The Dyatlov Pass Incident

[Bavarian Raven]

Except the tent wasn't crushed. Any sort of avalanche would have utterly destroyed any tent (I live in an avalanche filled area and have seen the effects if a slide, no tent would survive that. Even a small slab slide). The only snow found on the abandoned tent was from snow fall/possible drifting.

[aquatus1]

Except the tent wasn't crushed.

Crush a flattened tent? Isn't that like trampling a carpet?

Any sort of avalanche would have utterly destroyed any tent (I live in an avalanche filled area and have seen the effects if a slide, no tent would survive that. Even a small slab slide).

Well, I'm not completely sure just how much damage you are expecting to see, but it wasn't an uncommon thing back in Colorado. A car or truck sized slab would drift over and wedge itself up next to a car, or a house, or something, making it look for all the world like the snow had just up and decided to go that line and no further. I've seen slabs move a few inches and a few meters, both slowly and quickly, (back when we were moving lumber). I don't see why a slab drifiting a few inches would "utterly destroy" a tent, particularly one that was dug into the snow, beyond knocking it down.

The only snow found on the abandoned tent was from snow fall/possible drifting.

Well...sure. Where else would it come from?

In all cases, if you look at the picture Earl posted up towards the top of the page, you can see the two rescue people looking downhill towards the woods. In front of them you can see the buried tent, and a tent stake (not the center pole) dug in at an angle facing the tent. Now, most of us have pitched a tent or two, and even if we hadn't, we can kind of visualize our way through it: You don't drive stakes at an angle pointing towards your tent. They either go straight down, or occasionally at an angle away from your tent, so they can hold the tension without being pulled out or having the rope slip off.

If, however, it was a slab drift, then it would make sense, because they would have pounded the stake in vertically, but when the slab shifted, it would have tilted the stake in the direction of the shift (downhill, towards the tent).

It's very similar to all the "gravity hill" tourist traps, where earthflows tilt anything straight on them into an angle.

[docyabut2]

I think it was a small freak like tornado snow storm that collapse the tent , it was so dark they didn't know what hit them cutting out of the tent and running off half naked.

[Bavarian Raven]

^ still doesn't make sense for them to run off virtually naked when they know/knew that that would equal certain death :s

[Dropship]

Top- The tent photographed earlier by the Dyatlov group at another location.

Bottom- apart from the main slashes, there were also smaller slashes (circled in yellow) indicating they might have made them first to peep out of the tent to see what was out there-

This is the book I read, it's well written and examines all possible explanations.

Personally I think I tend to go with the avalanche/snowslide theory, but it's still a puzzle why the tent wasn't completely flattened by it.

 

[aquatus1]

^ still doesn't make sense for them to run off virtually naked when they know/knew that that would equal certain death :s

That's why I'm going with the slab drift. They were already in the storm, we can see that in the picture, so we know they weren't panicking at that stage. Having a large slab of snow slowly descending on you, rolling over the canvas tent, however, while eight of you were stuffed into sleeping bags would definitely get you scrambling and slashing your way out.

[docyabut2]

That's why I'm going with the slab drift. They were already in the storm, we can see that in the picture, so we know they weren't panicking at that stage. Having a large slab of snow slowly descending on you, rolling over the canvas tent, however, while eight of you were stuffed into sleeping bags would definitely get you scrambling and slashing your way out.

There was no evidence of any lines of a slab drift or avalanche, it was a freak like tornado storm.

[aquatus1]

There was no evidence of any lines of a slab drift or avalanche, it was a freak like tornado storm.

Well, except for the actual picture of the tent with a slab of snow shifted onto it.

There was nothing to indicate anything other than a regular snow storm.

[docyabut2]

Well, except for the actual picture of the tent with a slab of snow shifted onto it.

There was nothing to indicate anything other than a regular snow storm.

well as explained a snow drift collapsed part of the tent.

[aquatus1]

Not sure what you're saying, but I did explain why we can conclude it was a slab drift from the pictures in the previous page.

