Mystery at Dyatlov Pass

Good idea, but how do you make a movie out of people wandering around trying to find their campsite. No drama man.

So.

5 guys and 4 girls go out into the wilderness for a fun week of X-country skiing. They stumble upon a derelect UFO. Someone sneaks a peak inside. They are infected by a weird disease. The men become jealous, sex ensues. Weird powers manifest themselves and blewy everyone ends up dead.

That will put some butts in the seats.

Oooh. They froze to death and ooooh, someone got caught in a avalanche. See news at ll, happened last week here in Washington. Maybe it was 3 weeks ago and it was a couple who went hiking just before a storm came in. .....

brad.tittle, bremerton
July 08, 2008 2:17pm

How about snow blindness? They could easily have lost their goggles.

Martin Sylvester, Derbyshire, England
July 08, 2008 2:32pm

What goggles? They didn't have any goggles.

The Russian Wikipedia has a long article that summarizes a bunch of theories and their flaws.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Гибель_тургруппы_Дятлова

Igor's son, Sverdlovsk, Russia
July 08, 2008 4:38pm

Brian, do you read 4chan or creepypasta.com? Cus I swear this was posted there not more than a few days ago.

Neito, Massachusetts
July 08, 2008 5:47pm

According to my first aid training manual, as hypothermia advances into its severe stages: -shivering may stop
-victim seems apathetic, confused, or irrational
-victim may demonstrate lethargy, clumsy movements, drowsiness, and changing levels of responsiveness. (National Safety Council Standard First Aid Second Edition).

Hypothermia explains most of the seemingly weird behaviors of the campers.

Kat Carroll, Bellingham, WA
July 08, 2008 6:09pm

Well they might be killed too. It was popular too at that time in Soviet Union.
Question is did they had food? How cold it was?

They might be just got lost, and died form cold. It took forever to recover bodies and nature took care of bodies appearance. It was 1959 in some remote area, in Soviet Union terms it meant it was not only long time to find the bodies, but to recover them too. In 1959 cars almost didn't existed, at least for general public.

John, wi
July 08, 2008 7:52pm

"On February 2, 2008 six of the rescuers and over 30 independent experts gathered together to examine the facts and look for answers. They concluded that the deaths were caused accidentally by military testing."

http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/03/08/the-dyatlov-pass-accident-and-the-fatal-unknown-compelling-force/

AlanB, Long Island, NY
July 09, 2008 9:43am

I think it's great you try to tackle a topic where there really is no solid evidence either way.

I hadn't heard of this one, your proposed scenario seems absolutely reasonable though.

David W., Chicago
July 09, 2008 11:07pm

Brian,

I had not heard this story before, it was very interesting, thanks. Next time I go camping this will be a great story to tell around the fire..

Peace,

Vince

VinnyJ, Coquitlam BC
July 10, 2008 1:16pm

Excellent podcast, as always.

Great to see you covering stories I'd never previously heard of, Brian.

I guess there's still hope you'll investigate Gef the Talking Mongoose, the 1931 story from the Isle of Man that gave me shivers when I was a kid.

Gershwyn Smith, Edmonton, Alberta
July 10, 2008 7:15pm

I'm not certain how it would fit in with your theory, but you should probably consider the effect of "paradoxical undressing" as it relates to hypothermia. Apparently, when the body temp drops below 90F, people start to feel like their skin is on fire, and begin to undress.

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/paradoxical-undressing/

Taliver, Mountain View, CA
July 11, 2008 5:51am

"I guess there's still hope you'll investigate Gef the Talking Mongoose"

Because there isn't enough debunking of "cryptozoology"? Should there be an episode on the boogeyman, too?

AlanB, Long Island, NY
July 11, 2008 8:53pm

> Should there be an episode
> on the boogeyman, too?

Oh lighten up, AlanB.

The Gef story is somewhat unique in that it manages to bridge the wacky realms of cryptozoology, aural hallucination and even alleged poltergeist manifestation.

It also stands as an early American hoax that was effectively studied using the science available at the time.

Gershwyn Smith, Edmonton, Alberta
July 12, 2008 12:05am

Gershwyn Smith,

I'm light, I'm light! :-) Cryptozoology is just one of those things that annoys the crud out of me. Didn't mean to offend or come off as a jacka$$. I *highly* recommend Penn and Teller's episode of "Bull$hit!" on cryptozoology (no talking mongoose though).

AlanB, Long Island, NY
July 12, 2008 7:27pm

Any chance the orange lights in the sky could have been flares? I was thinking maybe flares...

A *waves* at Brian. Hello!

-A

a.real.girl, San Diego, CA
July 12, 2008 9:02pm

great episode brian! I was going to make a comment about paradoxical undressing, but it looks like someone already commtented about it...

Zach Errichetti, holmdel, nj
July 13, 2008 11:52am

Interesting, but I thought Brian's 'theory' was about as likely as most conspiracy theories about who killed JFK. It seemed he connected the dots in a manner he wanted to while ignoring or explaining away evidence to the contrary using fairly thin counter-evidence (I didn't get the feeling that there was much research put into the lanterns). Instead it seemed that Brian took an outcome and extrapolated out an improbably scenario resting upon legs of flimsy evidence such that, if any one fails, the entire theory is down the toilet.

On one hand, I think it's a nice insight into the way that theories about Roswell came about (though this one, by requiring no little gray men, seems more plausible). On the other hand... sometimes we should just say "I don't know, but I'm going to go there and find out."

eric thorn, Seoul, ROK
July 14, 2008 1:24pm

Eric -

I for one would welcome your elucidation of what "evidence to the contrary" you feel was overlooked.

Eric Schulman, Corona, CA
July 14, 2008 3:24pm

The worst part of stories like this is how terrible tragedies get turned into urban legends.

Mike, Chatham, Ontario, Canada
July 20, 2008 1:37pm

After reading countless articles and theories on this event I have to say yours is the most plausible I've found. Simply because it makes sense, although I'm sure many would love to see it remain a deep dark mystery.

Jack, Greensboro, NC
August 02, 2008 11:42am

i don't think a nuclear explosion could rip your tongue out. and if there was a nuclear explosion then they should have of been turn into a fine mist of nothing.

adolfo, corpus christi, tx
August 03, 2008 12:43pm

the avalanche theory is the one i prefer the most. but why would the first five run 2 kilometers away from an avalanche which wastnt there, and why would 4 stay behind? would they not hear each other in that distance?

triplegrim, omsk
August 13, 2008 10:45pm

Sadly the avalanche explanation just doesn't cut it. Just look at pictures of the area when the tent was found. Rolling hillsides just as google maps shows. People are killed by avalanches frequently so the Russians would know what one looks like. Very little snowcover on the tent and bodies. Simply not a fatal avalanche site. And many other details don't fit that theory. My guess? Some kind of military accident, followed by cover-up typical of CCCP. Who knows in a case this strange, but any who know the area rule out avalanche . . . and aliens for that matter.

