The Hunt for the Golden Owl

**The Hunt for the Golden Owl** is the 9th episode in Season 6 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh uses a book of riddles with cryptic clues and joins treasure hunters using new leads to find the Golden Owl statuette hidden somewhere in France.

## Historical Context

"... right now, a 10-inch own statuette made of silver, gold, and jewels is hidden somewhere in France, oh, and did I mention it's worth half a million dollars? In 1993, puzzle mastermind Max Valentin and artist Michel Becker created the statue as the prize to a mind-bending contest. They published a book featuring 11 devious riddles and paintings that form a cryptic road map to the owl's buried location. Decode the clues, and you win a fortune."

~ Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to France and searches with Tina Delly, an owler, for the golden owl but they come up empty-handed. Josh heads to Bourges, France and meets with a group of treasure hunters including Tina, who catch Josh up on what they've found out about the treasure so far and the puzzles that have been collectively solved.

Josh goes to Lus-la-Croix-Haute and meets Ivon and Francois Crole, owlers, and Ivon explains his solution. They go meet Filippo Barsuglia, a geophysics expert, and Luc Clement, who drives them to a site in the mountains. They start the hike when a thunderstorm hits and Ivon goes missing but Josh finds him.

Josh heads to Rochefort and meets Michel Becker, the artist who created the paintings for the book. He believes people are overcomplicating the search. Michel takes Josh to tunnels near Rochefort and there he shows him the true golden owl because the one that is buried is a replica that can be turned in for the real thing. Josh finally meets with Kaspius, another owler, and they fly over the town of Dabo and find a spiral road, a clue from the puzzle. Kaspius explains a couple of confusing puzzles and they find a geocache at a nearby church but no treasure.

## Final Words

"This is when I learn what Kaspius and all his fellow owlers already understand. The search for the golden owl is not a solitary activity. By going out into the French countryside to find Max Valentin's prize, I became part of something larger than myself - a community, one that has banded together in pursuit of a goal that others might view as impossible. That's why, despite 25 years of searching, the enthusiasm for the golden owl isn't just undiminished - it's bigger than ever, I've had a taste of victory alongside owlers cracking new clues, and I became one of the only people to hold the owl in 20 years. One day, I know the owl will be found, and when it is, I'll pop a bottle of champagne to toast the winner, grateful, that, for a brief time, I was an owler, as well."

~ Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* Both Max Valentin and Byron Priess, author of The Secret, died in car accidents.

## Quotes

* "There are even people sitting on benches, waving baguettes for heaven's sake."
* "I descend into the depths of the mansion, towards a clandestine gathering that appears to be the world's most paranoid book club."
* "This, I'm pretty sure, is not what a hobby looks like."
* "Crole, we need to get you a hobby. Golf? Have thought about maybe golfing?"
* "Now, Luc here is licensed to drive a vehicle? Do we know that?"
* "My life would be playing before my eyes, but Luc keeps blowing past it."
* "Oh, now he's gonna start texting."
* "Now we're running under thousands of tall trees during an electrical storm while carrying hundreds of pounds of metal. Not good."
* "The old man is lost. Crole is missing. The old man is missing. We cannot find him." - Evan
* "Yesterday was pretty miserable. It was a tough day at the office."

## References

1. ↑ https://api.discovery.com/v1/images/5ceea30c85aeee22b7423294?aspectRatio=16x9&width=1200&key=3020a40c2356a645b4b4