But the melt water had created a "cave" with an unstable roof above. The ravine deaths were caused by the group falling through the roof, probably some landing on top of others and/or the roof falling on top of them afterwards
Now that's an interesting theory about the ravine! 
Snow can get pretty heavy when it's compacted, so this roof could be "the large mass" that hit Lyudmila and Semyon, causing those fatal injuries. But would this cave be deep enough, though?
Apparently a cubic metre of powder snow weighs 60kg but when compacted can weigh 200kg or even 300kg.
On our measurements of density of snow in 2015 on this pass the cubic metre of powder snow weighed 358,1 kg of force or 351,227 kg of weight on 1 cubic metre.
Ice even more or course (nearly 1000kg?).
Ice there was not even when there was a snow impregnated with water in May.
If the ravine is 5 metres deep
Depth of coast is equal in that place where have found these 4 body is 2 … 2,5 m. Therefore big heights cannot be. In consequence documents it is written: “They have been dug out from under snow by depth from 2,5 metres to 2 metres.” (c) if deeper sizes it exists only as result different conversation with distortion have been resulted.
then one cubic metre falling 4 metres could create those injuries or a larger mass moving less distance. Compacted snow wouldn't create much tissue damage.
I can add only that snow at thawing is below washed by away water, leaving the big cavities, instead of falls downwards entirely. In a photo such result in the form of the big tunnels is visible:
But all top part of snow remained at that height where it was when snow has settled to the biggest density.
Therefore at snow thawing its top part does not fall downwards because the snow adjoining to coast forms an arch.
Snow drops out everywhere gradually. It can be anywhere, though on Ural Mountains, though on Siberia, though on Alaska, though on California, though on Sahara (if there it sometime was).
Therefore in its January there was a little. There is a big difference where there is a concrete place for snow loss in mountains. For example, in a valley of its river Auspia was much (Dyatlov writes that it was 1,2 … 1,5 metres) - and still it is possible to find places where it was and 2 metres as we met places in January 2015 and February 2014. And at a cedar in 1959, it was no more than 30 … 40 cm (it spoke Vladislav Karelin and Michael Sharavin). Then snow gradually collected and to the beginning of its May was already about 1 metre on flat places and much more in ravines.
Someone else has posed the excellent question - "if the ravine was full of snow at the end of Feb, how was it empty of snow at the beginning of Feb?" this in Siberia of course.
In the end of February of snow was more than in the beginning, but it is not enough. A body of Zina have found under snow about 10 cm, and a body of Rustem have found under snow nearby 30 cm and Distance between these places of equally 150 metres see. It turns out that on distance in 400 foots of snow became in 3 times more! It means that it is postponed non-uniformly in different places.
But even if over bodies in a ravine there was no more than 30 cm (12 inches) that them could not see. They were
under snow.
This is an excellent question and the answer would seem to be one of :-- it wasn't empty (and supports the ice cave theory) however we then have a problem with the den being found on the ravine floor.
I already wrote that in the end of February of snow was little quantity. Even now, when it is more than it there a cave it is impossible to dig snow friable and it is sprinkled.
Den it is found on a thickness of snow 30 it see means that even if it was condensed, its height was no more than 35 … 40 cm (no more than 1,5 foots)
The den could be explained away as a previously constructed shelter for mansi hunters except that they didn't seem to hunt up there (dead mountain).[/li][/list]
Mansi there do not go. Their line of hunting is approximately in 15 km (~ 10 mi) from pass. On a grief and nearby they do not have object for hunting.
- it was empty and the den was built by them. Now this is the big one. If the wind drift could fill this ravine in three weeks or so how could it possibly be empty at the beginning of Feb?
It can be the same as it has closed bodies of Ziny and Rustema snow of a different thickness. The more low on a slope the more snow takes down downwards a wind. In a wood zone snow is not transferred any more by a wind. There all deposits be collect all time.
And the only possible answer imo is that it had been previously filled up by the Siberian winter but something had recently emptied it of snow.... Now if we have theory of warm or hot air blowing across the hill fitting other evidence it would seem that this case would support that theory also.[/li]
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No. There blow same a wind, as around. From the West warmer air comes, but it does not mean that it absolutely warm. For example, if the average temperature of February is equal in this place-23...-27С (- 10 …-17 F)/ If from the West air blow contain temperature -15 …-18C (0 …-5 F).it is up 5 … 10 degrees "more warmly" by Celsius and up 10 … 12 degrees by Farenheit. It air blow is “warmly”.
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