throws a stone at the Yeti and discovers it is inactive . The Doctor takes out its control sphere for examination . Travers watches in awe as the pyramid begins to glow and expand . It begins to release a noise that causes him such distress he runs from the cave . As the Doctor is fetching his equipment from inside the TARDIS , the sphere begins to move of its own free will . As the Doctor struggles with the sphere , he tells Jamie to put a rock in the Yeti ' s flap . This calms the sphere . The Doctor speculates that the spheres are charged with returning to their own Yetis . Khrisong is angry that Thonmi opened the door to allow the Yeti to flee — albeit to avoid further bloodshed . Victoria and Thonmi are imprisoned for supposedly reviving the creature after some monks questions Khrisong ' s loyalty . The signal restarts inside the sphere , but this time it is a call to the other Yetis . In prison Thonmi asks Victoria how the Doctor came by the bell . Victoria is unsure and asks for its history . Thonmi explains it was given to a stranger 300 years ago for safe keeping . Victoria explains that this was the Doctor himself . Thonmi isn ' t surprised by Victoria ' s brief explanation of time travel as he says that Padmasambhava has found a way of liberating himself from body and time . Songsten returns . He puts the guard in a trance to make him forget his arrival . The Abbot informs Padmasambhava their plan is working . The old master says the Great Intelligence is already taking on corporeal form . To prepare for the next phase , Padmasambhava orders all monks to leave the monastery . On the mountainside the Doctor and Jamie are surrounded by Yeti . The only way to save themselves is by bowling the sphere one way and running the other . A monk brings food to Victoria and Thonmi . Victoria takes some of the drink and coughs wildly before falling to the floor . The monk runs out for medical assistance , at which point Victoria dashes up , leaves the cell and locks Thonmi in . Songsten breaks the news that Padmasambhava has ordered they leave the monastery behind . Khrisong is furious at such a command and is resistant . The confrontation is interrupted by a monk saying Victoria has escaped . As they seek her out , the Doctor and Jamie return to the monastery , followed by Travers , who is burbling incoherently about a pyramid . The Doctor forges an uneasy new alliance with Khrisong to enable the monks to stay at the monastery . Rinchen imprisons the Doctor , Jamie and Travers , despite Khrisong ' s protestations , and order him and his monks to seek out Victoria . Realising the monks will not leave peacefully , Songsten is given orders by Padmasambhava to open the gates of the monastery to more Yeti . Victoria has ventured alone to the Inner Sanctum of the monastery where Padmasambhava invites her in . He is an ancient and wizened man . Episode five . Victoria realises the ancient man manipulating the small Yeti figures is ordering the robots around the countryside . He wipes her mind of their meeting and summons more Yeti to attack . Soon enough four Yetis enter through the main gate . Elsewhere in the monastery , Travers is delirious and incoherent in his ramblings about the glowing pyramid and a great evil that threatens them all . The Doctor and his companions are kept in their cell as the Yetis maraud through the monastery . Jamie is very worried for Victoria . Khrisong takes the blame for the attack , saying they should have retreated sooner . On command , the Yeti retreat from the monastery again , killing Rinchen by knocking the giant Buddha statue on to him . Khrisong says the monastery is cursed and they must leave . Padmasambhava wished only to scare the monks away , not kill them . He communes with the unknown beings and asks if they will be content now . They want the Doctor dealt with . He sends Victoria as his emissary . In the cell , the Doctor and Jamie are trying to triangulate the signal controlling the Yeti . As they do , Travers awakes and is perfectly fine . Khrisong is distraught about the death of the monk . Victoria enters the courtyard and speaks with the voice of Padmasambhava to urge them to leave and not to blame the strangers , who are innocent of any evil . Victoria is freed from her trance whilst orders are given to free the Doctor and his friends . The monks prepare to leave . Soon Jamie and Victoria are reunited , but she is still dormant . The only time she responds is to the Doctor ' s voice when she begs to leave the monastery . Thonmi believes she must have gone to the Inner Sanctum — he also drops the knowledge that she believed that Padmasambhava and the Doctor knew each other . Riled by this information the Doctor sneaks away . Padmasambhava begs to be released now that he has " brought the world to its end " , but he is thwarted . The Doctor enters . Padmasambhava says he encountered the formless Great Intelligence on the astral plane , and the entity borrowed his form to conduct an experiment , which he was told was harmless but is now out of control . The Doctor asks questions he needs to help save the