The Dyatlov Pass Incident // Part One

When ten Russian hikers embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime journey in January 1959 they had no idea that the events that they would encounter would give rise to a number of 60- year-old conspiracy theories. The Dyatlov Pass Incident, so named for the 23-year-old leader of the expedition, involved mass psychosis, ice slabs, nuclear radiation, UFOs, and a Yeti. You heard, it has it all. And even today it is still one of history's greatest mysteries.

Welcome to part one of the Dyatlov Pass incident.

Follow Woody G. Watts on twitter: https://twitter.com/woodygwatts

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Many of the voices you hear duringthis season of Bigfoot Classified are performed by
Ukrainian actors and actresses as a deliberateeffort to support their talent and contribution to
the entertainment industry. We recognize thatthe Dialog Past incident, a real life
tragedy, occurred in Russia. Thedecision to cast Ukrainian actors and actresses is
intended to provide them with support andrecognition for their contributions while adding an authentic

(00:27):
field to this season of Bigfoot Classified. We acknowledge the significance of the Dialog
Past incident and extend our condolences tothe victims and their families. Bigfoot Classified
contains content that is graphic in nature, and listener discretion is advised. Bigfoot

(00:47):
Classified relies largely on news documents,eyewitness accounts, press conferences, and interviews.
Every episode is produced with respect tothe victims, families, and communities
involved. Some of the interviews,quotes and broadcasts have been recreated. Numerous

(01:07):
hours of research have been done regardingthese stories, and if you have a
theory question or feel that we've missedsomething, we encourage you to visit Bigfoot
Classified dot com. This is Bigfootclassified. When ten Russian hikers embarked on

(01:34):
a once in a lifetime journey inJanuary of nineteen fifty nine, they had
no idea that the events that theywould encounter will give rise to a number
of sixty year old conspiracy theories.The diet loaft Pass incident, so named
for the twenty three year old leaderof the expedition, involved mass psychosis,
ice labs, nuclear radiation UFOs,and a yetie you heard it has it

(02:00):
all and even today it is stillone of history's greatest mysteries. Welcome to
Part one of the dietlof Pass Incident. Igor Dietlove was a highly regarded young
innovator and wilderness enthusiast. He wasborn in nineteen thirty six close to Swervlovsk

(02:24):
which is now Yekaterinberg, and raisedwith an older brother and two younger sisters.
His mother worked as a club cashierand his father worked at a chemical
plant. As a child, heenjoyed camping and inventing. He built a
telescope so that he could observe theSoviet Union's Spotneck spacecraft with his friends as
he traveled across the night sky.He enrolled as a student of engineering at

(02:46):
the Eual Polytechnic Institute. Euro PolytechnicInstitute or UPI for short, is one
of the best technical colleges in thenation, producing top tier engineers for the
nuclear power and weapons industries, aswell as for the fields of communications and
military engineering. Throughout his time theretitle of oversaw a number of challenging wilderness
expeditions, frequently employing outdoor gear thathe himself had invented or at least enhanced

(03:09):
beyond its original use. During hissecond year at UPI, he was renowned
for his efforts in building a radiothat was used in nineteen fifty six while
hiking in the same mountains, andlater a camping stove that he would bring
along on trips. Diatlov's attention todetail, excellent physique, equilibrium of character,
and kind demeanors set him apart fromother people. He developed the skill

(03:30):
of performing any task intelligently and frequently. In addition to being a talented amateur
radio operator who built a shortwave radiotransmitter and established connectivity with the nation's shortwave
he was also an excellent photographer.In the USSR, Hope was in the
air many political prisoners had been releasedfrom Stalin's gulag as a result of Kruschev's

(03:52):
thought, and the economy was boomingand living standards were rising. Late in
nineteen fifty eight, Diatlovs started organizingan ambitious sixteen day cross country ski journey
in the Urals, the north Southmountain region separating Western Russia from Siberia and
consequently Europe from Asia. The objectiveof the expedition was to reach the Gora
Atturti Mountain and completely needed expedition ofat least three hundred kilometers in order to

