The unsolved mystery of Russia’s missing walkers may have finally been unraveled

The Dyatlov Pass incident is a scary tale told mostly in a low voice around a campfire, but this very real – and very mysterious – event has been the subject of conspiracy theories, scientific conjectures and even one or two films . But the truth about what led nine experienced hikers to cross the safety of their own tent and flee, half dressed in the snow of the Ural mountains, remained inconclusive for more than half a century.

That is, until now. After 62 years of speculation, scientists believe they may have discovered what happened in the Ural Mountains so many years ago.

Thanks to simulations, analytical models and even some technology borrowed from Disney, the data indicates that an impacting force from nature may well be the conclusive answer.

What is the mystery of Passo Dyatlov?

In January 1959, a team of experienced Russian climbers was hiking in the Ural Mountains – at least they were, until they died in mysterious circumstances.

Personal diaries and films discovered at the site confirm that the team set up camp on a stretch of hillside known as Kholat Saykhl, or “dead mountain”. However, something caused hikers to flee in the middle of the night, making their way out of the tent and spreading across the mountain – poorly dressed, despite sub-zero temperatures and a thick layer of snow.

When a search and rescue team finally found them, scattered across the passage weeks later, they found that while six of the hikers died of hypothermia, the remaining three were killed by extreme physical trauma. Body parts were missing – one walker’s eyes, another’s tongue – and severe skeletal damage to some of the skulls and chest.

The only problem? There was no convincing evidence to explain why or how it happened. At the time, investigators concluded that an unknown but powerful “natural force” forced them to leave their tent. Conspiracies range from catabatic winds to Yeti attacks and even infrasound-induced panic, but no definitive conclusions have been made to explain the deaths.

Until, potentially, now.

Simulations, Disney and a potential answer

In an article published on Thursday in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, the researchers identified data that support the theory that a small impacting avalanche may have been the culprit.

It is not the first time that such a hypothesis has arisen. In fact, it was one of the first conclusions drawn – it simply had no supporting evidence. In 2019, a team of Russian scientists also concluded that it was an avalanche, but again data was lacking to support the theory. There was no definitive evidence of an avalanche – even a small one. The topography and snowfall levels did not correspond to such an incident.

Now, however, a team from the Snow Avalanche Simulation Laboratory at the École polytechnique fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland, has managed to use analytical models, simulations and even technology from Disney animation studios to explain how an avalanche may have occurred without leaving evidence behind. .

Reported by National Geographic, the data indicated that the avalanche would have been particularly small – perhaps as small as 5 meters of ice and snow, compacted on a solid plate. This would allow conditions to mask the phenomena over time, with snow obscuring all debris, while still creating enough threat to compel hikers to make their way out.

But it still didn’t explain the extreme trauma left in some of the bodies. To answer that question, the team went to Disney’s Frozen. Johan Gaume, head of the lab, combined his simulation tools with animation models borrowed from Frozen’s creative team to analyze how the impact of the avalanche would affect bodies.

Using the simulation, enhanced by these animation models, the team was able to conclude that the avalanche suspicion could have had a sufficient impact if hikers had placed their bed on top of their skis, providing a rigid base upon which the force been exercised – crushing skulls and chests between the two hard forces.

There is still little evidence of what happened next, as all the hikers were found outside the tent, but the best theory is that they tried to escape the avalanche and rescue their injured companions – although their injuries and extreme temperature ended up proving fatal. As for the missing body parts? Scavengers are the likely culprits.

Therefore, although the study does explain a possible, and even likely, scenario for the deaths of walkers in the Dyatlov Pass, many questions still remain.

And these issues will inevitably keep conspiracy theorists busy speculating for years to come.