Were they looking for gold?

[Manti]

I have been talking with some Russian people about the Dyatlov Pass Incident and hiking in general.

One common theme about the Urals is the beauty of the Yugyd Va national park. This is further to the north, and many say they would chose that area for hiking instead of the unremarkable Dyatlov Pass. That there is "nothing to see there", in the area the Dyatlov Group chose.

But then another theme is the urban legends about gold in the Northern Urals. I heard that it wasn't uncommon for amateurs to try to find gold nuggets in rivers and streams in the area.

Did the Dyatlov Group take any colanders or similar equipment that could be used for filtering silt? Is it possible that their motivation for choosing the area of the hike were these urban legends about gold? Was it legal at the time to try to find gold this way? Or is this all nonsense?

[RMK]

Was it legal at the time to try to find gold this way?

My understanding is that, at the time, it was not legal for ordinary people to search for gold, and that gold extraction was reserved for the official mining enterprises.

In fact, illegal gold prospecting factors into some homicide theories people have put forth, e.g. here, here, and here.

[GlennM]

Was it legal at the time to try to find gold this way?

My understanding is that, at the time, it was not legal for ordinary people to search for gold, and that gold extraction was reserved for the official mining enterprises.

In fact, illegal gold prospecting factors into some homicide theories people have put forth, e.g. here, here, and here.

Given the team`s antics to beat the train fare, they were not saints. However, getting gold out of frozen ground with no panning equipment seems a reach too far.

[Manti]

I was thinking more about either looking for gold nuggets in streambeds, or exploring abandoned mines. They seemed to be disappointed that the core they found at 2nd North was pyrite.

[GlennM]

Manti, is it your idea that those who died in the ravine were seeking gold and then became victims of Nature? Do you believe they all had gold and were robbed? This is an original line of thought. What clues should we look for in the modern day?