(04:15):
receive their Grade three hikers certification,which diet Love was set on achieving before
he turned twenty four. He presentedhis plans to the Upi Sports Club and
they quickly agreed. Dietlov's route passedthrough the traditional region of the indigenous man
See people, three hundred fifty milesnorth of Sudlowsk. Diatlov and his fellow
hikers would ski two hundred kilometers alonga path that, as far as anyone

(04:36):
knew, had never been traveled bya Russian. The mountains were rounded and
soft, rising from a large borealforest of birchin fur with bare slops.
The difficulty would come from freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, and strong winds rather
than rough terrain. Eight other studentsand recent graduates were enlisted by diet Lov
to participate in the ambitious mission.They belonged to the elite group of young

(05:00):
people in the Soviet Union and wereall accomplished winter campers and cross country skiers.
Vladimir Shoon and a friend of dietLove, was also asked to join
the group, but he decided againstit. Though a lot of sources and
now we have said the group whererelead students. Vladimir remembers who were they?
The students of the fifties sixties.These were the children of war.

(05:23):
Everyone was raised in the hungry postwar childhood. But they didn't worship money.
They believed in the ideas of fraternity, equality, freedom and faith in
the bright realm of socialism, studyand work for the sake of all people.
In those days, there were norich people. All were equally poor.

(05:47):
Students earned money wherever they could.Basically they worked loading and unloading of
railway wagons. They weren't very welldressed either lan ski suits, but they
had lots of fun. We hadto create degree of curiosity that helped us

(06:08):
studying, learn, work, play, sports and travel. Hiking played particularly
important part in our lives. Acult of tourism, risk taking and courage
in a face of challenges was influencedby such books as Their Souls, Alabi
Arsenyev, Rural, The Land ofGold and others which we read as children.

(06:32):
None of these was done for themoney. We did it for the
romanticism of Tiger Mountains and for thegood of the motherland. Zina Kolmogorova was
first brought on board. Zina wasborn in nineteen thirty seven and raised there
until nineteen forty eight in the villageof Cheremhovo in the kim and Ski district

(06:53):
of this Furlos region. She wasa radio engineering major. In her fourth
year at Uki University. She hadmade six significant tracks as a hiker,
and she had encountered her share ofchallenges along the way. A viper bid
her during one of her travels.Despite the pain and suffering despite caused her,
she refused to carry less wait sinceshe didn't want to put other people

(07:13):
through misery. She was vivacious andenthusiastic. She was the engine of the
university or the soul at the company. According to many who knew her,
she was well liked by everyone andwas always bursting with ideas. Despite being
well liked at school, she alwaysshowed interest in and respect for everyone.
People were naturally drawn to her asa result. Ladmila du Benina was the

(07:34):
next recruit. Born on May twelfth, nineteen thirty eight, twenty one year
old Ludmila was an engineering and economicsmajor in her third year at UPI.
She was involved in the tourist club, enjoyed singing and enjoyed photography. Lamila
Dubenina was a very capable, braveand esteemed leader. She had been picked

(07:54):
to be the group leader of thetourists who went on the category to trip
in the Northern Urals just a yearbefore. In nineteen fifty seven, while
on a trip to the Eastern SaintMountains, she unintentionally took a shot from
a different traveler who was cleaning afirearm. She bravely underwent a terrible injury.
She did not complain during the lengthyand excruciating journey, and she even

(08:15):
felt bad for annoying the group somuch. Luz Milla was known as a
severe occasionally humorous consumaldi. Young Communistmember next Up twenty five year old Alexander
Kolvettov, or Sasha, as heliked to be known. Born on November
sixteenth, nineteen thirty four, Sashawas a fourth year student at Upi University,
majoring in physics. He graduated fromSwerdlovsk Mining and Metallurgy College with the

(08:37):
concentration in the metallurgy of heavy nonferrous metals before relocating to Swerdlovsk. As
a result of his academic success,Alexander Kolvettov came to Moscow in August nineteen
fifty three to work in the Ministryof Medium Machine Building Secret Institute, which
was known only by the serial numberI three thousand, three hundred ninety four.
Research on the materials utilized in thenuclear industry was conducted by this institute.

