Lights in the Sky

[GlennM]

Silly geologists! You are supposed to blast the ground, not the sky! There will be much less vodka and singing about freedom and such until you all have blasted sufficient holes and knocked over sufficient trees to justify to any passing spy plane that you are farmers clearing land.

[Ziljoe]

I did read somewhere and it might have been teddy's book, that there was geological work going on.

I can't for the life of me remember the details but if my memory serves me correctly, the searchers requested that these explosions or geological works stop while the search went on. I'll need to check teddy's book as there are valuable documents and statements in it.

I doubt very much it is about geologists and their works. Not a single geologist was interrogated. Geological works are not mentioned in the case files.

The only relevant episode was described by former soldier Syunikaev here: https://dyatlovpass.com/syunikaev-2009?rbid=18461

"Syunikaev: Well, the day... the day, probably, the second day had passed, something like that... well, the radio operator was with us... I heard explosions, pops. I said: look, explosions, they are shooting at us again. What do you think was in our heads? I immediately went up to the radio operator and said: look, tell them that we, the search group, won't proceed with the search because we are afraid for our lives."

Have you read 1079, Teddy's book?

[Senior Maldonado]

Have you read 1079, Teddy's book?

No. With all respect, I prefer to focus on more plausible theories, which imply:

- the tent was set on the slope, where it was found on Feb 26th;
- fallen trees have nothing to do with DPI;
- there were no stagers on the spot;
- the icy footsteps belonged to the hikers.

[Ziljoe]

Have you read 1079, Teddy's book?

No. With all respect, I prefer to focus on more plausible theories, which imply:

- the tent was set on the slope, where it was found on Feb 26th;
- fallen trees have nothing to do with DPI;
- there were no stagers on the spot;
- the icy footsteps belonged to the hikers.

I would say there's definitely plausibility to many aspects to the book and work in " 1079 ". My biggest problem was and is the staging aspect and how people could fly about without it being recorded. However, recently I came across evidence of soviets with access to helicopters and planes basically going for joy rides . It only came to light because they crashed.

Talking of lights, and explosions for that matter , there was some sort of geological surveying taking place in the area in 1959 . It seemed to be done by some sort of exploding ( old 5kg anti tank mines are suggested) to release dust or debris and then magnetic readings are taken or something. ( I'm having to learn some of this and it might be inaccurate).

I do wonder if some of these activities may be connected, at least with the description of lights in the sky's and noise?

[Senior Maldonado]

Talking of lights, and explosions for that matter , there was some sort of geological surveying taking place in the area in 1959 . It seemed to be done by some sort of exploding ( old 5kg anti tank mines are suggested) to release dust or debris and then magnetic readings are taken or something. ( I'm having to learn some of this and it might be inaccurate).

I do wonder if some of these activities may be connected, at least with the description of lights in the sky's and noise?

Geologists use surface and underground explosions to do their work, they do not blast anything in the air. Also they use classic devices for their explosions, and Ivanov had checked thoroughly for traces of usual blast, at least he said so. A few members of the Search party recall that they had tasks to investigate wide area surrounding 1079 in attempt to find traces of strangers and predators. They had found nothing. If geologists performed some works nearby, they would have been spotted for sure. Geological works at long distance do not count, they could not have hurt the hikers nor frighten them.

Voting strongly against stagers, I do consider strangers, who arrived to the spot by air (helicopters?) shortly after Feb 1st. They discovered the collapsed tent, which was empty. That finding was reported to their local headqurters and then to Moscow. Moscow demanded to start investigation, and local detectives started series of interrogations (see Mr.Popov's interrogation).

DPI investigation was top-down story, not a local excercise.

[Ziljoe]

Talking of lights, and explosions for that matter , there was some sort of geological surveying taking place in the area in 1959 . It seemed to be done by some sort of exploding ( old 5kg anti tank mines are suggested) to release dust or debris and then magnetic readings are taken or something. ( I'm having to learn some of this and it might be inaccurate).

