The DEN...I know, I know..

[Loose}{Cannon]

Those modern pictures with the old pictures overtop of them are perfect. I did not know the bodies were all together like that. The maps attempting to showcase where the bodies were found are way off.

If I'm understanding things correctly, the "den" was an assumption made on the part of the investigators because they found a bundle of sticks with some pieces of clothing on top and assumed that it had been the floor of some kind of den. That seems like a gigantic stretch in my opinion.

Enjoy. 

[BottledBrunette]

I don't know if I'm wrong here, but, it appears that several feet of snow had fallen since the hikers left their tent to their deaths.  Wasn't it snowing that day they stopped and made the tent?  Maybe I don't understand the significance of that man standing next to ten foot high wall, but, I assumed that a lot of snow had fallen and covered everything in the meantime, since weeks had passed, and that's why some of the bodies weren't found right away,especially, the last four.  I could be wrong, but, that's what I was thinking when I saw that picture.  The tent looked like it was almost buried, too, so, a lot of snow had fallen and maybe the hikers didn't have to dig that deep, if they did have to dig, because, if they did have to dig that deep, they would have all frozen before they even got halfway down.  I hope I'm making sense.

[SteveCalley]

The measure of credibility of the theories is the DEN; and that of the den is the TONGUE. Very few credible hypotheses issue. Therefore it is all incredibly weak.

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

Those modern pictures with the old pictures overtop of them are perfect. I did not know the bodies were all together like that. The maps attempting to showcase where the bodies were found are way off.

If I'm understanding things correctly, the "den" was an assumption made on the part of the investigators because they found a bundle of sticks with some pieces of clothing on top and assumed that it had been the floor of some kind of den. That seems like a gigantic stretch in my opinion.

Your reasoning is very sound. The existence of a "den" is highly improbable, to say the least.

[Marchesk]

Your reasoning is very sound. The existence of a "den" is highly improbable, to say the least.

I realize this depends on what theory one finds more convincing, but making a snow den makes as much sense as making a fire in their situation. Given that there's 9 of them to start with, it would make sense to seek shelter and warmth at the same time.

[sarapuk]

Iam having difficulty with the so called DEN. Firstly, was it actually a DEN !? Its interesting the more you look into the Dyatlov Case the more tricky it seems to be, not withstanding any missing evidence. THE TENT. THE FOOTPRINTS. THE TREE. THE FIRE. THE DEN ! ?

[Paf]

A logical explaination, but only good if the ravine is as I see it.

When they found the bodies in the ravine, they might have wondered why they were there.

If a skier is under bad weather without shelter, he will look for shelter. The ravine was offering a shelter against wind. But If they were in good enough shape when they got there, they would have need more of a shelter : a snowden. That was even more logical to have some kind of shelter since they brought branches from the cedar.
Just where they were found, there was a pretty evident spot for a snowden (the upper end of the ravine). They looked for it at the only logical spot around... that's why they dug "the perfect square" (what was a perfect square because they just followed the end of the ravine on 3 sides.

Usually, If you have no tool, you dig with a good woodstick (a splitted -flat- branch is the best). Never with your hands : too cold.

[Zyd]

Very cheeky to say they dug 10 feet down to make that den which means they need shovels... Very cheeky

The den exist beneath a natural bank. This bank gives false picture to make it look like they dug down for a long way....

Sight of the den is a natural low spot which the group stumble into using natural instinct to avoid bad wind and weather. They only maybe had to dig slightly and they use hands (tybo has gloves on his person), stick, whatever.

Fire can not help, they had already seen Yuris pass away at the fire and the wind made fire ineffective. This is why people burn trying to warm... they have to be almost ontop of the fire to get any effective...only option was to take Yuris clothes and go for shelter.

Semyon and tybo probably make the den consider Semyons experience in his past and the fact they had boots on so they were able to. Alek may have helped to...

After they make the den they go to get lyuda. She was trying to get to the den, she stepped on false snow ledge fell several feet and hurt herself badly. There is evidence she was heading for the den....she is kneeling against the rock face of the stream and she may have been trying to climb up it to head towards the den..
or to head towards the others...because the den was in that up stream direction...

The 3 men race toward her scream and they make the same mistake. Nikolay lands on his head and is almost dead. The others are injured... Aleksandr is least injured, he probably lands on top of the others... They are together to weak to move far and die and snow covers them...

Several month of snowfall later gives false picture of actual landsight...

The den is obvious not an evidence of a cover up considering U conspiracy theorists find it so strange... If investigators wanted to cover this up they would not bother adding these silly details...if they wanted to lie and cover up investigators gain nothing from making a den... They could much easier say "we found the bodies in ravine, they must have fell trying to avoid the wind or who knows..." And they have same result as they do with the den!! There is no point making a den for investigators!

It took them a long time to find this also so it is also cheeky to say they knew EXACTLY where to dig... Lies.... They saw evidence of people being in the low area of the ravine....they started poking through snow there and they eventually get something.

Very cheeky to say they knew they were dead so used a meat hook.... OF COURSE THEY KNEW THEY WERE DEAD! No one is alive after so many months under so much snow...

[Tony]

Early May one of the searchers finds a piece of clothing exposed by melting snow. They bring in avalanche probes and, after probing the area, they find something on the end of one of the probes and start digging. There was no den or "snow cave." 3 of the 4 were injured at the site of the ravine (how is anyone's guess). In an attempt to survive the night and save his friends, the uninjured (or less injured) member (probably Kolevatov) built the bed of clothing and fir branches on more stable ground. Kolevatov probably planned on dragging the group to the bed but, overcome with cold, he eventually succumbed and died of hypothermia. This is the most logical and simple explanation and explains why none of the members were found on the bed of clothing.

[Investigator]

Who and for what reasons was the dug "den" brought up by rescuers/investigators?  Most likely, when they found the clothing/branches arranged in an orderly way, covered by snow, they noticed that it was not an area that was in any kind of depression, and hence must have been dug out to some degree.  Regardless, the only explanation that makes sense is that they created a "den" and thought they could survive the night by huddling together, but as they walked from the camp fire area (taking some of the clothing of the "two Yuris"), they were huddling together for warmth, and so when they fell down onto the rocky creek, the one or two in front sustained some nasty injuries (and it may even be that Luda or another member was being carried).

[Illicus]

Good Zyd,

 finally some common sense!!!

[Lillie]

This is something that has always bothered me as well, and I never feel like I get a good answer about it. I’ve heard it was naturally occurring, that it was made earlier, that they made it quickly but no, I don’t get it either.

[amashilu]

[amashilu]

Is this right? It helps me to get a visual.

[GlennM]

Or it just might be that the den, sticks and cloth were constructed by the rescuers as a cold storage and platform for the deceased until they could be taken out of the area.

[Ziljoe]

I read on another site that there was a cold storage area because of the decaying bodies. . In the above picture , half way down from where it says, 1) walk from ceder.

You will see what looks like a square cut out in the snow. There is speculation that the ravine four were stored there for a short period of time out of the sun until they were transported to the helicopter up the slope.

[neni_cesty_zpet]

It amazes me why they built the fire some 75m from the cedar. I'd expect them to start and mainstain fire near the den.
To use young firs and branches for sleepover shelter and maintain fire. Either in the area near cedar or in the ravine.

Staying is cold, dark den must have been really depressive at night...