(09:01):
Later, he changed locations and joinedthe Research Institute of Inorganic Materials,
which was creating materials for the expandingnuclear sector. He enrolled at the All
Union Correspondence Polytechnic Institute and finished oneyear school and while he was employed there.
In September nineteen fifty six, hereturned to Servlovsk for his second year
and joined UPI. His closest friendsdescribed him as meticulous, methodical and having

(09:26):
a clear leadership style. Fourth tojoin Dietlov's group was Georgie Krivenshenko or Yuri
as he was known as, wasa personal friend of Diatlovs who worked as
an engineer at the Mayak Nuclear complexnear the den secret town of Cheliabins forty
and had graduated from UPI two yearsbefore. Born on February seventh in Zurs,
Ukraine in nineteen thirty five, twentythree year old Georgie Seang played the

(09:48):
mandolin and was short Yary and Jaggard. Uri was born in Zurs, Ukraine
and until nineteen forty one he residedin the eastern Ukrainian region of Danatsk.
However, with the German invasion andthe start of World War Two, his
family was compelled to relocate to Saratovand again. In nineteen forty one,
he was relocated, along with thefactory's infrastructure, across the euro Mountains.

(10:11):
In nineteen fifty nine, he earnedhis degree from UPI University. Following his
graduation, he and another recruit Iwill get to Rustum Slabadin began working on
plant eight hundred and seventeen the Mayak. He was involved in the Koshtamkoi accident.
While working at Cheliabinsk forty, atop secret nuclear site. The plutonium
factory experienced a radioactive league on Septembertwenty ninth, nineteen fifty seven. Georgie

(10:37):
was one of those sent to cleanthings up. He went on all of
Igor Diatlov's camping trips and was greatfriends with him. Souven Diatov came to
him one day with his great plan. He didn't hesitate to join in on
the action, so once Georgie wasin the group, next Kim, his
longtime friend. Twenty three year oldRustum Slabadin. Rustum was born on January
eleventh, nineteen thirty six. Hewas a highly fit man who was also

(11:00):
described as being just all around decentand honest, though occasionally quiet. He
had extensive climbing encamping expertise, andhe frequently went on lengthy hikes. He
also enjoyed running long distances. Hefrequently brought his mandolin on lengthy hikes since
he enjoyed playing it. Rustum pursueda career as an engineer a plant eight
hundred and seventeen after graduating. Alsoknown as Mayak Lighthouse in Russia, the

(11:22):
plant was at Chelabin's forty facility.Under the Soviet regime, this closed plant
handled bongrey plutonium, among other things. A year before Georgie Krivenshenko he started
working at this top secret facility.At another Swerdlovsk university, his father had
a professorial position. Despite being ofRussian descent, Rustum's father gave him the

(11:43):
traditional Totter name, following a widespreadtrend of male friendship across borders, although
it has been suggested that Slubadin's parentsmay have named their sound Rustum in recognition
of the extended time they spent livingin Central Asia, where the name is
quite popular. By the time Rustumjoined the trip, he had just finished
his studies, graduating in nineteen fiftynine, this same year of the expedition.

(12:05):
Juden was born on July nineteenth,nineteen thirty seven, in this Fervlov
scregents, Tabor village. His father, a frontline soldier Fan Fedorovitch's father,
passed away just five years after hewas born. Despite the challenges of life,
Uri enrolled in taborin Central secondary school. In nineteen forty four and graduated

(12:26):
with the silver medal after completing tenclasses. Yuri enrolled at the Ural Polytechnic
Institute in nineteen fifty four. Yuri, like diet Love, discovered the adrenaline
that Aldoor adventures offered early on inlife. He had gone on two difficult
expeditions before title of approached him abouta third next up Yuri Dorshenko, twenty

(12:46):
one year old. Yuri was bornon January twenty nine, nineteen thirty eight.
Uri was raised in a family ofthree siblings in the Strelki district of
kerske Blast. When his father receivedhis degree from Kiev Institute of GMI,
his entire family relocated their factory acrossthe euro Mountains. When World War Two
started in order to avoid the Germanoccupation and bombing Van. Yuri was in

(13:09):
school, his father died of aheart attack. Not one to let anything
stop him, he finished school ayear later with straight a's and received a
medal for outstanding accomplishments. Uri enrolledat UPI and even had a relationship with
Zina Kolmogorova, who I mentioned arrear. The relationship was going strong, with
Yuri even traveling to commence to meether parents. However, like most first