monastery , but the old man slumps forward , his heart stopped . The Doctor leaves and returns to his friends . Seconds later the body of Padmasambhava rises back up . Jamie tries to awaken Victoria but is thwarted . The Doctor helps Victoria recover from her trance - like state by counter - hypnotising her . She forgets everything that has happened since she left the cell earlier . Travers and the Doctor venture outside to try to triangulate the signal . They leave to find the group of dormant Yetis from earlier . Travers goes to try to rile them , but they move of their own accord before he gets too close . The Doctor is stunned when he gets the readings . Khrisong prepares his monks to leave when the Doctor returns with news that the Yetis are being controlled from the monastery itself . Travers ' memory begins to return and he remembers Songsten placing the pyramid in the cave . At the cave , the physical manifestation of the Intelligence is growing stronger and pouring forth menacingly . Episode six . After learning of Songsten ' s involvement with the Yetis , the Doctor is concerned as Khrisong is currently with the Abbott . In the inner sanctum , Songsten has submitted to the Great Intelligence , despite the voice of Padmasambhava lamenting the great evil . Khrisong arrives to get Songsten away . Songsten disarms Khrisong and strikes him in the neck . Padmasambhava battles with his controllers , begging to be let go . The Doctor and his friends arrive and overpower Songsten , realising he too has been entranced to commit the will of the Intelligence . Songsten is bound and returned to the other monks . Khrisong ' s last words to the Doctor are that it is not Songsten to blame but instead Padmasambhava . Thonmi gives news to the monks of Khrisong ' s death at the hands of Songsten . The monks go to kill Songsten , but the Doctor stops them . The violent nature of Songsten persuades them that it is not the Songsten they know and that he is being controlled . Thonmi tries to blame Padmasambhava , but the Doctor insists he is being controlled too . The Doctor tells all the monks to flee quickly so he can defeat the Intelligence . He keeps Jamie , Victoria and Thonmi at his side while the others flee . Travers doesn ' t believe that Songsten is innocent so goes to the cave to destroy the pyramid . Using his suggestible nature , as he did on Victoria , the Doctor discovers from Songsten that the Yeti are designed to serve the Great Intelligence and that Padmasambhava and they spent 200 years building the creatures . He goes on to explain that the Great Intelligence have now broken their promise to stay in the cave and are demanding the whole mountain . The Doctor plans to destroy the Intelligence ' s equipment to control the robotic Yeti . Songsten says the control unit is behind Padmasambhava ' s throne . Victoria is taught the Jewel of the Lotus prayer to act as a deterrent to Padmasambhava hypnotising her again . Padmasambhava moves the Yeti to attack the monastery , narrowly missing collision with Travers en route . When Travers reaches the mountain , he sees the mountain top covered in a thick pulsating substance which makes it impossible to climb . The monks leave the monastery , including the warrior monks — despite them offering their support to the Doctor ' s efforts . The Yeti begin to surround the monastery gate . Travers sees this from a distance and decides to hang back . The Doctor and his companions return to the inner sanctum . Padmasambhava is incensed the Doctor hasn ' t left . The Doctor demands to know why the Great Intelligence has seized his old friend ' s body . He replies that the Doctor ' s brain wouldn ' t be able to comprehend it . The Doctor doubles over in pain and , as Padmasambhava rises from his chair , gives Jamie and Thonmi the shout to enter the control room . Padmasambhava moves the Yeti in . Victoria tries to stop him . He tries to hypnotise her . She uses the prayer to stop it . Seeing the Yeti enter , Travers follows . Despite her best efforts , Victoria is paralysed . The Doctor shouts to Jamie to destroy the pyramid . Jamie finds a sphere similar to the ones seen on the mountain and destroys it . The Yetis chests implode and the creatures are immobilised , but Padmasambhava scoffs at this minor set back . Travers appears and shoots Padmasambhava , but the old man is impenetrable to bullets . Jamie finds a pyramid in the control room and destroys that . A huge tremor rumbles through the monastery . The mountain top explodes . Padmasambhava begins to disintegrate . His final words are to the Doctor , thanking his old friend for setting him free . The Doctor sends Thonmi to fetch the monks back . The Doctor and his companions wish to leave and , despite Thonmi ' s protestations , do so with Travers as their guide . The Doctor and his companions soon discover a fallen Yeti . Crestfallen , Travers says this is the end of his mission , then he sees another Yeti — a real one — and dashes off in pursuit . The Doctor , Jamie and Victoria head back off to the TARDIS — hoping to find somewhere warmer on their next trip .