Can We Accept These Assumptions?

[MDGross]

First, whatever caused them to flee the tent happened suddenly. They had no time to dress properly for the cold. Whatever happened was completely unexpected. They might have seen and heard a missile explode, but had no idea toxic fumes would momentarily fill the tent.
Second, it was something they smelled, tasted, heard or felt. It was pitch black, and other than a bright flash of light, they couldn't have seen much. Maybe they felt the ground move beneath them, maybe they smelled toxic fumes, maybe they heard something and thought it was an avalanche, maybe they heard assailants yelling at them to step outside, etc.
Third, each one of them believed the danger was real. If some of them felt otherwise, why not remain in the tent (unless mass hysteria happened)?
Fourth, each felt they had a better chance to survive by reaching the trees. Whatever the reason, they felt the trees would be safer compared to their exposed and unprotected spot on the slope. Unless, of course, they were ordered or forced to walk to the trees.
Just my thoughts, feel free to add or remove assumptions from this list. Or create your own list. 

[Tony]

Nearly every theory is ruled out when you consider how far they traveled from the tent before any of them attempted to return. The only thing that makes sense is that they were forced out of the tent and down the slope. Although events at the cedar imply that they were alone in their descent. It's almost as if there were two separate causes for their actions.

Reading the case files, and the state of their equipment inside the tent, it doesn't necessarily seem like they were frantically trying to escape the tent because of some emergency. Their calm organized descent down the slope also emphasizes this. If it were an avalanche, or toxic fumes, or an animal, or any type of sudden emergency, I feel like the footprint evidence would have been all over the place. Although the tent was cut and torn, according to witnesses, everything inside was neat and organized.

[sarapuk]

Nearly every theory is ruled out when you consider how far they traveled from the tent before any of them attempted to return. The only thing that makes sense is that they were forced out of the tent and down the slope. Although events at the cedar imply that they were alone in their descent. It's almost as if there were two separate causes for their actions.

Reading the case files, and the state of their equipment inside the tent, it doesn't necessarily seem like they were frantically trying to escape the tent because of some emergency. Their calm organized descent down the slope also emphasizes this. If it were an avalanche, or toxic fumes, or an animal, or any type of sudden emergency, I feel like the footprint evidence would have been all over the place. Although the tent was cut and torn, according to witnesses, everything inside was neat and organized.

Well the Footprint evidence is all we have to go on really regarding their descent to the Treeline. Tent damage or no Tent damage. Dressed or undressed. Equipped or not equipped. The Footprints are intriguing. More intriguing is the lack of Footprints  !  ?  There is no consecutive Footprint Trail from the Tent to the Treeline  !  ? 

[jsmith]

Their calm organized descent down the slope also emphasizes this.

Footprints do not leave emotions behind. It is possible to be terrified and walk slowly. We cannot state as a fact that they were calm when they left the tent. We also cannot call it organised. This is pure speculation.

Extreme weather is an explaination as to why they didn't run. If you are experiencing hurricane force wind the last thing you will do is run down a hill. You will stagger down, close together due to poor visibility and the feeling like the wind could throw you at any second. The footprints match this, they are taken in small steps with occasionally someone drifting away from the group and returning - as if they are struggling against wind.

[Naufragia]

I would accept those assumptions, with the proviso that three and four can be influenced by personality. That is, the group leader saying "we do X now" at a moment of crisis, and the other group members accepting that decision without necessarily thinking it through and coming to the same conclusion themselves before deciding to act.

[PJ]

First, whatever caused them to flee the tent happened suddenly. They had no time to dress properly for the cold. Whatever happened was completely unexpected. They might have seen and heard a missile explode, but had no idea toxic fumes would momentarily fill the tent.

Yes, something that happened suddenly and as well something that last for a while. It must be something that threatened them for a longer time, not just a moment.

Second, it was something they smelled, tasted, heard or felt. It was pitch black, and other than a bright flash of light, they couldn't have seen much. Maybe they felt the ground move beneath them, maybe they smelled toxic fumes, maybe they heard something and thought it was an avalanche, maybe they heard assailants yelling at them to step outside, etc.

Why only smelled, tasted, heard or felt? why not that something that they could see? They could see some constant lights. not just bright flash of light, that scared them.

Third, each one of them believed the danger was real. If some of them felt otherwise, why not remain in the tent (unless mass hysteria happened)?

Agree.

Fourth, each felt they had a better chance to survive by reaching the trees. Whatever the reason, they felt the trees would be safer compared to their exposed and unprotected spot on the slope. Unless, of course, they were ordered or forced to walk to the trees.
Just my thoughts, feel free to add or remove assumptions from this list. Or create your own list.

Yes, the problem was that staying around the tent for long time wasn't safe, make them feel that for some reason it is dangerous. They choose to go down as better option compared to staying for long on an open slope.

The Footprints are intriguing. More intriguing is the lack of Footprints  !  ?  There is no consecutive Footprint Trail from the Tent to the Treeline  !  ?

yes, the footprints are very intriguing. The lack of footprints is not. It is very normal that they disappear in some places, in other place show up as raised footprints and in another as normal. The snow conditions are often very different even within one slope so nothing surprising that the footprints show up like that.
It looks like that they walk calmly but the fact is that they couldn't run or walk fast there. Was dark, fresh and not settled snow, without shoes - you have to walk carefully in conditions like that, otherwise you will fall down with every second step.

The problem with the footprints is that we do not know much about them and if all on the photos are footprints left by Dyatlov Group or by some from the rescue party too.
We only could be sure that the raised footprints was left by Dyatlov Group. As well, on the photos are not only footprints, there are ski prints too so another question is who and when made it.

[sarapuk]

Their calm organized descent down the slope also emphasizes this.

Footprints do not leave emotions behind. It is possible to be terrified and walk slowly. We cannot state as a fact that they were calm when they left the tent. We also cannot call it organised. This is pure speculation.

Extreme weather is an explaination as to why they didn't run. If you are experiencing hurricane force wind the last thing you will do is run down a hill. You will stagger down, close together due to poor visibility and the feeling like the wind could throw you at any second. The footprints match this, they are taken in small steps with occasionally someone drifting away from the group and returning - as if they are struggling against wind.

We dont know which way the wind was blowing.

[sarapuk]

It is true that footprint trails in snow can be notorious for appearing to suddenly disappear. There are various reasons for this.  But the Dyatlov footprints, if indeed it was their footprints, were well defined and then apparently suddenly disappear. I find this intriguing.