MovieChat Forums > The Dyatlov Pass Incident (2013) Discussion > Trying to discover the truth about the D...

Trying to discover the truth about the Dyatlov Pass Incident of 1959

posted 4 months ago by Wuchak (8844)
9 replies | jump to latest

This is found footage adventure/horror/sci-fi that’s way better than I thought it’d be, speaking as someone who’s generally not big on found footage flicks, unless they’re done right. What’s great about this one is that the cast & crew literally went to the snowy mountains in Russia to shoot the film.

Yet it wasn’t shot anywhere near the Dyatlov Pass, but rather in and around Kirovsk, which is in extreme northwest Russia not far south of eastern Sápmi, aka Lapland. This is roughly 3400 miles northwest of the infamous pass (by vehicle, that is). They obviously shot here because it was more accessible and cheaper compared to filming near the remote pass, not to mention the Khibiny Mountains are generally more scenic in a rugged sense compared to the Urals.

I like how various theories are thrown around in the story with commentary on The Philadelphia Experiment circa 1943. However, that alleged event had zero to do with teleportation, but rather attempted to make the USS Eldridge ‘invisible’ to radar detection by manipulating magnetic fields.

As for what the students find at Kholat Syakhl, aka Dead Mountain, let’s just say that the scriptwriter Frankenstein-ed the concept of Nightcrawler of the X-Men.

This movie is, of course, a fantastical account, but what really happened at Dyatlov Pass in 1959? The top theory is that 3 feet of shifting snow during the snowstorm suddenly fell on the tent at night, which panicked the nine inhabitants. Fearful of an actual avalanche, they cut themselves out of the tent and fled without proper attire. When they realized an avalanche wasn't going to happen, some tried to make it back to the tent but died of hypothermia in the -13 degrees Fahrenheit weather (it was no doubt difficult to find the camp in those conditions). What happened to the others is well explained in an 11-minute documentary called "Is Dyatlov Pass Mystery Finally Solved," available for free on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5kGWKG0R6c (jump to 7:33 to skip the recap of the entire incident).

It runs 1 hour, 40 minutes. Additional scenes were shot in Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi, Russia, by the Caucasus Mountains, just northwest of Georgia.

[–] Tam87 (1573) 4 months ago

I saw a recent program on this and they had an experienced FBI agent talking about it, and he said it was a homicide case 100% ie one of them murdered the rest. It makes most sense.

[–] Wuchak (8844) 4 months ago

Thanks. The 2021 documentary "An Unknown Compelling Forces" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12617712/?ref_=tturv_ov) leaves the mystery open at the end while insinuating the mostly likely possibility being that the nine hikers were murdered, just not by one of their own. According to this theory, the murderers did something to terrify the sleeping hikers, which made them flee their tents without proper attire. The assailants knew they'd soon die of hypothermia in the freezing cold of night with nowhere to find sanctuary in that desolate region. This explains those who froze to death. A few others were able to make it to the woods and start a fire. Since Plan A didn't work with these, the assailants resorted to Plan B, using blunt force trauma to kill them, whether a club or stomping on them, whatever.

Who did this? The film subtly implies a band of primitive Khanty (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanty). The more peaceable Mansi said there was a savage group of them living in the area, who wouldn't likely take kindly to Soviet invaders to their homeland, especially if the hikers inadvertently marred one of their sacred shrines, which were observed here and there in the deep woods (in the documentary).

While this theory is interesting, there wasn't any evidence at the scene of these supposed assailants, such as footprints, which is why I lean toward the position detailed in my opening post. But the proposition you note is worth considering as well.

[–] Tam87 (1573) 3 months ago

Yes, it makes most sense that something along those lines happened. Most theories are just too unlikely, from snow monsters to giant predators like a bear and wolves, to military experiments gone wrong, hence this movie and its alien theory.

Iirc, one of the members of the group was an outsider, an older guy who tagged along and no one really knew. It was either him or some people passing by.

[–] Wuchak (8844) 3 months ago

Yeah, that guy was a veteran of WW2 and 15 years older than the oldest of the students. He perished too, of course, which sorta makes him an unlikely suspect.

[–] Tam87 (1573) 3 months ago

It was a fascinating story and certainly had me thinking, I leaned towards a military experiment gone wrong and a cover up by the russians, but that FBI agent made a really compelling argument for it being homicide and i think he's spot on.

[–] Wuchak (8844) 3 months ago

I'll check into it. What was your evaluation of this theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5kGWKG0R6c (jump to 7:33 to skip the recap of the entire incident)

[–] Tam87 (1573) 3 months ago

Yeah, it's certainly one of the most feasible explanations, it's basically the same scenario as the military theory, which is just replacing the avalanche with a military munition going off near the tent. Although by saying "solved" it makes me suspect the video makers are using click bait for yet another theory.

[–] [deleted] 4 months ago

I like the theory that it was some sort of sound (frequency) that turned them insane (or amplified their fear and decreased cognitive abilities) Not saying I believe it but it’s one of the more fun theories.

[–] BKB (11202) 3 months ago

See?? That's not what they're saying though and that they were attacked by a Bigfoot or something because their bodies were in pieces with blood and shredded clothing everywhere?? Who's right and who's wrong?? We'll never know but it is a fascinating Documentary for sure