Brian Miller, Portland, OR
August 14, 2008 2:15am

OK, many details fit, but what about the injuries? Hit his head on a rock you say. But there were no external signs of injuries, remember? Such a hit would damage the skin, there would be blood around and so on. And you say she bit off her tongue. Then where is the missing bit? And why all the secrecy? Except for those things it's a nice theory.

Atallah, Damascus, Syria
August 22, 2008 3:51am

Your lamp theory doesn't hold up, the radiation level was reported to be very high, not the amount a lamp can produce.

James, D.C
August 27, 2008 3:51pm

When I first read the facts of the story, a slow-moving avalanche in the ravine sounded to me to be the likely cause of death for the three found last. I would think that the pressure from the snow which buried them might have crushed ribs and skulls without causing skin damage.

As for the radioactivity, the source we're looking for would have to be similar to the lamp - not any sort of nuclear explosion because that would have irradiated a larger area either directly or by fallout - but the question still remains: Did the expedition actually HAVE such a kerosene lamp with them? There must be an invetory of things found, right? And what was the radiation level measured? Perhaps the radioactivity was already on a piece of clothing when they set out on their trip?

Would also like some meteorological observations from that time, and more about the social interactions in the group as well.

I have to say the best part about this podcast is the part about the orange lights: Since UFO's are so common, it might in fact be completely unrelated to the incident.

As for the one with the non-fatal skull fracture, maybe he climbed the tree and fell down?

Gunnar, Trondheim, Norway
September 04, 2008 1:07am

A very sensibly thought out and level-minded theory, much appreciated amongst the other (fantastically concocted) theories that abound about this incident.

We're never going to know exactly what happened there. I'm going to have a look into the issue of them being blinded - it's probably a dead end but if I was to arrive at a plausible theory I'll proffer it!

I'm now going to root around for more of your articles!

cardenio, London
September 04, 2008 1:35pm

Even has found out in the summer, that at your forum there is a discussion of such exotic theme for the English-speaking unit of the Internet. And if till now discussion has not stopped, the theme of you strongly means interests.
I have a considerable quantity of material in this case, therefore want to share some reasons and to inform about some discrepancies which here were already discussed. If messages will be stated we do not suck correctly in English, I ask you to excuse, I know Russian better, on the cook and there are considerable quantity about this incident.
Remarks on separate questions:

About absence of language at one of victims.
Unfortunately this detail is deformed strongly by journalists and writers. In the medical description of the judicial doctor it is spoken, that was absent not only language, on and some other parts of soft fabrics of the person. It is result of that she has been found in the spring in the current water. Probably it because of desire of journalists to receive the best advertising effect.

It was not placed in one message, continuation in the following.

Vlad, Moscow, Russia
September 10, 2008 3:35pm

About the absence of a tongue on one of victims.
Unfortunately this detail is distorted strongly by journalists and writers. The court doctor's medical description states that not only the tongue, but also other soft tissues were missing. This was the result of the victim being found in the spring's water current. The journalists probably desired to achieve the best advertising effect.

Max, Boston, MA
September 10, 2008 8:24pm

About a radio-activity.
The radio-activity is not a result of that lamps with thorium were used. Such lamps at these tourists was not. They were used by cave explorers. These travellers were ski tourists. Thorium gives alpha radiation, and beta-radiation, characteristic for Ka-40 was revealed. Probably the radio-activity was consequence of pollution by loss of a radioactive dust from tests in an atmosphere or someone brought with clothes from participants. One person from these tourists worked at the enterprise of the nuclear industry when there there was a failure, and another in educational laboratory where radioactive materials were applied. Radiation was not big, excess of a natural background was all two or three times as large. It did not cause destruction.

About « Orage spheres ».
Supervision of " Orange spheres » too has no any relation to destruction of group. Those supervision which at check have proved to be true, to within one minute coincide with start of rockets from the cosmodrome in 1959. Geophysics approve, that such supervision could be under certain conditions., and such conditions were observed at this time.

Vlad, Moscow, Russia
September 11, 2008 6:55am

It’s so refreshing to read articles that offer plausible explanations to so called mysteries. As Vlad has pointed out, so much of the reporting is done for pure sensationalism in order to sell copy.

Now a question; was it a full or no moon period at the time of the possible avalanche? It amazes me that people so easily forget just what the dark really is. Away from the city lights, without a moon, dark really is dark. You can’t even see your hand if you put it right in front of your eyes. This could easily account for the so called blindness. It was simply dark and they had no means of producing light!

I have no way of finding this out, but maybe someone has a chart somewhere that may confirm one way or the other.

Phil, South Wales, UK
September 14, 2008 3:39am

I've been discussing this "X-File" if you will with my boyfriend because, well, it's fun. We concluded an avalanche was the best explanation as well, although with one variation on your account - that the initial flight from the tent wasn't a false alarm, some just managed to evade serious injury by being first out of the tent.

I don't know why it hadn't occurred to us that the DARKNESS was just the same as blindness - that they may not have been stricken blind at all. And your hypothesis better explains how the non-wounded managed to snare clothes off the wounded if they were (in our account) buried under feet and feet of snow. Although, I guess I'm not sure who was wearing who's clothes......

Thanks!

Anya, Portland, OR
September 14, 2008 7:13pm

The site does not allow to write all at once therefore I is compelled to write the text short pieces. Therefore the set questions I can answer only upon termination of all texts. There were 2 or 3 publications.
It is guilty concerning a delay.

Part 3

About a radio-activity.
The radio-activity is not a result of that lamps with thorium were used. Such lamps at these tourists was not. They were used by cave explorers. These travellers were ski tourists. Thorium gives alpha radiation, and beta-radiation, characteristic for Ka-40 was revealed. Probably the radio-activity was consequence of pollution by loss of a radioactive dust from tests in an atmosphere or someone brought with clothes from participants. One person from these tourists worked at the enterprise of the nuclear industry when there there was a failure, and another in educational laboratory where radioactive materials were applied. Radiation was not big, excess of a natural background was all two or three times as large. It did not cause destruction.

About « Orage spheres ».
Supervision of " Orange spheres » too has no any relation to destruction of group. Those supervision which at check have proved to be true, to within one minute coincide with start of rockets from the cosmodrome in 1959. Geophysics approve, that such supervision could be under certain conditions., and such conditions were observed at this time.

Vlad, Moscow, Russia
September 16, 2008 2:31am

This incident happened on the same day that Buddy Holly's plane crashed.

Dunno how that fits in with the whole story, but it certainly makes things weirder.

Geoff Sebesta, San Diego, CA
October 04, 2008 12:36am

Advanced hypothermia has been known to cause some rather unusual behavior such as resisting help and the seemingly paradoxial removal of clothes.