(13:30):
loves, the pair eventually split butremained on very good terms. Yuri had
completed several long distance trips and wasan accomplished hiker in the Middle euro Mountain
region. He himself led a numberof groups with varying levels of intricacy.
Nikolay Thaibax Brignova was next. Twentyfour year old Nikolai was born on June
five, nineteen thirty five. Theson of a French communist who was executed

(13:52):
during the Stolen Era was Nikolai ThibaxBrignol. He was born at the prison
camp for political detainees KLi Thibox Brignolwas well liked by his friends for his
enthusiasm, sense of humor, andoutgoing personality. He earned his degree in
civil engineering from Upi University in nineteenfifty eight. He started out as a
foreman and civil engineer. Everyone whoknew him and went camping with him felt

(14:16):
a strong feeling of responsibility for thegroup as a whole. He frequently assisted
group members who were weaker or youngerin carrying their belongings to make them more
comfortable and to ease the pain.He repaired their backs. Nikolai reportedly assisted
Yuri Yuden on his first significant expeditionsinto the Siberian Bush. After he agreed
to accompany diet Love on the expedition, he promised his mother this would be

(14:39):
the last trip he would take.The last member of the group, Siemen
Alexander Zoalitaire, was a lot olderthan the others. Born on February second,
nineteen twenty one, Siemen was thirtyseven years old when he agreed to
the expedition. Siemen Zolitaire was bornin the South Russian town of Yudebnia.
He was a doctor's son. Hewas a North Caucasian Cuban Cossack who to

(15:00):
see the end of the Great PatrioticWar. Siemens Solitaire was on active duty
in the forty eighth Army of theSecond Belorusian Front from October nineteen forty one
until May nineteen forty six. Officialrecords indicate that he was an exceptional soldier,
no hesitation or fear, but veryfocused and careful, always ensuring his
comrade safety before his own. Inaddition, he was awarded four medals,

(15:22):
including the Order of the Red Starand those for the Coon Expert Now klining
Grad conquest and the victory over Germany. Solitaev transferred to the Lenning Grad Military
Engineering University in April nineteen forty six. He finished his two years of physical
education college course work here. Laterhe changed institutions to the Ming Institute of

(15:43):
Physical Education. He served as atour guide for Artebash in the nineteen fifty
four tourists visiting the Altai region inSouth Siberia. Even if his career may
seem typical, there are some aspectsof his biography that are difficult to understand.
He had the option of remaining inthe army, but ela he might
have stayed and worked as a tourguided one tourist attraction, but instead he

(16:04):
frequently relocates throughout the nation without reason, being a Cossack from the south.
It is also against the norm ofthe area that he was unmarried, childless,
and had a ton of ad tattoosthat he covered up. People who
knew his family were shocked to learnthat he even had him on the back
of his left forearm. He hadtattoos with the dates nineteen twenty one c
and plus plus plus equals. Thelatter was typical among long serving Soviet service

(16:29):
members. The Russian letter dead standsfor Drasba, meaning friendship, the initials
of the three troops that served alongsideSeamen's Altaire for three. The latter stood
for Seamen in Russian. He hasa tattoo of a heart, also on
the back of his right forearm.Another tattoo D A R M M U
A z U A yeah appears tobe total nonsense. Nobody is certain of

(16:52):
what it represents, but there areplenty of theories. We most likely won't
ever fully understand what these letters reallyimply. His late addition to the group
is one that came as a surprise, not only to the hiker's going on
the trip, but it is stilldebated by the public and media today.
The majority of hikers handpicked to GolvidTitleve had been either still in school or
just graduated. All of them werethrown off when he informed them that thirty

(17:15):
seven year old Semens Solitaryave was joiningthem. In fact, with Milla duben
and I wrote the following in herjournal after learning the news. It's the
last day of preparations and everything hasbeen quiet, hectic. From eleven in
the morning, I was scampering betweenstores, buying different bits and pieces,

(17:37):
and I was silly enough to buyfive meters of cambric, which cost two
hundred rubles. I was packing insuch a rush, and of course I've
forgotten home my sweater. Everyone wasbusy with something and we had so many
things to do. Just before ourdeparture, those who wanted to say goodbye
came to meet us. We werereally short of time, but arrived at

(18:00):
the railway station with seconds to spare. Then we had to say goodbye to
everyone before leaving. We sang afew songs, but in the cart Blinov
group joined and we continued singing togetheramong all the most notable scrotof space.
This time there were a lot ofvery new songs that we were writing down

(18:21):
with the help of an instructor,our Zalataiof, who came with us on
the track. At first nobody wantedthis Zalatov, for he is a stranger,
but then we all agreed, becauseyou can't refuse. Thus, as
we were ten and remained ten forSlavka was not released by the Faculty Bureau.