I do wonder if some of these activities may be connected, at least with the description of lights in the sky's and noise?

Geologists use surface and underground explosions to do their work, they do not blast anything in the air. Also they use classic devices for their explosions, and Ivanov had checked thoroughly for traces of usual blast, at least he said so. A few members of the Search party recall that they had tasks to investigate wide area surrounding 1079 in attempt to find traces of strangers and predators. They had found nothing. If geologists performed some works nearby, they would have been spotted for sure. Geological works at long distance do not count, they could not have hurt the hikers nor frighten them.

Voting strongly against stagers, I do consider strangers, who arrived to the spot by air (helicopters?) shortly after Feb 1st. They discovered the collapsed tent, which was empty. That finding was reported to their local headqurters and then to Moscow. Moscow demanded to start investigation, and local detectives started series of interrogations (see Mr.Popov's interrogation).

DPI investigation was top-down story, not a local excercise.

Yes , yes, of course but I wasn't thinking along the lines of blasting anything in the air, I was thinking of by products , fine dust , electric magnetic particles, discharge from gasses .

At the moment, I'm chewing through "chlopinite" and "Bauxite".

Chlopinite (a variety of samarskite) is a rare-earth mineral containing tantalum, niobium, and uranium, typically mined as a source of radioactive and rare-earth elements. Historical mining, particularly in the mid-20th century, involved intensive prospecting and drilling for rare metals in the Soviet Union (e.g., Northern Urals).

Bauxite mining and the subsequent Bayer process for producing alumina often involve handling materials containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). While bauxite generally has low levels of radioactivity, the process of refining it into alumina concentrates these radioactive elements into the waste byproduct known as bauxite residue or "red mud".


Syunikaev in the search. In 1959 he was a cadet of the division team in military unit 6602 (Ivdel). He remembers the cannonade of explosions that were so loud they had to send a request to Moscow to stop the blasting so they could work. The distance in his approximation was not more than 10 km from the search base camp, and the blasts were on the northern side of the ridge, on the side of the cedar tree. The searchers couldn’t stand it even though a mountain separated them from the explosions. The distance between Otorten and Dyatlov Pass is 13 km. The blasting was somewhere in between.


We know that geophysical work was taking place over 1079 and the rest of the area in 1959, it's just what months?.

If there were explosives used , then perhaps it can explain some of the lights? .

Lights in the sky associated with geophysical work or geological activity are generally known as earthquake lights (EQL). These phenomena, which include glowing globes, blue flashes similar to lightning, or steady luminous glows, can occur near areas of tectonic stress, seismic activity, or volcanic eruptions.


Causes and Theories
While not universally understood, several scientific theories explain how geological stress causes these lights:
Piezoelectric Effect: Intense electric fields can be created when quartz-containing rocks (such as granite) are stressed, causing electrical charges to build up and release.

Rock Stress and Ionization: High stress before or during an earthquake can break peroxy bonds in rocks, releasing positive charge carriers (holes) that travel through the rock to the surface, ionizing the air and creating plasma that emits light.

Triboluminescence: Light released when chemical bonds are broken through rubbing, crushing, or scratching rocks.

Atmospheric/Electrical Discharges: Tectonic stress can release electric charges that rise into the atmosphere.

[Senior Maldonado]

I was thinking of by products , fine dust , electric magnetic particles, discharge from gasses .

That is challenging direction of the investigation. Ivanov talked about people who might had been in the "fireballs" or handled them from the ground. It's hard to imagine that clouds of dust, particles, etc can be controlled... Anyway, good luck with developing this idea!

Syunikaev in the search. In 1959 he was a cadet of the division team in military unit 6602 (Ivdel). He remembers the cannonade of explosions that were so loud they had to send a request to Moscow to stop the blasting so they could work. The distance in his approximation was not more than 10 km from the search base camp, and the blasts were on the northern side of the ridge, on the side of the cedar tree. The searchers couldn’t stand it even though a mountain separated them from the explosions. The distance between Otorten and Dyatlov Pass is 13 km. The blasting was somewhere in between.

