Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident

The hikers receive comfortable accommodations in Vizhay. Several of them go into town to see a movie. The next morning, after breakfast, the hikers speak with a German-Russian forester who warns them that the weather and terrain are too dangerous for them to continue their hike. The hikers assure him that they are experienced and well prepared. His warning actually has the opposite of the intended effect, as several members of the group, especially Igor Dyatlov, seek out dangerous situations for the thrill of overcoming them. In the afternoon, the hikers take a very uncomfortable truck ride to their next stop. It is cold, and Yudin starts to experience severe pain in his back and leg. He considers turning back but carries on for the time being.

A Mansi man searches for the hikers with his dog. After a while, the dog leads him to a patch of snow. When he digs through it, he finds a body clinging to a branch of a birch tree. Like the others, this one has no jacket. It is also missing a hat, gloves, and shoes. The body is that of Igor Dyatlov. The investigation continues, and another dog finds a fourth body. This one is lying face down and has a bloody face. Once again, the body is without shoes. It is Zina. Search party members make their best guess as to what happened. They assume that strong winds blew the hikers down the mountain, where they struggled to climb back toward their tent. Other investigators poke holes in this theory: The tent itself did not blow away, and nothing inside was damaged or even knocked over. They do not find any other bodies, as the deep snow makes searching very challenging. They do note that there are some rips in the canvas of the tent, though the significance of this detail is not initially clear. Lev Ivanov becomes the case’s chief investigator; Eichar hints that he will act unethically as the case unfolds.

Kuntsevich and Eichar prepare for their hike. Because of his age and poor health, Yuri Yudin elects not to join them, to Eichar’s disappointment. Vladimir Borzenkov joins their preparations; he will accompany them to Holatchahl, the mountain where the hikers died. Eichar learns that Borzenkov contributed to the Soviet space program and that he has worked on several dangerous rescue missions as a hiking consultant. As they prepare, it becomes clear that Yudin is worried about their safety on the hike, especially given Eichar’s lack of experience. Kuntsevich’s wife, Olga, also asks Eichar to reconsider, as does Eichar’s mother when he phones her, asking, “Why are you doing this?” (176), a question for which he has no answer. He calls his girlfriend and promises that he will stay safe and return home soon.

The hikers arrive in Sector 41, a remote woodcutting camp outside of Vizhay. The accommodations are basic, but the men in the camp are friendly and hospitable. Some of them have memorized poems, which are often banned just like music. They recite these poems for their guests, and everyone takes part in spirited discussions about love.

In 2012, Yudin tells Eichar that they often spoke of love, but that nothing romantic happened between the hikers.

In 1959, the hikers sing and dance with the camp workers, but none of the hikers drink alcohol—no hardcore “tourists” ever do. The next morning, Yuri Yudin is in excruciating pain. He decides to keep going anyway because he wants to reach the next stop, an abandoned geological site. The hikers trek to the site, while a kind ex-convict drives a sleigh that carries their packs and directs them to their destination. They arrive at the geological site that evening and camp in an abandoned house. When Yudin wakes up, his pain is no longer manageable. He says goodbye to his friends and heads back.

The families of the hikers learn about the recovery of the first four bodies. They search for answers. Some wonder if the Mansi people could have killed the Dyatlov group, but those who have worked closely with the Mansi consider this theory highly unlikely. The Mansi people are peaceful, have been helpful in the search parties, and have no particular connection to Holatchahl.

Members of the search party probe the deep snow with long poles. Lev Ivanov visits the site. He sees a third set of prints near the fire where Georgy and Doroshenko were found. There is also a pile of unused firewood, prompting investigators to wonder why anyone would have started a fire but let it go out when other wood was available. It is now March, a full month since the hikers died. Some people start to suspect that there may have been weapons testing in the area on the night the hikers died. They find a temporary shelter that the hikers made the day before they died, where they stored everything they would not need for their hike to the Otorten summit and back. They left their mandolin there. It turns out that there were rockets launched in the area around February 17, and there is speculation that similar events could have contributed to the hikers’ deaths. Searchers find a fifth body: Rustik. He has blunt force trauma to his head, and he is still wearing a hat, which casts doubt on the theory that high winds blew the hikers from their tent. Further analysis of the tent confirms that it was cut with a knife: it appears that someone cut their way into the tent.