[docyabut2]

Not sure what you're saying, but I did explain why we can conclude it was a slab drift from the pictures in the previous page.

It was a snow drift, I remember a snow blizzard I was in, my house was on a decline, my back door was so full of the snow right to the top of the door and we could`nt get out but when we went to the front door of the house it was all clear. The heavy snow built up on the side of the tent going down the hill is what collapsed the tent.If they would have built the tent in the woods that wouldn't have happen, but they built the tent on a declining hill in the wide open.

Edited August 22, 2014 by docyabut2

[docyabut2]

 

does look like some kind of wind pattern

[aquatus1]

On 22/08/2014 at 2:46 AM, docyabut2 said:

It was a snow drift, I remember a snow blizzard I was in, my house was on a decline, my back door was so full of the snow right to the top of the door and we could`nt get out but when we went to the front door of the house it was all clear. The heavy snow built up on the side of the tent going down the hill is what collapsed the tent.If they would have built the tent in the woods that wouldn't have happen, but they built the tent on a declining hill in the wide open.

I'm not seeing how a snow drift tilt a tent stake to such a radical degree. The snow would have piled around the stake, and the part that collapsed the tent would not have affected it. Additionally, I think snow gradually piling up on the side of the tent would have been a bit more obvious, considering the A-frame they had. It would explain the partial burial of the tent as well as a slab drift would, but I don't see how it would have caused them to escape in a panic.

I'm afraid that without knowing where or when that picture was taken, I can't really deduce anything from it. I do know the rescue team did not arrive at the location for over three weeks, and in the previously mentioned picture, we can already note that any immediate signs any snow movement are not visible, but we do see the after-effects, such as the stake and the partially buried tent.

[Dropship]

I found this interesting pic of the Dyatlov tent on the net, somebody has superimposed it on a summer colour pic of the terrain and drawn a red line indicating their route down to the trees where they made the snowhole (circled)-

Incidentally here's the timeline-

Feb 1st- pitched the tent at the pass

Feb 26th- searchers find the tent

Feb 27th- first bodies found

May 4th- last bodies found

So during the 26 days before the tent was found, some of the snow could have melted revealing the tent, and the bodies could have partially decayed or become discoloured, or been messed with by wolves and bears,possibly accounting for some injuries, especially on the last bodies which had been laying out there for 3 months after the incident.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Dropship

[docyabut2]

I'm not seeing how a snow drift tilt a tent stake to such a radical degree. The snow would have piled around the stake, and the part that collapsed the tent would not have affected it. Additionally, I think snow gradually piling up on the side of the tent would have been a bit more obvious, considering the A-frame they had. It would explain the partial burial of the tent as well as a slab drift would, but I don't see how it would have caused them to escape in a panic.

I'm afraid that without knowing where or when that picture was taken, I can't really deduce anything from it. I do know the rescue team did not arrive at the location for over three weeks, and in the previously mentioned picture, we can already note that any immediate signs any snow movement are not visible, but we do see the after-effects, such as the stake and the partially buried tent.

that is a picture of the scene as the first helicopter flew over spotting the tent.

[Dropship]

Here's another interesting bit-

The hikers kept a diary and even a newsletter, none of which mentioned anything out of the ordinary.

However, searchers did allegedly find a scrap of paper among their belongings on which one of them had written "Now we know snowmen exist".

I'll google around to try to confirm if the paper existed or if it's a hoax or whatever.

Here's a possible scenario-

Perhaps they glimpsed yeti-type creatures ("snowmen") at a distance during their hike, so somebody mentioned it on the paper.

Then on the night of the accident, maybe one or more of the "snowmen" came sniffing around the tent and woke them up, so they cut several small slits in the tent to peep out.

The snowmen then went into an attacking frenzy, jumping all over the tent and ripping it to shreds and breaking peoples bones, so in a blind panic they ran down to the trees.

Maybe the "snowmen" were bears?

And maybe the hikers didn't slash their way out, maybe the slashing was done by bears claws?

