Dyatlov Pass incident facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dyatlov Pass incident

The group's tomb at the Mikhailovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2012
Native name	Гибель тургруппы Дятлова
Date	1–2 February 1959
Location	Kholat Syakhl, Northern Urals, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Type	Multiple deaths
Cause	Physical trauma and hypothermia
Outcome	Area closed for 3 years
Deaths	9 trekkers from the Ural Polytechnical Institute 6 due to hypothermia 2 due to physical chest trauma 1 due to a fractured skull

The Dyatlov Pass incident was a mysterious event. Nine Soviet hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains between February 1 and 2, 1959. They were on a challenging trip.

The group was experienced and led by Igor Dyatlov. They set up camp on the eastern slopes of Kholat Syakhl in the Soviet Union. During the night, something made them cut their way out of their tent. They fled into heavy snow and freezing temperatures without enough warm clothes.

After their bodies were found, an investigation began. Soviet officials said six hikers died from hypothermia (extreme cold). The other three died from serious injuries. The investigation concluded that a "compelling natural force" caused their deaths. Many ideas have been suggested, like animal attacks, avalanches, or military tests.

Russia started a new investigation in 2019. In July 2020, they announced their findings. They said an avalanche caused the deaths. Survivors of the avalanche had to leave their camp quickly. They were in bad weather with poor visibility and not enough clothing. They then died from the cold. A study in 2021 also suggested a type of avalanche could explain some injuries.

A mountain pass in the area was later named "Dyatlov Pass" to remember the group. The actual incident happened about 1,700 meters (5,577 feet) away. This was on the eastern slope of Kholat Syakhl. A large rock nearby now serves as a memorial.

The Hiking Group and Their Journey

In 1959, a group of students planned a skiing trip. They wanted to cross the northern Urals in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Soviet Union. Igor Dyatlov, a 23-year-old engineering student, led the group. Most were fellow students from the Ural State Technical University.

The group started with eight men and two women. One member turned back early due to illness. Each person was an experienced hiker. They had ski tour experience. They would have received a high-level hiking certificate after this trip. The route was planned to cover 300 kilometers (186 miles). It was a difficult route, especially in February.

On January 23, 1959, the group received their route book. They left the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) the same day. Their goal was to reach Otorten mountain. This mountain was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of where the incident happened.

The Expedition's Route

The group arrived by train in Ivdel on January 25, 1959. This town is in the northern part of Sverdlovsk Oblast. From there, they took a truck to Vizhai. Vizhai was the last village with people to the north.

On January 27, they started hiking toward Gora Otorten. The next day, Yuri Yudin turned back. He had knee and joint pain and could not continue. The other nine hikers kept going.

Diaries and cameras found later helped track their journey. On January 31, the group reached a highland area. They prepared for climbing. They hid extra food and gear in a wooded valley. This was for their trip back.

The next day, they started moving through the pass. They likely planned to cross the pass and camp on the other side. But bad weather, like snowstorms, made it hard to see. They lost their way and went west, toward the top of Kholat Syakhl. When they realized their mistake, they decided to camp on the mountain slope. They chose not to go 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) downhill to a forest. The forest would have offered more shelter. Yuri Yudin thought Dyatlov did not want to lose the height they had gained. Or maybe he wanted to practice camping on a mountain slope.

Search and Discovery

Before leaving, Dyatlov promised to send a telegram to their sports club. This was expected by February 12. However, Dyatlov had told Yudin it might take longer. When no message arrived by February 12, no one worried right away. Delays were common for such trips.

On February 20, the hikers' families asked for a rescue. The head of the institute sent the first rescue groups. These groups were made of student and teacher volunteers. Later, the army and police joined, using planes and helicopters.

On February 26, searchers found the group's abandoned tent on Kholat Syakhl. The tent was badly damaged. Mikhail Sharavin, the student who found it, said it was "half torn down and covered with snow." It was empty, and all their belongings and shoes were left inside. Investigators said the tent had been cut open from the inside.

Nine sets of footprints led away from the tent. The footprints showed people wearing only socks, one shoe, or no shoes at all. They led down to the edge of a nearby wood, about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) away. After 500 meters (1,640 feet), the tracks were covered by snow.

At the forest's edge, under a large Siberian pine tree, searchers found a small fire. They also found the first two bodies: Krivonischenko and Doroshenko. They were shoeless and only in their underwear. Branches on the tree were broken up to five meters (16 feet) high. This suggested someone had climbed the tree, perhaps looking for the camp.

Between the pine tree and the camp, three more bodies were found. These were Dyatlov, Kolmogorova, and Slobodin. Their positions suggested they were trying to return to the tent. They were found at different distances from the tree.

Finding the last four hikers took over two months. They were finally found on May 4. They were under 4 meters (13 feet) of snow in a ravine. This was 75 meters (246 feet) deeper into the woods from the pine tree. Three of these four were better dressed than the others. There were signs that some clothing from the first hikers who died had been used by the others. For example, Dubinina was wearing Krivonishenko's burned, torn trousers. Her left foot was wrapped in a torn jacket.