The bad thing is that nobody besides Syunikaev remembers cannonade at the Pass. Syunikaev arrived at the spot on March 8th, and the only suitable timeslot for him to listen to cannonade was next few days. On March 13th the second group of UPI students arrived to the Pass headed by Kikoin, and they had not heard cannonade during their tenure. Another cadet, Klimenko, believed that Syunikaev was wrong talking about cannonade. Most probably, it was not cannonade but fireball's flight on March 31st. And indeed, a radiogram was sent to Ivdel, which expressed concern about that event. And people at the Pass had no opportunity to send anything to Moscow -- to Sverdlovsk only via Ivdel.

[Ziljoe]

That is challenging direction of the investigation.

It's is just an exploration to what might have been seen in some instances and certainly no more challenging than ray beams or piloted fire balls

Ivanov talked about people who might had been in the "fireballs" or handled them from the ground.

The problem is , Ivanov saw nothing , he didn't see any fireballs , rockets, northern lights , plasma gas or UFO's. His view point , if it is his own view point and not that of the journalists, is that he saw burnt bushes and concluded that  some sort of ray gun or beam was singling out the hikers and targeting the hikers. It is then said that the reason for the clothes been tested was they were glowing.

His name and reputation has either been hijacked for sensation to the mystery or he got something out of it.

 It's hard to imagine that clouds of dust, particles, etc can be controlled...

I'm not sure you fully understand my context of the the clouds and particles. You are the one saying that ivanov thinks these fireballs that he's never seen are piloted?

Anyway, good luck with developing this idea!

There is no idea to develop, it's merely a possibility to the lights that are seen and the noises heard.

The bad thing is that nobody besides Syunikaev remembers cannonade at the Pass. Syunikaev arrived at the spot on March 8th, and the only suitable timeslot for him to listen to cannonade was next few days.

One man's cannode is anothers man's thunder . The alleged explosions stopped a day after they were radioed in and many heard rumbles or explosions.

Geophysical research was taking place and no rocket was reported to have crashed ?  and there is a fallen tree at the cedar.

[Partorg]

  Voting strongly against stagers, I do consider strangers, who arrived to the spot by air (helicopters?) shortly after Feb 1st. They discovered the collapsed tent, which was empty. That finding was reported to their local headqurters and then to Moscow. Moscow demanded to start investigation, and local detectives started series of interrogations (see Mr.Popov's interrogation).

DPI investigation was top-down story, not a local excercise.

It's much simpler. Popov's interrogation took place on March 6, and February was mistakenly listed as the date. No outsiders were present. The UPI began the search, and after a telegram sent by Kolevatov's sister to Khrushchev, local authorities became involved, enlisting the military in the search. The prosecutor's office began an investigation when the first bodies were discovered. The Moscow authorities' involvement was minimal.

And Syunikaev isn't mistaken, he's simply lying with inspiration. He told many other stories, and there wasn't a single word of them that was supported by anything. Fantasy upon fantasy, each one more outrageous than the last.

[Senior Maldonado]

It's much simpler. Popov's interrogation took place on March 6, and February was mistakenly listed as the date. No outsiders were present. The UPI began the search, and after a telegram sent by Kolevatov's sister to Khrushchev, local authorities became involved, enlisting the military in the search. The prosecutor's office began an investigation when the first bodies were discovered. The Moscow authorities' involvement was minimal.

No, it is much more complex. Even prosecutor Kuryakov made a public statement that Cpt.Chudinov's interrogation of Mr.Popov was from another criminal case.

When we accept that all members of the Sverdlovsk region detectives were making mistakes in official documents, we step on a curvy road. If Chudinov's clear writing "February 6th" is a mistake, then I immediatly will suggest that Ivanov's writing "overwhelming force" was a mistake as well, and he intended to write "accident with rocket".

