The cedar seen from the tent

[narvikk]

I think this is quite interesting, to see where exactly the cedar is if you watch it from the tent. I found the location thanx to this video (min 4.07):



Location marked on the old photo:



How the place looks now:

[jarrfan]

The picture of the site gives a different view that the cedar was 0.9 mile from the tent. I wish they had taken a video from the cedar tree to the tent area. For whatever reason they left the tent, it seems getting to the treeline was their only hope of survival, which failed. Perhaps that is why the 4 left to make a den, and succeeded but somehow ended up in the ravine instead. I will look at more pictures from the ravine. Thanks for sharing the video...

I looked at pictures of the ravine and creek during summer time. What is strange is that the 4 ravine hikers had to cross the ravine to where they made the den, then they are found just near the den built on the other side of the ravine. If they crossed the creek to get to the area to make the den, how could they have died from falling onto boulders in the ravine? Especially if they crossed it to make the den? This is puzzling. This info came from a map made by Shavrin and from video of the ravine/creek area...

[narvikk]

I think you can’t see the tent place from the bottom of the cedar because of the trees around. It supports the theory they climbed to the tree to see the tent. It’s also worth to mention the cedar is not very close to the tent, they had to walk about 20 minutes to get there (to go directly) or even more.
It's quite a long time to walk in improper clothes in bad weather to nowhere.

[Star man]

It has been suggested that the hikers took about 20 minutes to reach the cedar.  I have been thinking about this and I think it is likely that it took longer given the conditions.  A person on average walks at about 4 mph.  That's 15 minutes to walk a mile in good conditions.  But how long would it take to walk a mile in the dark, in deep snow with rocky outcrops and no shoes?  I think would take much longer.  Maybe 3 to 4 times longer?  That's 45 minutes to an hour.   What sort of state would Doroshenko and Krivo be in after that time given their poor state of dress?

Regards

Star man

[jarrfan]

Happy New Year Starman: I agree. The condition of many of the hikers had to be at the lethal level by the time they got to the cedar due to not wearing enough clothes. If they fell on the rocks according to Borzenkov, with their ribs in a straight line, how could they have even made it to the den or ravine? Borzenkov thinks Kolevatov carried or pulled the other 3 hikers to the den after they fell off a ledge on the way to the cedar. How could he do this with all of his ribs broken?

Every theory here still demands an answer as to why they left the tent for certain death. Even if they were all healthy and no broken bones, they would obviously freeze to death. Then you add the climbing up the cedar, perhaps in a delusional frenzy thinking they may be safer there? It makes no sense.

The only thing that makes sense is that the first five died near the cedar due to trauma, elements? The other 4 managed to get down to the ravine which they crossed and were not badly injured, to build the den and then ended up dying in the ravine?

[Star man]

Happy New Year Starman: I agree. The condition of many of the hikers had to be at the lethal level by the time they got to the cedar due to not wearing enough clothes. If they fell on the rocks according to Borzenkov, with their ribs in a straight line, how could they have even made it to the den or ravine? Borzenkov thinks Kolevatov carried or pulled the other 3 hikers to the den after they fell off a ledge on the way to the cedar. How could he do this with all of his ribs broken?

Every theory here still demands an answer as to why they left the tent for certain death. Even if they were all healthy and no broken bones, they would obviously freeze to death. Then you add the climbing up the cedar, perhaps in a delusional frenzy thinking they may be safer there? It makes no sense.

The only thing that makes sense is that the first five died near the cedar due to trauma, elements? The other 4 managed to get down to the ravine which they crossed and were not badly injured, to build the den and then ended up dying in the ravine?

Happy New Year to you too Jarrfan and everyone on the forum.  It would be interesting to have more information on the condition of the hikers by the time they got to the cedar.  Particularly the two Yuris, because for some reason they climbed the cedar and I suspect that they already had frost bitten  hands and feet.  I also suspect that they spent some time clinging onto the cedar and that Doroshenko  recieved severe frost but while on the tree.  Same for Krivo.  This might explain why he bit his fingers - possibly trying to force them back to life?  This leaves the question why did they climb the tree?  I find it hard to believe that it was for fire wood.

I think Borzenkov suspects that they fell not too far from the den.  Kolevatov did not break his ribs so he may have had the strength to carry the three injured hikers to the ravine, then collect the clothing from the two Yuris and build the den before he himself was exhausted and died.  It is IMO a reasonable theory that can't be ruled out.  Even so it would only explain the strange injuries and not why they left the tent as you have already said.

Regards

Star man