The Dyatlov Pass Incident

In February 1959, nine experienced hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains under circumstances that have never been satisfactorily explained. The Dyatlov Pass incident, named for group leader Igor Dyatlov, has generated decades of speculation about what could have caused trained mountaineers to flee their tent in freezing temperatures and die of injuries ranging from hypothermia to severe physical trauma.

The Expedition

The group consisted of eight men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnic Institute. They were experienced hikers attempting to reach Otorten Mountain. Their route was classified as Category III, the most difficult.

The group’s progress was documented in diaries and photographs recovered from the scene. On February 1, 1959, they made camp on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl (a Mansi name meaning “Dead Mountain”). They were never seen alive again.

The Discovery

When the group failed to arrive at their destination, a search party was organized. On February 26, searchers found the tent. It had been cut open from the inside. Footprints in the snow showed the hikers had fled in single file toward the forest, some barefoot or wearing only socks.

The first two bodies were found at the tree line near the remains of a small fire. Three more bodies, including Dyatlov’s, were found between the tent and the forest, apparently trying to return. The remaining four were not found until May, buried under snow in a ravine.

The Injuries

The injuries sustained by the hikers varied dramatically. Some showed no visible injury and died of hypothermia. Others had massive internal injuries without external wounds. One woman was missing her tongue, eyes, and part of her lips.

Two victims had major chest fractures requiring enormous force, comparable to a car crash. Yet their skin showed no bruising or trauma.

Assessment

The Dyatlov Pass incident remains one of history’s most perplexing mysteries. Soviet investigators concluded the group died of “a compelling natural force.” The case was classified for decades. The truth of what happened on that mountain may never be known.