Cameron, Orono
October 18, 2008 7:17am

I loved this podcast on the Mystery of Dyatlov pass, Ilove these little mysteries that seem to crop up from time to time.
I do have one question about your analysis...You said that the four remaining students, got dressed grab what provisions they could, searched for thier friends and got caught in an avalanche themselves. Yet the report states that there were no outward signs of physical trama...My question is wouldn't an avalanche powerful enough to cause the extensive injuries mentioned also leave signs of physical trama outside the body?
Thank you fo your time, I do enjoy skeptoid and I will continue to practice critical thinking alot more.
Sincerly,
Paul Guimond

Paul Guimond, Auburn,Maine
October 29, 2008 1:03pm

Just one question. If Avalanche is considered a plausible factor, how do you explain the change of clothes and the fact they could find their camp site and foot prints around each body? An avalanche would have wiped all of that out without a doubt.

Nick, Australia
November 17, 2008 6:03am

Nick, you didn't READ the thing, did you?

The theory was that the four put on their clothes and LEFT THE CAMP searching for their friends. They were then caught in an avalanche, away from the camp. So why would the camp be destroyed?

As for Paul's question. If they were caught in an avalanche then they might well have been subject simply to crushing/blunt trauma. Clothing could reasonably have prevented any obvious external marks on the bodies. Plus they were found 5 months later and we don't really know how good the autopsy was.

Alhazred, Burlington, VT
November 19, 2008 1:27pm

I have some experience in the outdoors in cold climates, and I find this explaination lacking. There's no reason to think these people lacked experience in ourdoorsmanship, and plenty of reasons to suggest they had it. (The fact that they took this trip at all, for one.)
I don't have room to go into it all, but this explaination hinges upon the assumption that these people had little or no outdoors experience. If they knew anything about the region, they would not have feared avalanches at that time of year. If they knew anything about avalanches, they would have behaved sonmewhat (though not entirely) differently, had they actually feared one.

I find it funny that the author dismisses the UFO reports, because those are what made me settle on an answer:
Dirty bomb testing explains the UFO reports, and all of the available evidence, with no unneccesary assumptions.

I'll check back in a few days, and if anyone is curious why I don't accept this explaination, I will create an account and attempt to explain why, as well as explaing why I think it was dirty bombs, in the Skeptoid forums. :)

Darin, Florida
December 01, 2008 9:35pm

Darin, It would be lovely to hear.

simon, Sweden
December 02, 2008 1:34pm

Darin,

I'd really like to read your account on dirty bombs please. I'm loving this forum and this story and it's great to hear all the different theories. I'm intregued!

Thanks.

Sarah, United Kingdom
December 05, 2008 2:05am

I only stumbled upon this story yesterday in fact,almost 50 years after it happened.It is very fascinating indeed.

Jack, Vienna
December 12, 2008 10:33am

It wasn't an avalanche. Russian investigators are, contrary to the authors belief, not idiots. If it had been an avalanche, they would have said avalanche, not "an unknown compelling force".

Anyway, even if you ignore this point , there is still the issue of who was wearing whose clothes, who was heading back to the camp, and who had cut the clothes from the bodies of the two Yuris. Look it up - you'll find it doesn't fit this theory.

I have no idea what happened at "the Mountain of the Dead" (Kholat Syakhl in Mansi), but I'm fairly sure it was nothing obvious, especially after reading the original sources on this (unfortunately only available in Russian). However, mystery fans, be cheered by the fact that 2009 some of the classified files on this will be opened, which may give us more to go on!

Vitya, Moscow
December 19, 2008 1:21am

Despite all of the fantasy of this being caused by gov't/ufo, it appears to be weather/avalanche related. There are all kinds of questions and things to be analyzed. I think the one survivor should have been questioned much more about this groups' practices and such. Did they normally go out without clothes, like when they woke up or were getting ready for bed. Maybe they were just so used to it, that they didn't think anything of leaving their clothes behind during an avalanche. Did they drink much? There was alcohol in their tent. I would love to see instruments set up on that hill during the winter to gauge what sounds could be heard and what it would feel like if there were an avalanche. I don't think it would cost too much to do that. I'd also like to see how widespread it would be to see why they ran so far. Camping on a slope, running so far from the tent, and leaving their clothes are what killed them - I don't think it took anything more than an avalanche to get them to leave. I think more analysis of the area could show people why they ran when they heard or felt what they thought was an avalanche. Another thing that people may have wrong is the belief that some of the people removed clothes from the dead. Regardless of what investigators believed, I don't think that's a fact. While they may have been wearing clothes that weren't theirs, they could have put them on in the tent before leaving.

jim, detroit rock city
December 23, 2008 8:01pm

I'm with Darin and Vitya. I've a considerable experience in the outdoors, and given the expeditions knowledge and basic experience... and my own knowledge and experience of hypothermia - the explanation above does not make any sense.

"I think we can cut them a little slack on what firewood they were able to find". Personally, one of the most compelling aspects of the mystery for me is this, and the fact they did not appear to have attempted to return to their campsite.

Even if an avalanche was suspected by the team, in their situation it would seem elementary to return to the site to check for equipment. Getting as much equipment would have been (and indeed was, in reference to their possible use of dead companion's clothing) a top priority.

But from what we can tell, they did not attempt to return to the campsite. Why is that? Confusion from hypothermia? Hypothermic people act in a variety of seemingly random ways, this would appear to be "group hypothermia" in that they acted in a bizarre way, in unison. Hypothermia is a not a carte blanche authority to dismiss any odd behavior.

They left the tent for a reason, and they made no discernible attempt to return (tracks leading from the tent were discovered by searchers many days later).

As said above, if they had have known enough about avalanches to fear them, they would not have feared them at that time of year. Furthermore, they would have reacted quite differently.

Dean, Wellington, NZ
January 07, 2009 1:33pm

Couple of things
These ALL were students of Polytechnical Institute. The University had CLOSE tie's to the Military, especially after WW2. Why did they go on this hike in the first place..possibly to test something for school..just an idea. Is it possible this item while being worked on in the tent did something wrong creating a flash blinding 2 and making the others leave. Radiation from the item would have hit the closest members. This also explains why they wouldnt return knowing the item was still there. How do we know the 2 by the tree built the fire. They may have climbed for other reasons. WHY did 1 stay behind? Radiation sickness or possibly scared knowing the possible outcome of the item they had. There are also pictures of one having a gun?? Ide LOVE to have seen what was IN the tent afterwards and why did they test for radiation in the first place....

