An injury could be a good reason to pitch the tent where they did. Especially an ankle injury. From a couple of google searches we can get an idea that the cables can bind into the ankles .
Did Cable Bindings Cause Marks on the Ankles?
Yes, 1950s cable bindings could absolutely cause marks, bruises, or chafing on the ankles and lower legs.
High Tension Points: The metal cable, particularly when tightened for downhill skiing, applied significant pressure directly to the back of the heel and lower ankle.
Leather Boot Limitations: Because 1950s boots were low-cut leather and lacked the rigidity of modern boots, the ankle depended on the cable for support, leading to increased pressure.
No Safety Release: These bindings were notorious for not releasing during falls, often trapping the leg and causing severe twisting, leading to potential "ankle-breaking" injuries or, at minimum, severe bruising from the tension.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
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By the end of the 1950s, safety bindings that allowed for sideways release began to emerge to address these safety issues.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Cable binding - Wikipedia
Was there boots left at the labaz? I think they were said to belong to igor and had frozen socks in the boots?
The full description in the autopsy files says.
In the right and left area of the knee joints there are dark red scratches sized 1 х 0.5 cm and 0.5 by 0.5 cm of parchment density without hemorrhage into the surrounding tissue. There are abrasions of brown-red
Sheet 123
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color in the area of the left ankle joint on the anterior lateral and on the posterior surfaces of both ankles hollowed over the surface of the skin and also on the skin level, sized 1 х 0.5 cm and up to 3 х 2.5 cm with hemorrhaging into the underlying soft tissues.
In the area of the scratches there is one laceration. In the lower third of the right leg there is graze wound 4 х 2 cm in size,