(18:44):
On January twenty third, nineteen fiftynine, the group boarded the train
and left Swerdlovsk to avoid purchasing tickets. Several of them hid below chairs.
They were in such a good moodthat Krivnishenkov was briefly stopped by police while
waiting between trains for pretending to bea handler while playing his mandolin. The
events of the initial days of theexpedition were documented through a collection of individual

(19:06):
and group journals. The entry forthis day was written by Zena Kolmogorova and
reads Way only wrote the game weannounced in in room of five hundred thirty
one or water of coal, notfedding, but frantically shown interbetpegs out meal
cans can't meet the head of provision. Distribution is overthin that everybody gets everything?

(19:29):
Where are my field boots, YurikaVanishenka? Can we play mandolin on
the twin? Of course we forgavethis out three telegrams, eager, where
are you? Where is the Rushenko? Why didn't he take twenty pegs?
Game I fifteen kopecks to coal?The scale? Where are these scales?

(19:51):
It doesn't fit? Damn it?Who has a knife? Uri take this
de stition? Slow halizo? Justgood? Here? Hello? Who can
I get fifteen copecks. Luida iscounting the money lost of money. The
room is an artistic mess, andhere we are on the train. We

(20:11):
sang on the song that we know, launched new ones. Everyone goes to
sleep. It's three. I wonderwhat evaates us in the trip? What
will we control? The police solemnlyswore not to smoke in child trip.
I wonder how much we part oflyhave to get by without tigarettes. Everybody

(20:32):
is falling asleep, and behind thewindow Rold Tiger is breading in all directions.
At least five of them had camerasand they took multiple photos, laughing
and joking with each other as thetime passed. After two days on the
train, eventually the group arrived inIdal on January twenty fourth. The following
entry was made into the group journalby Ryuden. I realized the entries can

(20:53):
be quite difficult to follow, butin the mess of conspiracy that surrounds the
dietle of past incident, think it'simportant we remember the victims of the tragedy
and understand their thoughts, woods andfeelings around this time, So the passage
reads seven am we arrived in Wetraveled with Blinov group. They have things

(21:15):
for hunting and other accessories. Atthe station, we were met with hell
of a hospitality. They didn't allowus into the building. The policeman stairs
at us suspiciously. There is nocrime or a vandalism in the city as
it's supposed to be in times ofcommunism. And then Urikrivo started a song.

(21:38):
The cops crapped him and took himaway at the attention of citizen Cribanichenko.
Sergeant explained that the rules of sectionthree prohibited all activity that would disturb
the piece of passengers. It isperhaps the only train station where the songs
are forbidden, so we stay withoutsinging. Finally, everything is settled.

(22:03):
By end of the day. Weare leaving serov to Ivedelle at six thirty
pm. We were welcomed warmly inthe school near the railway station. The
stewart, she is also a janitor, boiled some water and helped us with
everything we needed for the preparation forthe track. We have the whole day
three. We want to go tothe city to visit the nature museum or

(22:29):
take a trip to our factory,but too much time is passed in distribution
of equipment and cleaning it twelve o'clock. In the interval between first and second
shifts in school, we organized meetingwith pupils. The room grammed with so
many curious children. The atory ofkids. I will tell you now,

(22:51):
tourism is enables you to Everyone isstill quiet, engaged Zina Komova, what's
your name? You went there?Awesome, you have been camping, She
went on and on. Questions didn'tend. We had to explain and show

(23:12):
to every kid everything from torches totents. It took us two hours and
kids didn't want to let us go. They sang songs to each other.
The whole school saw us at thestation. Everything ended das expected. When
we were leaving, the kids yelledand cried, asking Zina to stay with