R J, Akron ,OH
January 10, 2009 7:48pm

I would just like to say that postulating a theory, eg. avalanche, is not proof of anything. You need evidence for your theory. Avalanche? The tent was still exposed as were other bodies. And you ignore the point that the tongue was missing but also the inside mucus lining of the entire oral cavity. Just dismissing the oddest bits isn't good skepticism.
The events remain completely unexplained. Your theory has even less to support it than the UFO one, i.e. people at least reported seeing lights.

mrs.chapin, USA
January 10, 2009 8:23pm

Dean, obviously these people weren't as smart as you are. Anyone who is experienced in a given area can make a bad decision that is beyond your comprehension that results in a horrible outcome. I've done plenty of things with groups of experienced people who made really bad decisions. These people in the USSR made poor planning decision even before the trip started. They then made the bad decision to go out in the cold without adequate clothing or gear. Most likely, at least one of them suspected an avalanche and the others followed bad instructions. Also, the people at the scene did say that two of the people tried to make it back to the tent before succumbing to the cold. Avalanches and bad decisions kill hikers, snowmobilers, mountain climbers, etc. every year. This group probably suspected an avalanche was coming and made a really bad decision - it happens, read the newspapers and you will see stuff every day caused by really bad decisions. Unfortunately these people weren't as smart as you and made a decision that is beyond your comprehension. mrs. chapin, I think reality is beyond your comprehension. UFO's don't exist. It doesn't even appear that you have put any thought into anything other than a UFO in this case.

jim, detroit rock city
January 13, 2009 4:10pm

There were no external signs of injury, which I think debunks the hypothesis that one of the skiers hit his head on a rock to suffer his small skull fracture. The autopsy stated that the fracture was not related to the death and, in my opinion, is not significant. It could have easily been sustained before that night. Also, I cannot understand why people continue to postulate that Lyudmila Dubinina's tongue was bitten off; the tongue was stated as "missing." And nothing I've read has stated it was removed by biting or by an instrument. If it were simply bitten off, which could easily be deduced by any competent medical examiner, then I don't think reports would continue to mention that the tongue was simply missing and not instead say it was gnawed/bitten.

Lily, U.S.
January 22, 2009 3:22pm

I find it odd that one of the members of the search party chose to bring along a geiger counter.

Kim, Berwyn, PA
March 02, 2009 7:38pm

It isn't that odd to bring a geiger counter. Well, it is, but if you read the post, it states that thorium gas mantles were more than common those days. If it is higly likely that those people would've gotten radioactive material on them, it would surely help tobring a geiger counter along in a search party. Snow does not hold back radiation in any way, so it would be a good 'underground' detector.

But if that wasn't the reason they brought it, then i agree on the suspicion.

Flater, Antwerp, Belgium
March 09, 2009 1:03am

The guide was only 23, he can't have been that experienced. They got lost because of bad weather and had to result to stopping for the night.

What would be the state of mind of lost and stranded people in the middle of a frozen country side? They would be "on the edge", sleep nervously and would probably have been arguing a bit among each other to try and find the best way out of this mess.

Night comes, everyone goes to sleep. In this kind of weather condition, you DO sleep with few cloths on in a warm sleeping bag to prevent humidity.

Now, "something" happens. It doesn't have to be supernatural. A jet that does a low fly by could be mistaken for an avalanche when you are being waken up in the middle of the night.

The stage is set...

Panic issues. In a small tent, pitch black, light get knocked off. People all start are screaming disorderly orders the guide as no more authority, some think an avalanche is rushing towards them and cut their way out of the tent.

A few "lucky" ones get their senses together and stays at the base camp. They get dress and mount a search party to find the headless chicken that made a dash for it in the middle of the winter night. They get unlucky, a bad fall maybe an actual avalanche. The described wounds kinda coincide with this. The thick winter clothing could have prevent exterior skin bruising and visible injuries without preventing internal trauma.

Now why the hell would you run 800m in the middle of the night half naked? Because

Joel, Montreal
March 18, 2009 10:10am

"And, the thorium lantern mantle question quite probably makes the entire radiation issue a moot point. Assuming they'd changed a lantern mantle sometime during the trip, which nearly always has to be done, there's every reason to expect to find low-level alpha radiation on the clothes of anyone who participated."

Mr.Brian, I think the entire hill was supposed to be covered in radiation, and a lamp is incapable of radiating an entire hill.

Aryan, St. Louis
March 22, 2009 8:37pm

nice to try to explain this, but i think the avalance theory is less probabal than alien contact to be honest.

an avalanche is certainly loud, but these guys were camped out in a generally safe area and if an avalance did occur, its unlikely that it would have woken them up, and even more unlikely that they would have woken up, identified the sound and gotten out of there as fast as possible.

an avalanche also does not explain the fact that the 4 mystery death victims' watches were all stopped, 3 of which stopped within a 30 min period. also, the bodies had HIGH levels of radiation, and i doubt the microscopic ammount from a lantern would still be with them at a high level until they were discovered.

it also fails to explain why some only had one sock or boot on, why the girl was missing a tounge (i highly doubt she bit it off, examiners could id that in 2 seconds). also doesnt explain why they made a fire with wet wood when an abundance of dry wood was around.

and most of all, it doesnt explain the orange orbs others saw in the area.

nice try, but this scenerio is unlikely

andy, baltimore
March 25, 2009 1:17pm

The avalanche is very probable. The victims all perished in the cold. As for the watches stopping; real simple. They forgot to wind them. In 1959 your typical watch did not have batteries, was probably not self winding, and was not digital.

During an avalanche your body is tumbling over and over. Kind of like getting caught in the surf down by the beach. All sorts of trauma could occur even biting off your own tongue as your body is pushed and tumbled over and over. Aliens, ghosts, evil sprits, a bunch of evil villagers would make a great novel, but as novel ideas go, they don’t fit.

Nature got them all in the end.

John, USA, New Jersey
March 28, 2009 2:12pm

@ Andy, baltimore.

Yes. Alien contact does seem far more probable than an avalanche. I expect the aliens landed near the campsite (their engines irradiating the surrounding area) and thought "sod it, let's take a piece of tongue home with us for a souvenir." And you think that this really sounds more probable? Really? Really?

The major problem here is that many of you want the mystery to remain - this allows for the possibility of aliens, UFOs and all kinds of crazy creatures. The fact is though, that the likely cause of death is mundane, which is unfortunate to conspiracy theorists who want there to be more.

What we have here, therefore, is a very human tragedy, most likely caused by blind panic trumping reason, something that would probably have happened to most of us under these circumstances. Lets give the dead the respect they deserve and stop creating fairy stories.

Here endeth the rant.

Bruce, Scotland
April 11, 2009 4:20am

Friends, the last year at me has failed write the detailed review of this case. It is a lot of information now is on website:

<http://www.aquiziam.com/dyatlov_pass_1.html>
<http://www.aquiziam.com/dyatlov_pass_2.html>
<http://www.aquiziam.com/dyatlov_pass_answers.html>
<http://www.aquiziam.com/dyatlov_pass_letter.html>

There it is detailed and the most difficult sections of this theme are authentically stated.

