For any reason, the groupe settle on the slop.
The weather may be bad, but nothing so bad they can't do it properly. So after pitching up tent, they want a fire -or at least a plateform where to stand easyly.
Tibo's on duty ; he makes the plateform, a few meter south from the tent. The other start to change clothes, some inside the tent, some outside.
But Tibo's plateform is to big, and the slab is fragile. The slab slide ; not mostly above the tent, but above the plateform.
In the tent, Zolotaryov and Dubinina.
On the avalanche path, Slobodin, Dyatlov, Zina, Krivoshenko, and Tibo. (Position of Slobodin and Zina being explained by the fact the tried to keep their balance on the moving snow slab, falling on their kneez to be burried on the snow. Zina's unconscious, Slobodin's conscious. He try to get out, thawing snow around him but failing).
Only Sacha Kolevatov and Doroshenko are indemne.
Despite the most part of the avalanche being far enought from the tent, either the move of all the snow cover was enough to create a micro-avalanche on the up-side of the tent (not enough to take it fully down, but enough to break or fissure a few ribs) or the blow get the tent down with a strong layer of snow (10-20 cm under the flashlight) .
Kolevatov rush to the tent. There are people inside, hurt. To take them out quicly without more injuries, he cut the tent -from outside but mooving the knife blade inside-out. (cutting the tent is not so bad, they have thread and needles to fix it !)
He takes Kolevatov and Dubibina out : they still can walk, though not very well. They go down to the forest, slow.
In the same time, Doroshenko rush downhill. He knows he has only minutes to find surviving people ; or they will die in the snow.
He find Tibo -big pain on the head, but talking- first, then Krivonishenko, also concious.
He takes Krivo -colder one- to the tree, leave his flashlight with Tibo to be sure he'll find him when coming back. (the night is clear enough to allow him to move/follow a trail wthout light)
On his way with Krivo, he find Dyatlov, unconscious. He pulls him up a few feet under a birch tree to be sure to find him again and give him his vest - planning to get another quicly.
At the tree :He knows there's no good into bringing Dyatlov and Tibo there if he cannot warm them up. He start the fire, and lead Kolevatov there by calling.
Now we have Kolevatov, Dubinina, Zolotaryov, Doroshenko and Krivonisheko at the tree. They cut branches, make it as viable as possible for injured people, in a hurry.
Kolevatov and Doroshenko leave the other and go for the others. Tibo's brought back, but they can't find Dyatlov.
They don't have hope anymore to find any other suvivers, it's too late ( more than 30 minutes ; Slobodin may still be alive, but Kolevatov and Doroshenko can't know.) and they have too much to do to look for corpses.
Kolevatov go up to the tent, -adding footprints to the trail-, grab as much cloth as he can (the 3 big jackets), food, compass, painkiller ... all wrapped in a blanket. When he leave, he forgot his knife, loses Dyatlov's vest at the entrance and leave "his" flashlight (Dyatlov's actually, but anyways, the one he found when taking Lyuda and Semyon out.)
When he come back to the tree, the situation is bad.
Doroshenko went up the tree (for wood ? Worried for Kolevatov long-time-due return and trying to see the slop ?) and fall. He burnt his air and Krivo's ankle (a stick getting "launched" to him, put his pants on fire until Dubinina stop it). Both are still alive.
Kolevatov is now the only one "in shape". He gives clothes and the blankets to the others. They have a good enough fire, eat the ham Kolevatov cut in the tent, they're as fine as they can in this situation.
But they have to think about what will happen tomorrow.
Zolotaryov (probably) tells Kolevatov to find them a better shelter, so that he can then leave them on morning and search for help. (Maybe Zolotaryov has no hope to see him back in time : but he think Kolevatov can at least still make it him-self, and lure him that way. He also doesn't want him to sleep -too cold). He start to draw an itninerary using compass.
Kolevatov find a better shelter at the den. Does he dig ? Does he find a natural shelter ? Whatever. It is a better shelter, next to the ravine where the injured one could find, weather allowing, some water.
Krivo and Doroshenko are called dead when he comes back. They take their clothes.
He help the other to the den, Dubinina helping Zolotaryov and Kolevatov dragging Tibo on a branch sled.
They fall into the ravine.
Dubinina's and Zolotaryov's fractured ribs totally break, killing Lyuda on the spot. Tibo's skull pretty much explode after this second shock. Koletanov in unconscious long enough to cool him down, and when he wake up (if he does), he's to weak to do anyhting else than, maybe trying to wake dead Zolotaryov up.
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What is left on the side :
- There was no signs of avalanche (but a slab avalanche can let little or no signs after a few weeks)
- With this slope, would an avalanche have drag Slobodin and Zina so far ? It may be hard to believe. (altenative : Those 3, or more, went downhill to look for wood - explain the strap at the tree. But then why setting the camp uphill ?)
- Non of the hikers have broken arms or legs. Those are the most commun injuries in avalanches.
- The death would have been quite staggered. They were not, according to the legist. (all were dead at the same digestion stage).
- If Kolevatov went back to the tent (what seems necessary to leave there the knife ; to explain the number of footprint ; to explain the open food in the tent...), why didn't he got some shoes ? Especially if he was planning to to for help the next day (only thing who would explain the move from the tree to the den this very night). (Or did he lend his boots to Zolotaryov for a few minutes/hours before to go ? It would be mentionned if Zolotaryov was wearing Kolevatov's shoes. )
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Topic: Trying with avalanche. (Read 17042 times)