Igor is given classified maps and a mission.
What map in 1959 communist USSR wouldn't be "classified" to one level or another? Its not like they were for sale on the open market where those scummy Americans and their allies can learn detailed information about their countries topography and god knows what else. Just because the US had the U2 doesn't mean they were going to serve this information up on a silver platter on the open market..... thats stupid. IT was a very hot 'cold' war....... remember?
Furthermore. These hikers are in the communist party. All devotion and complete commitment to the party is required to be a 'good, communist, especially when your a young lad attending the communist state technical school where they were likely hand picked for a promising future in a high-tech industry like enriching plutonium and long distance communications.... do you even remember the space race?
This is a government collage, not Cambridge or UCLA, and as you know, several of the victims had already graduated in their field of study and had taken up positions like enriching uranium, and a contamination/containment/cleanup specialist. IF you bother to read their diaries, you will see things like how Yuri Yudin was collecting geological rock specimens the morning he headed back...... They were all doing this, and in the case files it is noted the rock samples found in their bags. Its not in any way unusual for the government to utilize its state operated university, staff, and students to gather geological information (rock samples) in effort to better understand the mineral deposits of seldom explored rural areas, especially when at this time the Kremlin was heavily seeking to expand their domestic oil production and find new sources of things like uranium or any other valuable deposits.
Given my above statements, what would be so unusual about the university staff, students, and former graduates collaborating and performing tasks for the communist party and to aid in its agenda? These 'kids' were but one spoke in the communist wheel and will be utilized accordingly.
One has to wonder the consequences for distributing, or even creating something that would be valuable to the enemy in 1959 communist ussr. Everything was secret, or guarded information to one extent or another.
The active students of the group were on a geological/mineral collecting side-assignment, this is well known. Think of it as a "Hey, we need rock/mineral samples from this area to aid in the party agenda. Pick up some samples while your out there like a good little Commie."
A highly experienced alpinist and WW2 veteran joins the group shortly before they commence (from memory pushing another candidate off the list)
I dont think thats the case at all..... there WAS a 10th member that missed the train. No conspiracy needed.
Then they divert from the planned route and elect to make a very uncomfortable camp near the top of Kholat Syakhl.
Everything is a conspiracy for you isn't it Nigel? Your talking about 1 mile, and would it be unheard of to get a little off-course in the wilderness and take corrective action? He over-shot the pass on their right obscured by tall trees by MAYBE 1/2mi. When the mistake was noticed, they made a storage cache and traversed the ridge in a line that would exactly intersect the original route at the north side if the mountain, and everything after climbing the ridge would be down-hill skiing unobstructed by this forest.
Then they die in mysterious circumstances with Semyon found with a camera around his neck and a (disappeared) notebook.?
Oh, they mysteriously died alright, Im not challenging you on that. However, there is nothing "mysterious" about one of them having a camera.
Nearly everyone in the group of nine had a camera but half of these are missing?
Seriously? 7 cameras and 9 people.... do the math.
The local police investigator Tempalov is quickly replaced by another from head office Ivanov.
And? They had not one but TWO incompetent 'investigators'. Have you seen the lack of detail and utter decimation of the scene in which the first 5 were found?
By mid March the Ivanov is openly discussing fire orbs (presumably from unseen film).
A pathetic man inventing explanations from thin air because he was incompetent and had no clue what happened..... due to his own ignorance. "(presumably from unseen film)" More speculation based on zero evidence.
This is what you do when you have a need to invent false facts in efforts to support a weak narrative. Ivanov is summoned to Moscow.
On his return Ivanov is changed and advises people to cease discussing fire orbs.
Lemme guess..... more conspiracy. Perhaps he got a royal ass-chewing for being a window-licking crayon-eating incompetent investigator that couldn't solve where rain comes from?
Then evidence is confiscated and the police investigators are ordered to invent a cover story and present it face to face to distressed relatives a task they state much later they found difficult.
Meh, perhaps...... But I guess parts of what you state above (once again), the burden of proof is on you.
I hate having to make long posts like this just to shred a conspiracy theory.