Vlad, Moscow, Russia
April 20, 2009 7:50am

Wasn't there one survivor? Yuri Yudin? There has to be more to this story. who knows Russian Military coverup, UFO/Alien attack, avalanche. There is usually a reason and explanation for everything unfortunately we can file this under unsolved. Lets not forget the CSI technology in 1959, not the best. Most likely this story explains what likely happened but never ever take the most logical answer to be the actual one. Truth is no one knows.

Micha, LA
May 10, 2009 12:16am

Let's talk about Yuri Yudin who fell ill and returned home...

I think he loved a woman in the group, but the woman loved another person and rejected him... So, nobody except him, knew the exact day and time of the incident. Because all of them are dead, no witness...

He told that he is sick, and returning home, but not. He followed them and murdered all while they are making some kind of party in their tents and left the bodies there. During several months after the incident, winter and snow covered the bodies...

The radioactivity is a hidden American cold war project, which is sprinkled from reconnaisance aircrafts... Particles found on bodies are just a coincidence...

Goksel, TURKEY
May 15, 2009 1:08am

ben bekçi multaza.o alienleri bulursam domaltıp zkicem yağlı yarrağımla uzay gemilerine kadar fışkırtıcam mngoduklarım.

multaza, çemişkezek
May 18, 2009 11:05am

Hi, was the Dyatlov campsite on a slope?
If so, an avalanche must have got them, seems simple enough to me..;)

Mick, Plymouth UK
May 31, 2009 6:11pm

I believe they were driven out of their tents by a very frightening noise. What that noise was I dont know. But they may have mistaken Thunder for an Avalanche approaching them and they ran for their lives. At - 30 they would only survive for about 20 min's with very little cloths on them as claimed. Maybe they ran so far that they got lost or the cold just overcame them very rapidly and they couldnt make their way back. I doubt it was too dark to see because its never completly dark in snow. Their was a bad storm than night and chill factor would hav been horrific. Visability would be poor in a snow storm. I just cant explain the trauma force against 2 of them and the missing tongue. I believe the force of the trauma was consistant with being crushed.Experts claimed that it could not have been caused by another human being.It therefore had to be caused by a machine of sorts. It was never said weather her tongue was severed with a sharp knife or ripped out. If it was sliced out then it could be murder.Someone didnt like the way she spoke so cut out her tongue. Was the surviver guilty of murder who claimed he had to return to base camp through illness and claimed the group went on without him. Would the group let a sick man return on his own. But if he is guilty then how did he inflict the trauma injuries.They said that man could not have done it by hand.I dont buy the radiation story, It has been claimed that it was never in the original report so it was added later.

Gary, DUBLIN
June 09, 2009 8:22am

avalanche danger? ok 15 degree slope might be the min required BUT! that would require perfect conditions. scared by a low flying mig 21? these were educated people and i suspect that a jet engine would be unlikely to cause such fear because a). the danger seemed to be concentrated around the camp and was enough to stop them returning for clothing dispite the fact they KNEW they would die without it b). you mention a jet engine getting louder and louder. this quite honestly is crap, a mig 21 for example is a mach 2+ fighter and would be flying at speeds close to the sound barrier if not beyond it. this means they wouldnt hear a rumbling apporach of the jet, it would be more like a close ligthening strike, suddenly very loud and then tailing off.
scavengers and the missing tounge? if animals were guilty of taking the tounge WHY was there no other evidence of predation by animals? that she bit her own tounge off also seems very unlikely as it would have resulted in large amounts of bloodstained snow
lastly as for an avalanche covering the bodies in the ravine up, this seems a little weak too, usually wooded areas are very good at removing the energy from such an event at after a study of the area there appares to be nothing at all to support this except that the bodies were buried

these people were scared enough for instant flight, they obviouly feared unavoidable death if they went back as they all died without ever returning to the camp, question is was it real of fictional

Jim, wrexham, Uk
June 17, 2009 9:04am

I think that there was one key factor in this incident: panic.

Something, possibly something harmless, freaked these kids out, causing them to wreck their tent and go running out into the the frozen mountainside.

In the deadly conditions, their behaviour was tantamount to suicide.

Kevin Rafferty, Birmingham, England
July 02, 2009 10:39am

Well of course something freaked them out! That's the whole premise of this unsolved mystery!

Devi, San Francisco
July 04, 2009 9:51pm

In response to Jim, Perhaps the blood was washed away, or in a different spot to where the body was found and was buried under snow? I agree with your other points however.

The only thing i can think of that could be an answer to this is an avalanche. It is more than the force of a car and could explain alot of the issues raised.

Mitchell, Sydney, Australia
July 11, 2009 5:48am

Mr. Dunning, your example sounds plausible and explains many of the facts in the case, buy why did the Soviet authorities close off the area for three years after the incident? Why were records of the incident kept classified? Why, when the records were released in 1990, were they incomplete, missing pages? I've known about this story for about an hour now and already I'd like to see a high-dollar American movie made based of it. I'd pay to see it!

Mike, Missouri, USA
July 19, 2009 8:31pm

Some speculations:
1) Drugs. 9 Young people from soviet union got out to the nature. If one of them got something like mushrooms or whatever.. The other four did not used this. So then 5 of them began t freak out and ran into the wild half naked (and next - something like you wrote happened)
2) Weapon testing.
3) Crowd testing. As everyone from the former soviet union knows - every travel, every expedition had to be negotiated with kgb people. So One of the group (or several of them) could be a kgb's-little-helper (duno the right English word for this position in kgb:) Anyway and some kind of inside test could be executed there (the reaction to xxx drug used on small groups in closed spaces). The 4 dressed up ones could be the executors of the test that saw that the test went terribly wrong and decided to find those lost.

Toxis, Vilnius, Lithuania
August 03, 2009 7:42am

One thing no one has mentioned:

They started a fire under that pine tree, AFTER they fled the tend nearly naked. What'd they start the fire with? They ran out in a panic, but remember to grab some matches whilst leaving their clothing behind in -30 weather?

It's not an avalanche. Avalanches killed dozens of hikers and mountaineers throughout the history of the Soviet Union, and those slopes weren't closed for 3 years. Given the cover-up nature of the Soviets, if it was an avalanche, it'd have been immediately proclaimed as such, to avoid fears, etc.

Joe, Madison
August 13, 2009 10:31pm

may have encountered the Almas

H Sher, USA
August 25, 2009 10:57am

I have never been one for the fantastical. I firmly believe that if these "supernatural" events happened as often as they are perceived to, that there would be SOME true evidence. Humans are not perfect enough to perfectly cover up so many incidents around the world.