The Investigation's Findings

A view of the tent as the rescuers found it on 26 February 1959: the tent had been cut open from inside, and most of the skiers had fled in socks or barefoot

A legal investigation began right after the first five bodies were found. A medical check showed no injuries that caused their deaths. It was concluded they all died from hypothermia (extreme cold).

When the four bodies were found in May, the story changed. Three of these hikers had serious injuries. Thibeaux-Brignolles had major skull damage. Dubinina and Zolotaryov had major chest injuries. According to Boris Vozrozhdenny, a medical expert, the force needed for such injuries would be very high. It would be like a car crash. But, the bodies had no outside wounds related to these bone breaks. It was as if they had been under great pressure.

All four bodies found at the bottom of the creek had injuries to their head and face. The forensic expert believed these injuries happened after death. This was because of where the bodies were found in the stream.

At first, some thought the local Mansi people had attacked the group. They were reindeer herders in the area. But the investigation showed this was not true. Only the hikers' footprints were seen. There were no signs of a fight.

Even though it was very cold (around -25 to -30 degrees Celsius or -13 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit) with a storm, the dead hikers were only partly dressed. Some had only one shoe. Others wore only socks. Some were wrapped in pieces of torn clothes. These clothes seemed to have been cut from those who had already died.

Journalists who saw parts of the investigation files reported these facts:

• Six group members died from cold, and three from serious injuries.
• No other people were near Kholat Syakhl besides the nine hikers.
• The tent was ripped open from the inside.
• The victims died six to eight hours after their last meal.
• Tracks showed all group members left the camp on their own, on foot.
• Some radiation was found on one victim's clothing.
• The medical expert said the serious injuries could not have been caused by humans. This was because the force was too strong, and no soft body parts were damaged.
• The official documents did not say anything about the condition of the hikers' internal organs.
• There were no survivors.

At the time, the official conclusion was that a "compelling natural force" caused the deaths. The investigation ended in May 1959. No one was found guilty. The files were kept secret.

In 1997, it was found that negatives from Krivonischenko's camera were kept privately. They were later given to the Dyatlov Foundation. The hikers' diaries became public in Russia in 2009.

In 2019, Russian authorities reopened the investigation. They considered only three possible reasons: an avalanche, a slab avalanche, or a hurricane. The idea of a crime was ruled out.

Other Reports and Aftermath

Yury Kuntsevich was 12 years old at the time. He later became the head of the Dyatlov Foundation. He attended five of the hikers' funerals. He remembered their skin had a "deep brown tan."

Another group of hikers, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south, reported something strange. They saw orange spheres in the sky to the north on the night of the incident. Similar spheres were seen in Ivdel and nearby areas from February to March 1959. Different people saw them, including weather services and the military. These sightings were not in the 1959 investigation. The witnesses came forward years later.

Tomb of the deceased at Mikhailovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Anatoly Gushchin wrote a book in 1990. He suggested a Soviet secret weapon experiment. Some researchers did not like this idea. But his book led to public discussion. Many people who had been silent for 30 years shared new facts. One was Lev Ivanov, who led the 1959 investigation. In 1990, he wrote that his team had no clear explanation. He also said he was told by high-ranking officials to ignore the flying spheres.

In 2000, a TV company made a documentary called The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass. A writer named Anna Matveyeva also published a book about it. The book included parts of the official case, diaries, and interviews. It is a major source of information about the incident.

The Dyatlov Foundation was started in 1999. It aims to keep investigating the case. It also runs the Dyatlov Museum to remember the hikers. On July 1, 2016, a memorial was opened for Yuri Yudin. He was the only survivor of the group. He died in 2013.

Explanations for the Incident

Many theories try to explain what happened to the Dyatlov group.

Avalanche Theory

On July 11, 2020, Andrey Kuryakov announced an avalanche as the "official cause of death." He was from the Prosecutor-General's Office. Later computer models by Swiss researchers also supported the avalanche idea.

Why an Avalanche Might Have Happened

A review of the 1959 evidence was done from 2015 to 2019. Investigators from the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICRF) confirmed the avalanche theory. They added important details. The weather on the night of the tragedy was very harsh. Wind speeds reached hurricane force (20–30 meters per second or 45–67 miles per hour). There was a snowstorm, and temperatures were as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit). The 1959 investigators did not consider these factors. They arrived three weeks later when the weather was much better.