Edited August 23, 2014 by Dropship

[docyabut2]

Here's another interesting bit-

The hikers kept a diary and even a newsletter, none of which mentioned anything out of the ordinary.

However, searchers did allegedly find a scrap of paper among their belongings on which one of them had written "Now we know snowmen exist".

I'll google around to try to confirm if the paper existed or if it's a hoax or whatever.

Here's a possible scenario-

Perhaps they glimpsed yeti-type creatures ("snowmen") at a distance during their hike, so somebody mentioned it on the paper.

Then on the night of the accident, maybe one or more of the "snowmen" came sniffing around the tent and woke them up, so they cut several small slits in the tent to peep out.

The snowmen then went into an attacking frenzy, jumping all over the tent and ripping it to shreds and breaking peoples bones, so in a blind panic they ran down to the trees.

Maybe the "snowmen" were bears?

And maybe the hikers didn't slash their way out, maybe the slashing was done by bears claws?

good grief a non existed snow man

good grief

Edited August 23, 2014 by docyabut2

[Dropship]

Here's an extract from an article about the "snowmen"-

"..there are some who have proposed that the skiers fell victim to the notoriously territorial wild man of Siberia, known to locals as the Almas. They speculate that the terrifying roar of the beast might have sent the team into a panic, resulting in their poorly prepared escape into the snow.

The two primary reasons for the existence of this theory are the seemingly inexplicable impact wounds found on the skulls and torsos of nearly half of the corpses and an as yet unverified piece of paper that was allegedly discovered near the campsite which read:

“From now on we know there are snowmen.”

[aquatus1]

While I agree with the author that the idea of a snowman being involved is at best highly debatable and should be easily dismissed, I still have to say the article as a whole is somewhat amateurishly researched and written.

I know, it's just a blurb on the internet and doesn't pretend to be anything more, but still...

[docyabut2]

No snow men or aliens there were no other foot prints found. Unfortunately this was a case of a freak snow storm,

[taniwha]

While I agree with the author that the idea of a snowman being involved is at best highly debatable and should be easily dismissed, I still have to say the article as a whole is somewhat amateurishly researched and written.

I know, it's just a blurb on the internet and doesn't pretend to be anything more, but still...

Actually this case is very bizzare the further one looks beneath the surface so now im thinking the lightening theory isnt as great as i first thought

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

I've read the book and watched the vids.

They pitched the tent on an "18 to 20 degree slope".

Is that steep enough to cause an avalanche?

It might be enough but that is not the point.

There was no avalanche because investigators did not say there was one, and you'd be surprised as to the number of people that think they picked up on the eureka clue that professional investigators missed. Goof Lord!

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

I found this interesting pic of the Dyatlov tent on the net, somebody has superimposed it on a summer colour pic of the terrain and drawn a red line indicating their route down to the trees where they made the snowhole (circled)-

Incidentally here's the timeline-

Feb 1st- pitched the tent at the pass

Feb 26th- searchers find the tent

Feb 27th- first bodies found

May 4th- last bodies found

So during the 26 days before the tent was found, some of the snow could have melted revealing the tent, and the bodies could have partially decayed or become discoloured, or been messed with by wolves and bears,possibly accounting for some injuries, especially on the last bodies which had been laying out there for 3 months after the incident.

Son, have you ever been in -25C?

Forget the darn avalanche theory. never happened

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

Dropship said: "This is the book I read, it's well written and examines all possible explanations.

Personally I think I tend to go with the avalanche/snowslide theory, but it's still a puzzle why the tent wasn't completely flattened by it."

I think you've answered your own question. If the tent didn't get flattened, how could one possibly believe there was an avalanche?

[Capt Amerika]

In the television show, they showed a picture of what appeared to be a Yeti.

This picture was one of the last pictures on the reel of film.

They opened the sealed packet of negatives and the picture was there as well.

Has this been explained away?

Its easy to say the Yeti doesnt exist but the pictures tend to show something there.

Have they been proven to have been faked?