I am good with the avalanche theory with the addition of a psooible variation in the scenario. Without being very familiar with this event, I wonder if it could have been that those who seem to have panicked did so after hearing the avalanche that buried their friends. I have not really seen anything that indicates that the searchers are absolutely certain that the "panicked" group died first.

Steve J, So Cal
August 31, 2009 5:12pm

Thanks, I found this article really interesting. I stumbled across the information about the Dyatlov incident on Wikipedia and wondered whether anyone had come up with reasonable explainations for the events. Although these are simply ideas I really see your point on some of the issues in other theories surrounding the incident!

Hannah, UK
September 11, 2009 9:02am

Great article! Very plausible theories...I too agree that there is nothing overly "fantastic" about this story...My irrelevant question is WHY would there be open caskets at funerals?

Gina, Naples Italy
September 14, 2009 12:12am

Why weren't they covered in snow if it was an avalanche? It's not like it melted. Also, the ones who froze to death were wearing shreds of close from those who die in what you say was an avalanche. Did they dig them up?

Madeline, Louisiana
September 19, 2009 5:52pm

What adds to this mystery is that the reports claim there is no soft-tissue damage to the victims with chest and head injuries, therefore, he could not have fallen and struck his head.

I'm more inclined to believe it's a cover-up by the Russian government. They tested some kind of weapon or vehicle near the camp. Maybe the radiation from whatever the vehicle was caused so intense of light and heat that they tore themselves out from inside the tent to escape the intense heat. Who knows! Interesting, though.

David, Sandy, UT
September 22, 2009 10:18am

First of all, good article and good speculation about the cause of deaths. It is also a known fact that when the body temperature goes very low and the hypothermia really kicks in at some point you start to feel warm and even hot. There are cases of frozen people found in Himalaya who have taken many of their clothes off with their last strength because of this feeling of warmth. This might be the reason why many of them didn't have clothes on.

I don't believe any UFO theory, but I believe there might be something that the authorities are hiding concerning this case, perhaps something to do with radioactive material and testing of it. Maybe this would also be reason for those orange lights seen at the sky close to area, which had been actually seen by quite many people...at least I can't figure any other meaning for that kind of lights. Not sure if they can see any Northern Lights at region that south.

Artturi, Helsinki, Finland
October 07, 2009 1:26pm

To me, your theory sounds like the most plausible one.

/Alle

Alle, Sweden
October 10, 2009 5:38am

Good article, i must say. However, i completely disagree with your lack of research and plausible explanations here. There could not have been an avalanche. Why? It was widely stated that they found the victims of the campfire by tracing the footprints from the tents of the campsite to the campfire. If there had been one, wouldnt these footprints have been covered up by snow? Also, the camp had not even a remote sign that an avalanche came through it, i.e. tents not buried in snow, (in fact, nothing was hinting it could have been one). And lastly, the victims who died of head truma, as well as internal chest trauma could not have died by hitting a rock, tree, or anything of that remote nature as concluded in the initial report. Why? There was no outside tissue damage, no blood, no breaking, bruising, cuts of the skin, or scrapes. If one were to hit a foreign object such as a rock and break their skull, certainly there would be at least some damage to the outside tissue.
And also, you seem to brush off other facts as their hair turning grey as just something that could have happened due to exposure, or perhaps the mortician. Are you kidding me?
Lastly, you were saying if this really was a UFO incident, the Soviet govt would have colored it back to normal. This is completely incorrect, as the first search party recovered the bodies, (which just started a couple weeks after they were supposed to send a telegram, indicating something had already gone terribly wrong) not the govt.

Matt, Denton, Texas
October 10, 2009 3:51pm

Everyone calling an avalanche impossible is absolutely right. There is no way that this situation points toward an avalanche in any way. The visibility of footprints (which I can say from firsthand knowledge become covered with even the slightest snowslide), the intact proximity of the torn-open tents, and the lack of external damage on the bodies mean that an avalanche is just as much of a stretch as a UFO. Also, avalanches aren't gentle mounds of snow rolling down a hill. They are huge packs of ice shards that would have caused at least some lacerations on the victims and definitely marked the trees in the area.
Nice try.

Jeff, Colorado, USA
October 11, 2009 1:15pm

To Matt, Denton, Texas

Read the article again: The first five escape the tent believing an avalanche is bearing down on them alternatively they believe some other danger is imminent (but no avalanche drowns them, maybe a nearby avalanche occurred but didn't affect them) and after some time these five people die from hypotermia and their footprints can be monitored. The OTHER four skiers get caught in a real avalanche in search for their friends.

Alle, Sweden
October 14, 2009 2:25pm

I am as hard nosed and sceptical as anybody, but I gotta say I think your explanation, while plausible (or the least implausible, at any rate), does not reach convincing for me.

Lack of external injuries, while suffering extreme internal injuries, largely rules out avalanche in my book. I do not think you addressed this issue adequately.

I have no reasonable alternative explanation to offer. But sometimes all we can do is say, WTF? And admit we are stumped. This seems one of those times.

Rolly, Tel Aviv
October 15, 2009 6:36am

Interesting take, Rolly. Avalanche deaths are almost always caused by suffocation or crush injuries. Yet this consistency rules out a match for you?

Brian Dunning, Laguna Niguel, CA
October 15, 2009 8:22am

It is highly unlikely that 5 people got up in the middle of the night, ripped their tent open, & ran away in the cold nearly-naked while the other four slept peacefully. Obviously, a person in such a state of panic will start screaming & making a lot of noise -- which would have easily woken up the other four campers - even if we presume they were sleeping in another tent.
Let us suppose they were actually woken up by all the commotion - is it possible that they had the good sense & to calmly dress up first in such a moment of panic while all the other campers were running around naked hysterically?

Dr.Kaustubh Parashar, Delhi, India
October 15, 2009 11:59pm

could it have been a radioactive yeti?

Drake, Muria
October 18, 2009 7:56am

The avalanche theory isnt credible due to the geography of the site. Theere are plenty of pictures of the site and surrounding area both taken at the time (1959) and as recently as last year (2008)(There is even a video of the site on You Tube)
The actual pictures of the Searchers and the recovery of the bodies show nothing even remotely like an avalanche in the area (not even "Micro-Avalanches" or "River Avalanches" -which are basically very localized flows of snow.)Also, trying to say that the 3 people who were severely injured -one had a shattered skull and two had broken ribs, one of whom had her heart pierced by a broken rib!- were injured in an avalanche ignores the location where they were found and that 1 of the four was NOT injured in any manner. (all 4 were in a group in a small ravine...actually a creekbed, you can see the pictures). these same 4 were wearing some of the others clothes -one of the males was wearing the fur coat of the female whose heart had been pierced by her broken rib, yet HE was uninjured!). Autopsies were performed on the victims. Using the stomach contents, the timeline was the Initial Panic occured around 9-10PM and they were all dead by 2-3AM. The mystery is WHAT caused the initial Panic? and Why didnt they get themselves back to the tent, when after 3-4 hours the danger would have been over...or so you would think. 3 DID try to make it back to the tent but froze to death enroute. What would cause such desperate acts for so long?