By the way, this is a good video for watching:

[sarapuk]

Have you read 1079, Teddy's book?

No. With all respect, I prefer to focus on more plausible theories, which imply:

- the tent was set on the slope, where it was found on Feb 26th;
- fallen trees have nothing to do with DPI;
- there were no stagers on the spot;
- the icy footsteps belonged to the hikers.

I will go with the first 3 of those, but we can't be sure whether the footprints belonged to the hikers.

[Partorg]

No, it is much more complex. Even prosecutor Kuryakov made a public statement that Cpt.Chudinov's interrogation of Mr.Popov was from another criminal case.

There were no other cases involving tourists in those areas. Prosecutor Kuryakov didn't consider it necessary to delve deeply into the situation surrounding Popov's interrogation. In particular, he doesn't consider the fact that subsequent interrogations conducted by Chudinov in a village located just 20 km from Popov were dated March 7. Incorrect dating of various documents is nothing unusual, and this particular case has been thoroughly studied and analyzed on Russian forums. Rest assured, this is an error.

[Partorg]

As for Ivanov, he was unable to establish a specific cause for the group's death and limited himself to a general explanation: "An elemental force that the tourists were unable to overcome."
He couldn't possibly write that the investigation was unable to understand what happened.

[GlennM]

Any rocketry incident or geological mishap is going to put the liability squarely on the government's shoulders. The families of the deceased hikers have varying levels of political influence. If there was any chance of getting financial compensation for their losses, surely money from the aggrieved families would loosen tongues at some level and then with blood in the water, the sharks gather.

If curious lights in the sky elicited some kind of fright or threat, who would rather stick their head under a blanket and get small instead of slicing open a tent and boldly proclaiming, " Here we are, come and get us!" I, for one would hunker down and not offer myself as a target.

One might reasonably expect a "Wow, that was scary!"  Then after a lot of back and forth, everyone goes to sleep. No tent cutting involved.

On the other hand, if some light was associated with some noise and that noise triggered a shift in a slab of snow above the tent, then suffocation is justification enough to cut the canvas. This could be much simplified by not requiring, light, nor sound. Just shifting snow will suffice.

[Ziljoe]

As for Ivanov, he was unable to establish a specific cause for the group's death and limited himself to a general explanation: "An elemental force that the tourists were unable to overcome."
He couldn't possibly write that the investigation was unable to understand what happened.

This is the only thing that makes sense. He writes the cause of the deaths was an unknown force from nature. It does not mean the this force was a new force.

One of the forces of nature forced them to leave their tent. This unknown force was one of the known forces, wind, snow, hurricane etc. that's all the statement says .

There are other reports that say the same from soviet disasters . They use the word " unknown" in their conclusions and statements.  Basically it like this , there was a fire , the fire killed the people but what caused the fire to start is unknown

In other statements they will know the cause of the fire , and they will say like above but , the cause of the fire was a disbanded cigarette

Ivanov had his chance to say what happened and he never left a clue and there in lies the problem.

There is no secret that can be worse than others secrets that have already been released.

[sarapuk]

Any rocketry incident or geological mishap is going to put the liability squarely on the government's shoulders. The families of the deceased hikers have varying levels of political influence. If there was any chance of getting financial compensation for their losses, surely money from the aggrieved families would loosen tongues at some level and then with blood in the water, the sharks gather.

If curious lights in the sky elicited some kind of fright or threat, who would rather stick their head under a blanket and get small instead of slicing open a tent and boldly proclaiming, " Here we are, come and get us!" I, for one would hunker down and not offer myself as a target.

One might reasonably expect a "Wow, that was scary!"  Then after a lot of back and forth, everyone goes to sleep. No tent cutting involved.

On the other hand, if some light was associated with some noise and that noise triggered a shift in a slab of snow above the tent, then suffocation is justification enough to cut the canvas. This could be much simplified by not requiring, light, nor sound. Just shifting snow will suffice.

