What were they thinking?

[GlennM]

Currently on Dyatlovpass.com, an entry claims the location of the hikers tent has been found. There is a photo.  For the life of me, I think that has to be the worst place to pitch a tent. That said, does anybody agree that the pile of rocks could be the result of movement by snow?

[Axelrod]

I have doubts that Konstantinov correctly identified this place.
His supporters give me the argument that Konstantinov was on the Dyatlov Pass 10 times,
and therefore he has indisputable authority.

But the whole problem is that Konstantinov put up a tent sign when he was on the pass for the first time.
At that moment, Konstantinov did not have 10 visits to the pass, but only one visit.
During the next 9 visits, he did not move this sign anywhere.
And if he moved the sign, then where is the guarantee that he will not move it again?

[GlennM]

Axelrod, thank you for your reply and reasoning If the DP9 cut a levelling ledge for their tent, this location does not seem appropriate. I really thought the tent would be located in a place where the terrain provides some protection from wind and snow.

They were driven back by the unfavorable conditions the day before. My feeling is that in order to stay on schedule and push to Ortoten, the group took a calculated risk in crossing the high ground. They probably expected to cover half the distance or more to Ortoten before making camp, but could not.  If they retreated off the ridge for a second time, I am sure there would be discussion about going down to the tree line and plowing the deep snow instead. The advantage is a fire at night and a better rigged tent. They did not all the time in the world to complete this quest.

When you are 20ish, you are invincible. Pride goes before the fall. The group got caught in miserable weather in a poor tent. When it failed owing to a slab slide in wind and snow, they fled to their eventual doom.

[SURI]

Footprints in the snow don't match fleeing hikers, and stacked items in a tent don't match an avalanche or a slab slide.

[Axelrod]

From the video presented by Alexander Koshkin ([SASHA KAN]), already known to us – Dyatlov's tent. Where, What and How. Part 1 (March 10, 2015):

It so happened historically that the place of the last shelter of the Dyatlov group turned out to be lost. At one time, the snow-covered area was not fixed with coordinates, commemorative signs, or any mark. Only a few photos of 1959 depicting the place of the tent remain. Even the rare groups of tourists of the 60s and 70s visiting the pass, and they no longer had an exact idea where this very place of the tent was. The modern search for the most important point of the tragedy began in 2008 with the research of the leading researchers at that time.

In the summer of 2011, I literally asked for it to go on an expedition to the pass. The first thing I wanted to do was spend a trial night at the site of the tent. However, it suddenly turned out that the head of the expedition did not even approximately know where this very place was. In the fall of 2012, another extensive series of photos and videos from the pass was brought by the famous traveler Shura Alexeyenkov.
Together with our works, his materials allow pundits to apply a new method of finding a place for a tent, based on a comparison not only of the outlines of mountains, but also on the relative position of large stones on the slope of Kholatchakhl. According to this most complex stereometric technique, 2 more sites appear under the mountain of the dead – from Volker (Moscow city) and MP 18.10 from A. Konstantinov (Cheboksary).


So a whole tent city appeared on the map of the pass. The authors never managed to provide clear and firm evidence in favor of their constructions. Each author had their own arguments.



Из видео, которое представил уже известный нам Александр Кошкин (Саша Кан) – Палатка Дятлова. Где, Что и Как. Часть 1 (10 марта 2015):

[–] Так уж исторически сложилось, что место последнего приюта группы Дятлова оказалось утерянным. В своё время заснеженную площадку не зафиксировали ни координатами, не памятным знакам, ни какой-либо меткой. Осталось лишь несколько фотографий 1959 года с изображением место палатки. Даже редкие группы туристов 60-ых и 70-х годов, посещающие перевал, и те уже не имели точного представления, где было это самое место палатки.

Современные поиски важнейшей точки трагедии начались 2008 году изысканиями ведущих на то время исследователей.

Летом 2011 я, Саша Кан, буквально напросился в экспедицию фонда на перевал. Первое, что я хотел сделать, это провести пробную ночёвку на месте палатки. Однако вдруг выяснилось, что начальник экспедиции даже приблизительно не знает, где это самое место. Осенью 2012 года ещё одну обширную серию фото и видео с перевала привозит Шура Алексеенков.
Вкупе с нашими работами его материалы позволяют учёным мужам применить и новый метод поиска места палатки, основанный на сравнении не только очертаний гор, но и на взаимном расположении крупных камней на склоне Холатчахля. По этой сложнейшей стереометрической методики под горой мертвецов появляются ещё 2 площадки – от Волкера (город Москва) и МП 18.10 от А. Константинова (город Чебоксары).


Так на карте перевала возник целый палаточный городок. Авторам никак не удавалось привести ясные и твёрдые доказательства в пользу своих построений. У каждого автора были свои аргументы.

[Arjan]

@ Glenn and @ other members.

I fully agree that the tentsite is a pretty stupid place for a camping place, because there is now water and no firewood.

Even for the mythical 'Dyatlov cold night'-experience, it is a pretty stupid place, because this site doesn't offer a fall back option in cause of trouble, like daytime temperatures below minus 16 degrees Celsius when the group cannot hike due to the severe risk of hypothermia during daytime.

This tent site makes only sense as compromis for the next day in fair weather conditions:
- for having to return to Ivdel or
- being able to continue the hike as planned

One of the reason for having to return to Ivdel may have been: one or a few wounded group members caused by a slide during the ascend to the tent site.
It certainly makes sense, in case the severity of the injuries had not been obvious in the afternoon: think of brain concussion or the bruise in the side of Zinaida that might had caused internal bleedings.

In case it had been a compromise, the group had certainly needed additional running water and maybe firewood for the night and next morning to heat food/drink.
Guess where the place most nearby is for fetching running water and gathering firewood?
My suggestion for an answer to the last question: "The ravine area some 15 - 20 minutes downhill".
 

[GlennM]

I am still waitingmfor Teddy to report back to the forum of her experience on 1079. Surely, she has insight.