# What do you think happened at Russia's Dyatlov Pass?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 18, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666 "2013-02-18T04:11:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Crime\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Crime\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crime_Scene)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/1 "2013-02-18T04:11:56Z")

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[http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/dyatlov-pass-incident-strangest-unsolved-mystery](http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/dyatlov-pass-incident-strangest-unsolved-mystery)

I usually have a theory or at least a pretty good idea of what I think happened in ‘unexplained’ events like these. On this one, I have no clue. The radiation is the real curveball and makes me super suspicious. If I had to take make a bet I’d say avalance, but once again, the radiation. Other than that, the only thing I could go with and only be semi-comfortable believing is that they stumbled onto some type of Soviet testing area.

So, dopers, what are your thoughts?

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/2 "2013-02-18T04:30:52Z")

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We’ve done it: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=489648&highlight=dyatlov](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=489648&highlight=dyatlov)

Cracked’s done it: [6 Famous Unsolved Mysteries (With Really Obvious Solutions) | Cracked.com](http://www.cracked.com/article_16671_6-famous-unsolved-mysteries-with-really-obvious-solutions.html)

Basically, a mystery that became more mysterious with added “facts,” like the radiation. And people suffering hypothermia sometimes take off their clothes. Don’t know why. Other people get hypothermia because they take off their clothes. I know why for both of those.

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**Author:** ![Crime\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Crime\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crime_Scene)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/3 "2013-02-18T04:37:59Z")

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You put ‘facts’ in quotes, dropzone. Do you not believe there was radiation?

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**Author:** ![Crime\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Crime\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crime_Scene)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/4 "2013-02-18T04:39:43Z")

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Also, I had no idea we had covered this. I should have looked. Sorry and thanks for the links. Well, both of those links just kinda ruined the mystery for me.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/5 "2013-02-18T04:40:23Z")

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Since the radiation apparently wasn’t mentioned in any of the real documentation at the time and was only added later (from what I can tell), I personally don’t believe there was any, no.

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**Author:** ![Crime\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Crime\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crime_Scene)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/6 "2013-02-18T04:46:02Z")

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> [@Ferret\_Herder](#):
>
> Since the radiation apparently wasn’t mentioned in any of the real documentation at the time and was only added later (from what I can tell), I personally don’t believe there was any, no.

Gotcha. I didn’t realize that ‘fact’ was tacked onto the story until later.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/7 "2013-02-18T13:54:01Z")

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Several compounded acts of irrational behavior (that doubtless seemed like great ideas at the time), in a dangerous & unforgiving physical environment.

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-happened-at-russias-dyatlov-pass/650666/8 "2013-02-18T13:59:11Z")

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Was camping/trekking popular in Soviet Russia?