The times this snow theory crops up. It's been shown that it's highly unlikely that any kind of avalanche took place either at the tent site or the ravine. And therefore the serious injuries could not have been caused by snow.

[GlennM]

I make a quantitative distinction between avalanche and slab slip, the latter being a localized slump in a slab of snow. That snow could be the weight of a car if sufficiently large. I feel the crush on the tent may be sufficient.It has two effects. One effect is that it damages any external support poles, the other is that it reduces the living space in the tent.  From the photographic evidence, I believe both conditions are met.

My feeling is that any attempt to clear snow after cutting out of the tent is a futile exercise. I compare it to trying to dig a hole in beach sand. It keeps back filling. This plus the amount of material deposited on the tent made re-enrty difficult. Further, there was no real benefit in getting ski boots, they have slick soles and of course the skis themselves are under the tent which is under the snow. I can believe a flashlight was temporarily stuck in the snow on the tent for illumination, but in the confusion and decision making to get out of the cold, the light was simply forgotten.

It is my opinion that the team sensibly made for the forest and not Boot Rock. The rock is a wind break, the forest represents both warmth and shelter. What they could not control was the distance, the condition of the slope and the persistence of the inclement conditions.

Bad things happen to good people. Nature is indifferent.

[Senior Maldonado]

It is my opinion that the team sensibly made for the forest and not Boot Rock. The rock is a wind break, the forest represents both warmth and shelter. What they could not control was the distance, the condition of the slope and the persistence of the inclement conditions.

Though a forest offers much better conditions for night accommodation than a windy slope, there are a few things that might be very handy in a forest - an axe, a saw, valenki, some food, a bottle of ethanol, etc. Even ski boots are better in a forest than barefeet. And if I were to go to a forest, I would put on both valenki, not just one. Of course, it's a matter of preference, some people may try to go to a forest "as is", but this way they increase chance of frostbites, pneumonia, and even death...

[GlennM]

All you say is true, but not verified in the case files. We could speculate that the supplies were not needed or needed but unavailabe. In the first case, the distance from tent to woods may have been umderestimated. In the latter case, the conditions did not support a prolonged dig at the torn tent.

Unless one is an advocate of the idea they were driven out of the tent, then we might charitably believe that they all had their wits about them and all nine were of one mind regarding spending time exposed to the weather versus going to the woods prepared for an extended stay. Who knows,they may have thought of it as a sporting exercise...until it wasn't.

[sarapuk]

I make a quantitative distinction between avalanche and slab slip, the latter being a localized slump in a slab of snow. That snow could be the weight of a car if sufficiently large. I feel the crush on the tent may be sufficient.It has two effects. One effect is that it damages any external support poles, the other is that it reduces the living space in the tent.  From the photographic evidence, I believe both conditions are met.

My feeling is that any attempt to clear snow after cutting out of the tent is a futile exercise. I compare it to trying to dig a hole in beach sand. It keeps back filling. This plus the amount of material deposited on the tent made re-enrty difficult. Further, there was no real benefit in getting ski boots, they have slick soles and of course the skis themselves are under the tent which is under the snow. I can believe a flashlight was temporarily stuck in the snow on the tent for illumination, but in the confusion and decision making to get out of the cold, the light was simply forgotten.

It is my opinion that the team sensibly made for the forest and not Boot Rock. The rock is a wind break, the forest represents both warmth and shelter. What they could not control was the distance, the condition of the slope and the persistence of the inclement conditions.

Bad things happen to good people. Nature is indifferent.

There is nothing sensible about wandering down to the forest after your tent has been destroyed if you are not equipped for the extreme cold conditions. If, on the other hand, you are scared of something
so much that you fear for your life, then you may scarpa down to the forest.

[GlennM]

I make a quantitative distinction between avalanche and slab slip, the latter being a localized slump in a slab of snow. That snow could be the weight of a car if sufficiently large. I feel the crush on the tent may be sufficient.It has two effects. One effect is that it damages any external support poles, the other is that it reduces the living space in the tent.  From the photographic evidence, I believe both conditions are met.