Here is how the events might have happened:

• On February 1, the group arrived at Kholat Syakhl mountain. They set up a large tent on an open slope. There were no natural barriers like forests. Heavy snowfall had been happening for days, with strong wind and frost.
• The group walking on the slope and digging a tent site weakened the snow. During the night, the snow above the tent slowly slid down. It pushed on the tent fabric, starting from the entrance.
• The group woke up and panicked. They tried to get out. Only some could put on warm clothes. The entrance was blocked. So, the group escaped through a hole cut in the tent fabric. They went down the slope to find a safe place. This was about 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) down, at the forest edge.
• Some members had very few clothes. The group split up. Two, only in underwear, were found near a fire pit by a Siberian pine tree. They died from cold.
• Three hikers, including Dyatlov, tried to climb back to the tent. They might have wanted sleeping bags. They had better clothes than those at the fire pit. But they were still light and had poor footwear. Their bodies were found at different distances from the campfire. Their positions suggested they fell from exhaustion. They were trying to climb in deep snow in extreme cold.
• The remaining four had warm clothing and footwear. They tried to find or build a better camp in the forest. Their bodies were found 70 meters (230 feet) from the fireplace. They were under several meters of snow. They had injuries that showed they fell into a snow hole above a stream. These bodies were found two months later.

Investigators believe the tragedy was caused by very bad weather. Also, the group leader lacked experience in such conditions. This led to choosing a dangerous camping spot. After the snow slide, another mistake was splitting up. They should have built a temporary camp in the forest.

Support from a 2021 Model

In 2021, scientists published a new model. It showed how a small snow slide on Kholat Syakhl could damage the tent. It could also cause injuries like those the Dyatlov team suffered.

Katabatic Wind Theory

In 2019, a Swedish-Russian team visited the site. They suggested a strong katabatic wind could explain the incident. Katabatic winds are rare but can be very powerful. They were involved in a 1978 case in Sweden where eight hikers died. The areas where these events happened look very similar.

A sudden katabatic wind would make it impossible to stay in the tent. The hikers' best choice would be to cover the tent with snow. Then, they would seek shelter behind the trees. A torch was left on top of the tent. Perhaps it was left so they could find their way back when the winds calmed down. The team suggested the hikers built two shelters. One collapsed, burying four hikers and causing their serious injuries.

Infrasound Theory

Another idea comes from Donnie Eichar's 2013 book. He suggested that wind around Kholat Syakal created a special air pattern. This pattern can produce infrasound. Infrasound is a very low-frequency sound. It can cause panic attacks in people.

Eichar's theory says the infrasound made the hikers feel sick and panicked. This panic made them leave the tent quickly. They fled down the slope. Further down the hill, they would have been out of the infrasound's path. They would have calmed down. But in the dark, they could not find their way back to the tent. The serious injuries of three victims happened when they stumbled into a ravine in the darkness. They landed on rocks at the bottom.

Military Tests Theory

One idea is that the campsite was in the path of a Soviet military test. This theory suggests parachute mines were being tested. These mines explode in the air, not on the ground. They cause internal damage with little outside injury. This matches the hikers' injuries.

The theory says the hikers woke up to loud explosions. They fled the tent in a panic without shoes. They could not go back for supplies. After some froze, others took their clothes. Then they were fatally injured by more explosions. There are records of parachute mines being tested in the area around that time.

This theory also fits reports of glowing orange lights in the sky. Hikers might have even photographed them. These could have been military aircraft or falling mines.

A similar theory suggests radiological weapons were tested. This is based on radiation found on some clothing. Also, relatives described the bodies as having orange skin and grey hair. However, radiation would affect everyone and everything. The skin and hair color changes can be natural. They can happen after three months of exposure to cold and wind.

The Soviet government kept information about the group's disappearance secret at first. This is sometimes seen as proof of a cover-up. But keeping information secret about local incidents was normal in the USSR. By the late 1980s, all Dyatlov files were released.

Other Ideas

Keith McCloskey, who has studied the incident, visited Dyatlov Pass in 2015. He noted:

• The tent was too close to the ridge for a large amount of snow to build up and cause an avalanche. The wind also blew snow away from the tent's side of the ridge.
• Lev Ivanov's boss said that a high-ranking official ordered the case closed. This happened when they were planning another trip to investigate the last four bodies.
• Ivanov's boss also said the head of the Sverdlovsk Prosecutor's Office was at the first body checks for three days. This was very unusual.

Donnie Eichar also looked into other theories that are not likely:

• Attack by local tribesmen: The local tribes were peaceful. There were no tracks of anyone else near the tent.
• Attack by animals: There were no animal tracks. The group would not have left the safety of the tent.
• High winds blew one member away: An experienced group would not act this way. Winds strong enough to blow people away would also have blown away the tent.

Andrey Shepelev, an aviation historian, thinks the group might have died from a photoflash bomb. He believes a US spy plane might have dropped it. A declassified US document confirms such a secret mission in the area in 1959. Shepelev thinks the bomb exploded closer to the ground than expected. This could have scared the hikers, making them leave the tent and freeze. Some hikers might have been injured by the explosion itself.

Images for kids

• Pamyatnik dyatlovtsam na Mikhailovskom kladbishche.jpg

  The group's tomb at the Mikhailovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2012

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  A view of the tent as the rescuers found it on 26 February 1959: the tent had been cut open from inside, and most of the skiers had fled in socks or barefoot

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  Tomb of the deceased at Mikhailovskoe Cemetery in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

See also

In Spanish: Incidente del paso Diátlov para niños