What killed 9 hikers in 1959?
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In February 1959 a group of hikers disappeared in the remote Ural Mountains of Western Siberia. A search party found their tent weeks later, abandoned along with all of their equipment. Frozen bodies were found 1,500 meters away, mysteriously underdressed for the weather conditions: most weren’t wearing shoes or gloves, and some were just in their sleeping clothes. Even stranger, three of the hikers had suffered major internal trauma — broken ribs and a fractured skull — and two were wearing clothes contaminated with radioactive substances.
Nonetheless, the lead Soviet investigator closed the criminal case into the hikers’ deaths, concluding that an “overwhelming force” is what drove them from the tent. Theories ranging from rare weather events to conspiracy to UFOs have developed ever since, to explain what is now called the Dyatlov Pass incident. But two plausible theories, each involving an “overwhelming force” may finally explain what happened that night.
It could have been a delayed slab avalanche. The hikers dug a platform into the slope of Kholat Syakhl to pitch the tent, and a scientific model published in January 2021 demonstrates that this, combined with strong downslope winds that accumulated snow above the tent, triggered a deadly slab avalanche. This type of avalanche can occur even in places not known for avalanches and can cause injuries consistent with the ones some of the hikers sustained.
It also could have been a strong “katabatic wind,” a powerful wind that travels down a mountain slope, picking up speed under the force of gravity. In this scenario, a strong wind can become near-hurricane level very suddenly. If this happened the night of the incident, it could explain why the hikers would have abandoned their tent so quickly, as the powerful wind would potentially tear the tent apart. The mysterious internal injuries that some sustained are explained by a snow den the hikers dug for shelter collapsing on top of them.
Both theories offer potential solutions for what drove the hikers to suddenly abandon their tent, and why some were so severely injured. Ultimately though, since there were no survivors, many of the questions surrounding the case will likely never be answered.
Further reading:
For all things Dyatlov: dyatlovpass.com
Mechanisms of slab avalanche release and impact in the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959, by Johan Gaume & Alexander M. Puzrin
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00081-8
The Swedish-Russian Dyatlov Pass Expedition 2019, by Richard Holmgren
https://www.arcdoc.se/se/blogg/dyatlov-expedition-new-theory-41712449
Avalanche Dynamics: Characteristics of Snow Avalanches in Motion, by University of Washington Press via CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
https://archive.org/details/WaSeUMCEMC4178AvalancheDynamics
Note: The headline on this piece has been updated.
Previous headline: What killed 9 Soviet hikers in 1959?
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25 comments
One of the things that remains unexplained about the Dyatlov Pass incident is the radioactive substances found on pieces of clothes that Dubinina and Kolevatov were wearing. The expert testimony in the original radiation analysis report makes it clear that the radiation was unusual.
The 1959 analysis included an experiment involving washing the clothes of the hikers — which they found reduced the level of contamination. The expert then emphasized that the bodies were found in running water. Meaning the level of radioactivity detected, which was excessive when the bodies were found, would have been significantly higher at the time of their death.
Check out the original radiation analysis report, along with all of the other case files scanned and translated at DyatlovPass.com, an amazing resource that has compiled many of the original documents related to the case: https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-371-377?rbid=17743
-Thanks for watching, Coleman
I’m not sure why they keep saying That they’re not sure where the radiation came from I read about the radiation in the mountains as long as you’re climbing up we’re not supposed to be. radiation exposure in a few minutes it’s like being at a radiation lab for a year
4:48 Music from The Thing kicks in… yikes
Why were their tongues cut
Obviously the work of a bear
I just assumed a bear attacked them
I just know one thing. I’ve never been hiking and got near naked. No matter who or where I’ve gone or the weather conditions. You just don’t do that.
The theories don’t explain the radiation.
Lemino has done an amazing video on the topic which by far exceeds Vox's in terms of explanation .
Wonder if they would be pro or anti invasion
The avalanche theory doesn't explain the fact that none of them were in the tent if the wounds were fatal how did they get out of the tent thru a heavy layer of snow and then get all the way down to where they were found
bigfoot
So it wasn't a bear? 🙁
Commarde Dyatlov is still in toilet
After my not so thorough investigation, it appears to me that this was clearly an avalanche while everyone was in the tent. Some were swept away down the hill and froze to death while those who weren’t swept away tried to walk down but froze due to not having proper gear. The injuries from the avalanche itself
I heard bout this on mrballen and no think it’s wild animals eating them and then the fall
And how does these theories explain the radioactive clothes of Dubinina and Kolvatov?
Their first thought was to start a fire and stay warm. They didn't have their tent or gears and will freeze. A few had to climb the tree to get branches.
A few stayed back to make the fire while the others head back to see if they could get some gear.
None were fast enough. Negative temperatures with wind? Yea you really don't got any time. That plus damage from the slab avalanche and katabata winds and it's over.
I think the most confusing thing, which no one answeres, is the radioactivity.
im actually curious how did they found out the tent was cut open from the inside?
It's aliens that should have gave them radiation when they abducted by Ray of the ship and took specimens from those poor hikers they did experiments on them that explains the missing body parts and the radiation
Yeah yeah an avalanche have a knife to cut their body parts and give them radiation KGB payed these scientists to close the case whatever happened with those hikers God only knows what happened there
That one time being sick actually saved you instead of being healthy and carrying on with the hike
Why on Earth would the hikers leave the safety of a tent only to venture out in Hurricane force winds with a wind chill below zero that makes no sense they would be blown literally Blown Away they would have stayed in the tent if there was a hurricane in buckled down that theory is just preposterous
Lemmino does a much better video on this
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