Daniel Brown, Toledo, Ohio !
October 31, 2009 9:31pm

Lots of intelligent people posting on this site, but a lot of the stuff addressed on this site and in Brian's theory isn't true. Examples: the government never actually classified the documents, the tongue wasn't bitten off, it decayed, etc. Here is a site that actually mentions its sources and seems much more trustworthy http://www.aquiziam.com/dyatlov_pass_answers.html

Alan, Tulane University, New Orleans
November 15, 2009 11:14am

The Dyatlov pass incident never happened, it is a web created mythology.

sd, London
December 06, 2009 12:39pm

I read a story about some people in the Ural Mountains who decided to camp by a hot canister that was a strong beta radiation source, though they were unaware of the grave danger. I seem to recall mention of two hikers in this case, though. The date of the incident was about the same as this other tragedy being discussed here.

Joseph, Ohio, US
December 11, 2009 4:50pm

Joseph, the story is probably one of the cases of a looted RTG, which was exactly what came to mind when I listened to the podcast. See here for information regarding RTGs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

However, RTGs are shielded and cases of deaths from radioactivity from them have been due to damage to the unit or when looters dismantle them for scrap metal. Furthermore, I can't find any mention of Russian RTGs as far back as 1959 - development appears to have begun in the 1960s: http://www.bellona.no/bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/navy/northern_fleet/incidents/37598

Michael, Wisconsin, US
December 21, 2009 4:52pm

Tents back in the 1950's tend to have been made of strong fabric the temperature was -25 to 30 F.

Nine people in a panic, we have all heard of people who had super human strength during period of high trama, few of them survive more than a few hours after such a feat.

if you read the facts carefully, you will notice "No soft tissue' was damaged. One of women lost her tongue, that type of thing is reported in Cattle Mutilations in New Mexico and Colorado.

Don't know what caused these poor folks to die. They were nine very strong and healthy hikers, with no fear. Don't how if the writer of this story had ever done winter hiking, it takes a hearty sould and good planning, equipment and experience. We have the White Mountain range up North in New Hampshire and, we have experience lost of young men up there, and that was do to cold and frostbite. No one in New England ever sleeps in in winter outsides in a tent in there underwear, those nine people were experienced, they weren't amateurs, its really odd that they were only clothed in their briefs. Doesn't make any sense at all, almost seems like they were forced to undress, but by who and for what reason?

This doesn't seem right, all the facts aren't being told here, seems like political fear, or fear of ridicle could be part of the reason. God bless those nine young folks souls.

May they rest in peace.

Steven, Providence Rhode Island
December 22, 2009 1:18pm

2 sd, London
This story isn't "Web folklore". Some articles about it were published in late 1980's-1990's. It happend. Maybe some details are made up, but it did happen.
P.S. It happend at Mountain Kholat Syakhl (Mansi- "Mountain of the Dead".

Alexey, Moscow
January 09, 2010 7:48am

There's one other detail to the story - their tent was cut open from the inside. This doesn't seem to fit in your theory.

Danielle, London
January 09, 2010 5:16pm

My first and second thoughts with each detail you revealed

"bodies of the nine victims were scattered over a wide area of the frozen landscape. Some were wearing only their underwear. Some were wearing each others' clothes"

They got lost, hypothermia set in followed by delierium, making some feel hot and take off clothes, sharing it with others. Some set off to find camp on their own & stumbled off in different directions

2nd thought: At night, some of them for some reason felt rushed to go outside. They put on the wrong clothes in a rush, or just couldn't find their own and used someone elses. The later search party did something similar, with some of their clothes missing.

"Two had head injuries. One had no tongue. Two had severe internal chest injuries. None had any visible external signs of trauma."

Falls off cliffs/over rocks. Tongueless one was dead longest and maggots ate the soft tissue

2nd thought: Falls were cushioned by snow, but internal injury ensued. Tongue eaten by some animal

"Some of their clothes were found to be radioactive. Circumstances suggested that some the victims may have been blind."

WTF

2nd thought; what you said

"Various other witnesses in the region reported bizarre orange spheres in the night sky"

Ball lightning

2nd thought; Small, home-made hot air balloons made from paper bags used in some celebrations, I forgot their name.

"and strangest of all, the bodies had orange skin and gray hair"

WTF?

2nd thought; Yeah, what you sai

Jonathan, Earth
January 11, 2010 1:01pm

Mr Dunning's explanation fails. If an avalanche really did occur and that was what caused the massive internal injuries to two of the Russian explorers, then how come FOOTPRINTS were not only observable in the snow, but could be traced literally to the bodies?

A huge amount of snow would be required to cause those injuries, one investigator even said it would be like being hit by a car, and yet it couldn't cover their humble, bare footed tracks?

Fail.

Kev, London, England
January 15, 2010 3:48am

Regarding the political climate at that time in the former U.S.S.R. and the possible shoddiness of the police work, is it any wonder that no viable explanation was given other than a "compelling unknown force" caused the death of these students.
The simplest explanation is that these young people had died as a result of misadventure. The may have been drinking. They may have been using stimulants. It may have been a simple act of murder.
I love a good mystery as much as anybody. But unless you happened to be an eyewitness to the incident and are still alive(the murderer(s)), it will remain so.

Joe, Toronto,Ontario
January 22, 2010 2:30pm

Your explanation of what you though happened is as good as any. However, I don't think your idea really explains the ones that received injuries (broken ribs, skulls etc.). Each of these were found with the internal injuries but absolutely no sign of any external injury, which an avalanche could cause (not definitely) and falling on a rock would definitely cause.

Someone, Somewhere
January 28, 2010 12:13pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident

wikipedia entry on the incident. Kev's right, mentions searchers following footprints to the bodies.

also it seems unlikely that between feb 1st when the group went missing and the 26th when their bodies were found, there would be enough time for the snow from a significant avalanche to melt and expose the two injured hikers. thats just speculation though.

Joe, London
March 01, 2010 3:31am

Here's what the wikipedia article said about the footprints:

"A chain of footprints could be followed, leading down towards the edge of nearby woods (on the opposite side of the pass, 1.5km north-east), but after 500 meters they were covered with snow. At the forest edge, under a large old pine, the searchers found the remains of a fire, along with the first two dead bodies, those of Krivonischenko and Doroshenko, shoeless and dressed only in their underwear. Between the pine and the camp the searchers found three more corpses—Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin—who seemed to have died in poses suggesting that they were attempting to return to the camp.[1] They were found separately at distances of 300, 480 and 630 meters from the pine tree.
Searching for the remaining four travelers took more than two months. They were finally found on May 4, under four meters of snow, in a ravine in a stream valley further into the wood from the pine tree."

