The Dyatlov Pass issue is part of Russian folklore. It is now the legendary story of nine hikers who lost their lives on the Ural side in 1959, in circumstances that remain undetermined. victims ‘An irresistible force’, The investigation will be concluded. A very mysterious force some will say. But researchers are now showing that the circumstances of this tragedy can be well explained by science.
Torn tent. Semi-naked bodies. From eyes rip. This is the scene of horror that rescue workers discovered while searching for a group of nine hikers who had left to attack the Khawat Siyakhil Mountain (Ural Mountains, Russia), which can be translated as Montage de la mort, at the end of January 1959. Experienced hikers set out alongside the Dyatlov Trail – who Door This name is remembered as the leader of the group – Night 1is being Until February 2. According to the findings of the investigation at the time, A. ‘An irresistible force’.
What unleash the imagination. Although rated in Category 3, i.e. high risk, The circuit used by hikers. At a time of year temperatures drop to -30 degrees Celsius. Some envision an attack of the yeti. Others, secret military experiences. Still others, interfering from extraterrestrials.
In 2019, relatives of the victims got the investigation reopened. But they were not convinced of the conclusion that indicates A. Avalanche As the most logical cause of the tragedy. “Because the authorities did not explain how this happened.”Johann Guillaume, researcher at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), says in Communicate.
Because many notes always seemed strange to the audience. First, the fact that emergency services did not notice any visible effects of an avalanche immediately. Then the fact that the average angle of the slope over a hiker’s tent site appears to be quite low. The fact that the avalanche did not begin until many long hours after the hikers pitched their tent on the slope. Finally, the fact that the injuries observed on hikers are inconsistent with the injuries usually found on the bodies of avalanche victims.
Avalanche as a plausible hypothesis
This is where science comes in. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ, Switzerland) and EPFL studied Soviet archives. Talk to those who investigated right away. They developed analytical and numerical models with the goal of reconstructing the avalanche that could have claimed the lives of hikers on the Dyatlov Pass. Models that, in addition to providing a reasonable explanation for the mystery of the Dyatlov Pass, can now be used to better understand avalanches and the associated risks.
According to these works, the local terrain allows for a small collapse of the plates – which actually left no visible traces – on this relatively gentle slope, below 30 degrees. However, a small avalanche caused injuries similar to those observed on the hikers’ bodies. Provided that they sleep on a The bed Rigid, made of their skis. It remains to explain the delay between installing the tent and Avalanche trigger. All without snow.
Researchers point out that evening’s encounter with fatal circumstances. The fact that the hikers broke the snow cover by pitching their tent on the slope. Otherwise, nothing would have happened. But also the fact that Slots Fairly katabatic strong. The winds of gravity descended from the slope, slowly building up a charge The snow Additional over the tent. Because of the invisible shoulder for hikers. “At a certain point, it may have formed a crack, spread and broke the layer of snow.”Explains Alexander Poserin, Researcher in Geotechnical Engineering at ETHZ. We provide evidence here Solid The avalanche hypothesis is reasonable. Although no one really knows what happened that night. “
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