Diaries

[GlennM]

There were ten participants and ten diaries. Those diaries have not all been accounted for. This suggests that the missing diaries could provide additional meaningful insight regarding what really happened. Those diaries could have been confiscated, and they might be recoverable. Therefore, researchers could mail or otherwise contact surviving investigators, relatives and agencies to locate the texts. If the diaries were lost in the snow or burned for kindling, so be it. I would like to believe that they are in a personal collection to be discovered just like the recent discovery of the ravine photo.

[Hunter]

The fact that everyone was given notebooks for writing does not mean that everyone kept field diaries.

[GlennM]

I prefer the glass being half full.

[Missi]

The fact that everyone was given notebooks for writing does not mean that everyone kept field diaries.

I believe, I remember that those diaries were mandatory. So either they kept them on the track or they must forge them upon returning (which we all know students do in everyday life).

[GlennM]

Yes, whether filled now or later, there should be ten individual diaries plus a gouup diary. My point is that if and when discovered, we may get additional insight into the dynamics both inside and outside the last camp. It is also a prime opportunity for a DPI hoax.

It seemed customary to complete diaries after the daily duties were done. I wonder whether the combat leaflet, which was a nice but not necessary bit of composition, was written after the meal and before the diaries, or if it was a single person's effort and written not all at once, nor all on the same day. I think it had to be one person's work otherwise the humor would be spoiled if each contributor pre- read the unfinished work.

My point is that the diaries were not written to when the group left the tent and the missing diaries were not itemized with personal effects. This may help fix the desertion of the tent to a certain time frame. It begs the question of how the diaries were physically kept.  I, for one would not grab a diary when I could grab a knife. If however, the personal diaries were routinely kept on the person, then they could have gone to the forest, be at the morgue, found by Mansi, or be in the hands of some rescuer/collector. Everything has to be somewhere.

[Missi]

I don't know of course, but I'd suspect, that it differs from person to person. Some might have left the booklet at home, because they never wrote something down on the track anyway. They might have disappeared and disintegrated over the years somewhere in the wilderness.

I just don't think they are classified material somewhere. Yet, that's just an opinion, nothing more.

What do you mean by hoax? Do you think along the lines of diaries showing up, like the so called "Hitler Diaries" back somewhen?

I always believed the evening Otorten was some kind of group fun, maybe even meant for their friends back home. I've as well wondered, if the dates we have really are sufficient. I mean, the last diary date and the evening Otorten suggest, that they died in the night from Feb 1st to Feb 2nd. But maybe they predated the evening Otorten? Or they just missed one evening of diary writing, because everyone was too exhausted. That would give us complete other timelines.

[GlennM]

You are correct about the hoax, heaven forbid.

For me, there may be a link to be forged with the diaries and the absence of amfinal entry, the time of day this would be done and the weather conditions.

If the diaries were not written to because of a weather related collapse of the tent, or support rigging, then that is something to ponder. Of course the same could be said of the tent was in the woods and a tree fell at an unopportune time.

[Hunter]

Keeping a group diary was mandatory. Personal diaries were optional.