My feeling is that any attempt to clear snow after cutting out of the tent is a futile exercise. I compare it to trying to dig a hole in beach sand. It keeps back filling. This plus the amount of material deposited on the tent made re-enrty difficult. Further, there was no real benefit in getting ski boots, they have slick soles and of course the skis themselves are under the tent which is under the snow. I can believe a flashlight was temporarily stuck in the snow on the tent for illumination, but in the confusion and decision making to get out of the cold, the light was simply forgotten.

It is my opinion that the team sensibly made for the forest and not Boot Rock. The rock is a wind break, the forest represents both warmth and shelter. What they could not control was the distance, the condition of the slope and the persistence of the inclement conditions.

Bad things happen to good people. Nature is indifferent.

There is nothing sensible about wandering down to the forest after your tent has been destroyed if you are not equipped for the extreme cold conditions. If, on the other hand, you are scared of something
so much that you fear for your life, then you may scarpa down to the forest.

We agree that the tent was destroyed, they were not equipped for extreme cold and they feared for their lives. I see no contradiction. Nature can produce this result or something living could. I opt for Nature.

[Senior Maldonado]

There is nothing sensible about wandering down to the forest after your tent has been destroyed if you are not equipped for the extreme cold conditions. If, on the other hand, you are scared of something so much that you fear for your life, then you may scarpa down to the forest.

Descent to the forest in bad weather conditions and in darkness takes about 35 minutes. If the hikers had spent 5 more minutes for getting their clothes and equipment from the tent, the descent would have taken 40 minutes. 35 against 40 minutes is not a big difference. 40 minutes might even had an advantage, as the hikers would have gone fully dressed, much better protected against wind and frost.

For me their decision to leave the tent's spot "as is" says the following:
- the hikers did not intend to go far (not to the forest);
- they did not intend to leave the tent for a long time (for hours);
- they did not have even 5 minutes to penetrate the collapsed tent and get what was needed during a long absence.

[SURI]

- the hikers did not intend to go far (not to the forest);✅
- they did not intend to leave the tent for a long time (for hours);✅
- they did not have even 5 minutes to penetrate the collapsed tent and get what was needed during a long absence.❌

✅ ✅ ❌

[GlennM]

The idea that anyone would grab a knife and cut open a tent without first grabbing their jacket seems counterintuitive and just plain wrong!  Not going into the tent and retrieving some necessities before leaving the tent seems ridiculous. Is there an explnation? Of course there is, in fact there are many posted all over this forum. Generally speaking, if you subscribe to the idea that conspirators relocated the tent from the forest, your problem is solved. If, however, the evidence seems lacking, then the tent was always where it was found. What persuaded them to leave? Was it animal (2 or 4 legged), vegetable (food, not a fallen tree), or mineral ( weather and elemental forces)?

I keep going back to a crush of snow on the tent, breaking support poles and stifling   everyone's ability to breathe. In that case, grabbing a coat is of secondary importance. Further if the tent is flattened by an overburden of snow, getting back in might not be as easy as we imagine in the comfort of our writing desk. We may imagine they dug straight up and out, so getting back in should be simple, but what if it was not so? What would defeat the combined efforts of nine people on their knees, shoulder to shoulder digging like dogs to get back inside? I can only think that with bare hands it would be hard. Against backfilling snow, that much harder. Facing  blowing snow and hurricane force winds, hardest of all. Perhaps turning their back to the wind, retreating the 35 minutes for a bit of shelter and a warming fire made better sense. Then again, I wasn't there.

