Interesting article about Russian hikers who died in '59

[TwoSpirits]

Just read this National Geographic article; thought it was interesting and wanted to post for any like-minded souls.

I especially took note of a couple of statements towards the end --

1.) That many people have simply concluded that the hikers had been foolish or reckless, yet they -- indeed any mountaineering experts -- could not have foreseen the Perfect Storm of Circumstances that led to the catastrophe; and

2.) One of the study's authors who said, "People don’t want it to be an avalanche,” he says. “It’s too normal.”

Those comments struck me. Whenever I hear or read about accidents, rescues, or tragedies, I always try to remember "There but for the Grace of God go I", but too often I have the annoying knee-jerk attitude of second-guessing the victims first and learning lessons second. The second statement rings true, too. How often in threads about missing hikers, etc. do we read posts and comments full of unwarranted (and sometimes outright bizarre) speculation.... I tend to think those posters watch too much television, but the author is right: People don’t want "normal" explanations. Maybe because "normal" can get any one of us?

Anyway.... Good article.


"Has science solved one of history’s greatest adventure mysteries?"
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/s...ystery-dyatlov

[Leo L.]

Thanks for the link, this article sums it up rather well.

[Traveler]

Whats not normal about conjecture space aliens teaming with Big Foot attacking hikers and making it look like an avalanche? The populace demonstrates beliefs more ludicrous than this.

[Majortrauma]

I'm not a Natl Geo subscriber so I guess I'll have to read this someplace else. Genuinely curious though.

[4eyedbuzzard]

A viable explanation, but as others have noted, no where near as alluring a tale as a KGB dissident wet-op or psycho-serial Yeti cover-up. Because in Russia, paranoia and distrust are essential survival skills.

[JackieO]

Occam's razor?

It's an interesting article. Unfortunately, the books I've read about Dyatlov's Pass have all had authors that are already sold on their interpretation as being fact. The autopsies also add to the mystery. I don't know why this one event has captured me the way it has (and so many others). I do know if I get to go to heaven, and I get to ask one question, it may just be... what the hell happened on that mountain?

[justhike]

this link to same article seems to work without the 'sign-in' pop-up.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ent-180976886/

[One Half]

This was an excellent book about the tragedy

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident

[One Half]

so, I just read the article. they posit that an avalanche serious enough to kill all the hikers occurred but it was so mild that foot prints and their gear were left "in place."

Yeah. Not buying it.

[Crossbar]

They left their vodka? It must've been horrible.

[Leo L.]

so, I just read the article. they posit that an avalanche serious enough to kill all the hikers occurred but it was so mild that foot prints and their gear were left "in place."

Yeah. Not buying it.

I dont believe it was a classical avalanche, but rather a huge heap of snow accumulated by the strom right above the tent (which was buried mans-deep in the snow by the people) and this huge heap collapsed over the tent finally.
If scientists decided this would have been possible, all other details would be a logical consequence: The healthy survivers cutting open the tent, dragging the injured down the slope (thus the many parallel tracks), no possibility to go up to the tent to rescue some stuff as the tent was buried in the avalanche, all the strange injuries that happened, etc.
I think the key words in the article are, that the slope by no means was of just smooth grade, but had rather 30 degrees angle at places. Add in the drawing in the second link above and a reasonable picture appears.

[zelph]

This is an interesting documentary about it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Of_79NZKeag&vl=en