No one followed tracks to any of the bodies. There was an entire kilometer, covered in printless snow, between the last tracks and the woods where the bodies were found! Declaring the avalanche idea out because investigators "literally" followed the trails to the bodies is refuted by the very site Kev and Joe (of London, not Ontario)are using as evidence against the avalanche idea. And in Russia in February, snow is not melting away to expose bodies. This is a classic avalanche scenario distorted by Soviet bungling.

Scott, Green City
March 08, 2010 5:50am

No no no no no no no.

It was aliens. One of them had a burst chest. That was a facehugger.

Thursty, The Gong
March 11, 2010 1:13pm

There is a problem with the avalanche theory. The injuries sustained by two of the group members (the one with the whole chest structure broken, and the guy with the head injury) could only have allowed them to be conscious for a maximum of 30 minutes, probably less given the conditions they were in. The victim with the broken chest wouldn't have lived much longer than that. There are at least 8 pairs of tracks (possibly 9) leading from the tent down the slope. That means that all of them have been able to at least leave the tent in good health. If an avalanche happened, it couldn't only do so to the four people with injuries, and much later than the escape from the tent (as Skeptoid suggests). However, there were a large number of very experienced hikers and climbers involved in the search, not to mention the indigenous Mansi people, and all of them were positive on the fact that an avalanche was not an option (the way the tent and bodies were covered in snow precluded it). The main mystery though is why exactly did the guys leave the tent in a hurry. The danger must have been very real (to them) for them to not bother to even dress properly. There's a theory that there might have been infrasound involved (as frequently happens on those heights due to rock form and the winds) and it can cause panic and delusion given certain conditions. We will never know for certain though.

Saldas, Helsinki, Finland
March 17, 2010 5:51pm

Did you ask any morticians (sp) what they would do for bodies found in those conditions? Since you postulate the mortician could have caused the orange skin and grey hair. Interesting mystery. Your article is the best of the three I have read so far.

David, Denver
March 21, 2010 10:32am

Has anyone ever thought of the Mayak nuclear waste storage explosion in relation to this drama? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyshtym_Disaster)

Mayak was two years earlier and some hundred Km to the south. The radioactive cloud moved to the north.

So, there could easily have been pockets of radiation in the soil which ended up in the clothing of the victims. And of course, it would be a reasonable explanation for why the pass was closed off for three years - the Mayak desaster was suppressed by censorship.

Johannes, Berlin
April 01, 2010 9:53am

I too agree the avalanche theory has little weight, it couldn't have been an avalanche, for all the reasons already well mentioned.
Interesting point on how the fire was lit once they left the campsite in only their underwear, that would surely not have been a simple task and what ignition source was used?

Have not yet heard a single plausible explanation for what happened.

So if there was no avalanche they must have perceived a threat to their lives, were they running when they left camp? Surely photographs of the footprints found would reveal this?

Josh, Brisbane
April 20, 2010 6:01am

From the various sources I have looked into, an avalanche was originally considered by the searchers and investigators, but was quickly ruled out. Multiple footprints of the victims were discovered. If an avalanche had occurred, it would have destroyed the footprints. Also, there wasn't any evidence of snow displacement (in terms of an avalanche).

Another problem is that the 1st 5 victims went a significant distance away from the tent, and stayed away. Common sense would dictate that after realizing there was no danger from the sound heard (as stated in the article), they would have promptly returned to the tent. 3 attempted to. Why didn't the other 2? They were sane and oriented enough to build a fire, so they had the mental capacity available to decide to return to the tent. Also, the 4 victims found later were wearing pieces of clothing taken from the previous 5, presumably after the other 5's deaths.

Another interesting note: near the 2 victims found near the pine tree, a piece of paper stating "We know now that snowmen exist," was discovered. What was that about?

Lastly, if it was a simple, explainable accident or natural disaster, why did the Russian government keep the incident classified until 1990 and close the area for 3 years? Why were pertinent chunks of information missing when the file was finally released. The file refers to a mysterious 'envelope' containing vital information. What happened to it? Something sounds off.

Amber, New Mexico
May 17, 2010 11:06pm

Single dead seems analytical and subjective but they were all dead within a few meters and the remaining who were unresponsive to loud noise met the similar tragic dead.
Totally incoherent.

MERVIN, New Delhi
June 25, 2010 1:07pm

Honestly, an avalanche seems plausible in terms of the physical state of the hikers themselves. It is even possible that they were so panicked that they cut open their tent instead of just opening it. However, I simply find it hard to believe that the investigators wouldn't have determined an avalanche based on environmental evidence. And that would certainly raise less suspicion than the reaction of the actual investigators.

Irene, Boston
July 09, 2010 4:27pm

I just listened to this episode this morning. I am an avid Skeptoid fan and don't remember ever listening to this story from 2008.
The comments were all posted after April 2010, with the latest less than a week ago.
Could the overlords who originally classified the investigation of the incident managed to suppress this Skeptoid issue for almost 2 years?
<tic> ;)
Although the avalanche theory is plausible, the information about nuclear storage accident would explain the curious actions of the Soviet authorities. Maybe it's better to let sleeping dogs lie. This could be used as anti-nuke propaganda, along with Chernobyl.

laura, So. Calif.
July 13, 2010 10:16am

Thanks to Theophage on youtube for sending this link to me abut the incident after I told him I was stumped (almost!)about this incident as it makes little sense.

I have an open mind about things and am a religious person and not a skeptic but I find this site very informative and interesting.

I first read about the dyatlov pass incident here on Cryptomundo:

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/ural-mystery/

And then Wikipedia a long while later.

I still don't know what to make of it.

This is rather interesting Amber that you mentioned the note, I had no idea it existed!!

"Another interesting note: near the 2 victims found near the pine tree, a piece of paper stating "We know now that snowmen exist," was discovered. What was that about?"

Thanks for the info guys (Brian, Theo, Amber, etc) and all your theories and opinion's and research on the matter as well.

Also I myself find this case rather strange and odd. I do agree an avalanche could have been responsible. But it just seems to easy an explaination. Something bad happened to those people on that mountain. But what?

The truth is out there somewhere....0o

Robert Kiehn, Alsip, IL USA
July 14, 2010 8:39am

i have actually been near that place in 1997 with 14 other people , and observed strange behavior in people during night camp watch, people were talking in their sleep and one was sleepwalking.. nothing bad happened tho .o) , but that was in august, and later it was explained to me that these incidents were most probably caused by airborne psychoactive alcaloids produced by some plants growing near the camp, so i guess that cannot explain what happened to these poor people ...

tseno, bulgaria
July 20, 2010 11:26am