Slab slip theory

[amashilu]

This week, I have been trying to look at evidence only, no fantasies or "what if"s, just what we know from facts and evidence.
SLAB SLIP theory. When I think about a slab slide, I get this:
There was no snow inside the tent. Does this mean that the air was still there and therefore the hikers could still breathe, in the bubble of the tent with the slab slide outside? That is, the tent was not completely flattened and deprived of all air.
Putting myself in that tent, in this situation, I think I would never leave it without first getting something on my feet. As long as I could breathe, and I knew we would all have to leave the tent soon because of the slab slide outside that had partially flattened our tent, I would put boots on and try to help everyone else to get something on their feet, also, as we made a very quick plan for getting out.
Does this make sense, Glenn, in the overall situation of a slab slip? I really don't know what it might be like to be in a tent with a slab slide outside. If you want, we could start a new thread to discuss this.

[GlennM]

Amashilu, thank you for your response,  appreciated!  You point out that the interior of the tent was free of snow ( when found). This implies a breathable pocket of air which could sustain people long enough to at least get foorwear on before evacuating the tent. I agree with the concept, but now, how do we reconcile this with the evidence? One possibility is that those  without shoes left the tent with the intent of going back in. I think of an outside cooking fire, a trip to the latrine, a call to witness something in the sky would suffice. Ziljoe argues for a wolverine getting in the tent and displacing the hikers.
What this leads to is the probability that once out, going in again was not an option.It is clear that no sane person is going shoeless in the dead of winter in the Urals.

We know from autopsy that there was food in the gut. We know that there were degrees of better or worse dressed when found. If a slab slide prevented access to the tent, it was because the height and spread of the snow made access impossible. Yet, I find it improbable that all nine were caught outside,of the tent at the same time, unless it was in an effort to,save the tent. If there were hurricane force winds that night, could the tent be saved from the inside? Or, would it be " all hands on deck" to save the tent from wind and accumulating snow? If that were the case and if it was clear that they could not stand the weather, then a hasty retreat might be in order. Too, there is a suggestion of,dense fog affecting their judgement of the distance to the treeline.

[amashilu]

Glenn,
In order to pursue the possibility of a slab slip, I think I have to google Slide Slip and see just what exactly it might be like or look like. I'm thinking that they are "short" avalanches of heavy, crushing snow. But I'll look around and come back.