KHOLAT SYAKHL, NORTHERN URALS, CCCP (RUSSIA) – FEBRUARY, 1959 Dyatlov Pass incident is a designation given to the sad event that happened on the night of February 1-2, 1959, in the northern part of the Ural Mountains in what was then the Soviet Union. A group of nine experienced hikers led by Igor Dyatlov embarked on a challenging winter trek that turned into one of the greatest unsolved tragedies of modern history.

The expedition

The expedition included nine students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnic Institute, all experienced sportsmen and good tourists who were set on the almost 220-mile-long journey to the peak of Mount Otorten. All participants had great experience with mountain climbing in a variety of harsh conditions.

After several days of not showing up at a prearranged checkpoint, a search operation was launched. The rescue teams finally located their camp on February 26, 1959. The tent was ripped and torn open from the inside, showing that the group had fled in haste and in panic. Most of the members of the expedition were found dead around the camp, some lightly dressed and without shoes.

Some bodies had ribs that were broken, serious skull injuries, among other wounds, that needed much force- experts claimed-to cause such an injury, almost like being in a car accident. Some had no bruises or other visible injuries but their cause of death was hypothermia.

Since the case has raised a number of theories and assumptions, with the official investigation saying “a natural force” is the culprit of the tragedy. Some of the most widespread theories include:

One of the initial hypotheses was that an avalanche struck the tent, forcing the group to leave the camp quickly. However, this theory does not explain why no clear signs of an avalanche were present at the site.

Other theories include a military experiment, as the area might have been used for weapons testing, or the effect of infrasound, which caused panic among the hikers. Some speculate about an encounter with the indigenous Mansi people, but there is no evidence to support this.

The Dyatlov Pass is now a symbol of mystery and the human fascination with everything unexplained. It was named after their group leader Igor Dyatlov, and to this day, the site of the tragedy has attracted many tourists and researchers every year hoping to unravel the truth.