[Senior Maldonado]

I keep going back to a crush of snow on the tent, breaking support poles and stifling   everyone's ability to breathe. In that case, grabbing a coat is of secondary importance. Further if the tent is flattened by an overburden of snow, getting back in might not be as easy as we imagine in the comfort of our writing desk. We may imagine they dug straight up and out, so getting back in should be simple, but what if it was not so? What would defeat the combined efforts of nine people on their knees, shoulder to shoulder digging like dogs to get back inside? I can only think that with bare hands it would be hard. Against backfilling snow, that much harder. Facing  blowing snow and hurricane force winds, hardest of all. Perhaps turning their back to the wind, retreating the 35 minutes for a bit of shelter and a warming fire made better sense. Then again, I wasn't there.

This would be very plausible scenario, but we should not forget about 3 hikers attempting to return back to the tent. If 9 people were not able to fetch their clothes and equipment from the tent covered by thick layer of snow, how could one, two ot three people do that in a couple of hours? What was the reason to go back if the forest provided excellent shelter from bad weather conditions?

[GlennM]

I did not understand the group to be separated when the trouble developed. If the three hikers Igor, Rustem and Zina are the ones, then I am getting the suggestion that they froze to death returning to the tent to help their stricken comrades. That is a problem for me, especially since none were bringing firewood back.

[Senior Maldonado]

I did not understand the group to be separated when the trouble developed. If the three hikers Igor, Rustem and Zina are the ones, then I am getting the suggestion that they froze to death returning to the tent to help their stricken comrades. That is a problem for me, especially since none were bringing firewood back.

Exactly. If those 3 hikers expected to help their stricken friends, the question is "How?". The only way seems to be to get from the tent and to bring back to the Cedar tree all the necessities -- overcoats, boots/valenki, gloves, instruments, medicine. But in your theory the whole group was not able to dig out those things just a couple hours earlier. How could those three cope with the task after being exhausted by moving 1,5km down and up?

[Ziljoe]

I did not understand the group to be separated when the trouble developed. If the three hikers Igor, Rustem and Zina are the ones, then I am getting the suggestion that they froze to death returning to the tent to help their stricken comrades. That is a problem for me, especially since none were bringing firewood back.

Exactly. If those 3 hikers expected to help their stricken friends, the question is "How?". The only way seems to be to get from the tent and to bring back to the Cedar tree all the necessities -- overcoats, boots/valenki, gloves, instruments, medicine. But in your theory the whole group was not able to dig out those things just a couple hours earlier. How could those three cope with the task after being exhausted by moving 1,5km down and up?

They may not have being trying to help their stricken friends but rather trying to help themselves?

Glennm does not imply a that they couldn't dig things out a couple of hours earlier to dig , rather they couldn't dig things out at the time of the incident. We don't know the hours from incident to death.

I also don't think they would be exhausted by covering 1.5 km up or down , that's only 3 km and is nothing to any average fit person. Moving in the cold would help.

Obviously there would be stress and cold but they were young and active people. The cold on the other hand would take its toll , this would , depending on exposure, wind ,wetness etc .

Ignoring other theories and contemplating that the group were trying to build shelter and start fires to combat the cold as there is strong evidence for this , we could look at things from that perspective. If there was further accidents like falling in the ravine, out of the tree, or snow collapse at the den/ravine , those left alive have no other choice but to try to regain equipment from the tent. Even if Igor, Zina , Rustem survived the night as the others had perished , there is only one option left , and that is to try and get what they can from the tent for themselves.

It looks like the two yuris were moved and probably away from the fire. The ravine 4 are positioned in a   strange orientation that doesn't seem to equate with the nature of the ravine as we have seen from post expeditions to the area.

[SURI]

They may not have being trying to help their stricken friends but rather trying to help themselves?

The dead can't help anyone.

[Ziljoe]

They may not have being trying to help their stricken friends but rather trying to help themselves?

The dead can't help anyone.

I'm not sure i understand you Suri?. The context is as to why Igor,Zina , Rustem could be going back to the tent . The possibility is they waited till first light to try and regain the tent for the only items that would save them or whilst failing like their friends they decided to get equipment to help the others that came to harm.