(23:34):
them. They promised to behave andstudy well. In the traincard, a
young drunk accused us of stealing hisboos from his pocket for the second time
this day. The cops were involved. Discussion about love provoked by Zina Kolmogorova,
songs, reassessment to Benina under theseats, garl, quid bread and

(23:57):
no water. And we arrived inaround twelve am. Large waiting room,
total freedom of action. We tookshifts to watch over our staff all night
long. Masto is lives early inthe morning. Maybe we've Mila Dubinet's personal

(24:18):
journal entry that they explained it better. We arrived in Syro very early.
We were not allowed in the stationwith the backpacks. We settled near by
the station. The boys crossed theoverseer that's me with accusations of stinginess and
greed. Alas the canteen at thispoint is a great luxury for us.
There was one small incident. Yurkakewas taken by the police, charging him

(24:44):
with deception. Our hero decided towalk around the station handing a cap for
a change. After singing a song, Yuri had to be rescued. Then
we managed to move to the elementaryschool together with Lino group. After lunch,
we began to prepare their equipment,decided to read talk to the children
in first and second grades about tourism. They liked our stories and things very

(25:08):
much, and they became very attachedto us. Time flew by till six
pm in the company of our newyoung friends. The children bonded so much,
especially to Zena, that they partedwith tears in the train we all
sang songs accompanied with the mandolin,and just like that, then out of
the blue and young alcoholic came tothe boys and accused them of stealing a

(25:32):
bottle of vodka. He demanded herreturn and promised to punch them in the
teeth. In the end, hedid not prove or get anything and got
lost. Yurka came and sang withus for a while and left. We
sang and sang, and no oneeven noticed how we started to discuss love
issues, talking about kisses in particular. We talked all kinds of nonsense.

(25:56):
Of course, everyone was wristed.Everyone wanted to speak out, eventually trying
to shout out each other and provetheir own opinion. Sasha Kalavatov was the
best in our debate. Probably heexpressed not only his own thoughts, but
anyway, he obviously won. Wearrived at night in Evedl and bunked at

(26:19):
the station. We settled in thecorner, spreading the tent and lay down
to sleep. At once. Istayed watched. I used the tongue to
sew overshoes and copy songs. Yurkinaover from time to time shouted, probably
from boredom and hunger. I lastedtill three am. At that time I

(26:40):
lay down Only Burya continued to sewsomething for a long time, but he
finally retired. The group then traveledby bus for another day, then rode
on the back of a Wolcato struckand eventually traveled by skis while being pulled
by a horse drawn sleigh. Thisstayed United Second Northern, an abandoned logging
camp. The group journal entry onJanuary twenty six by Georgie Crivenischenko reads,

(27:03):
we slept in so cold hotel.Two people per bed, Alexander Coolovato and
Uricryvannishchenko slept on the floor between beds. Woke up at nine am. Everyone
sleep well, despite the fact wedid not completely close the small window and
the room got a bit cold.Outside temperature is minus seventeen celsius. We

(27:26):
did not boil water in the morning, wood was damp in the evening.
It took us six hours to boilthe water. Had breakfast in the dining
room, gulash and tea. Whenthey handed us the lukewarm tea, the
outlaw said, with a smirk,if the tea is cold, then go
drink it outside it will be hotor regional thought. We negotiated to go

(27:49):
to Settlement forty one by a truck. We started at thirteen ten and arrived
at sixteen thirty. We froze prettygood at the back of gas sixty three.
While traveling, we sang songs,discussed various topics like love, friendship,
cancer, illness, and cures.In Settlement forty one, we were

(28:11):
greeted warmly. They gave us aseparate room in the hostel. We talked
a lot with the local workers.I remember particularly the red bearded man.
The beard that's what his friends callhim. Organas an old friend. He
is described in Leuda Dubinina's private diary. Lunch was served, we ate and

(28:33):
now we are resting. Some ofthe group is watching a movie in the
adjacent room. The rest of thegroup is rummaging through their backpacks. Rustam
is playing his mandolin while talking withNick. I am going to do some
adjustment to the equipment. During thistime, Juris started to experience pain from

(28:53):
a side tick nerve that had flamedup. The young men traveled to the
second northern village with visitors in thehopes that the pain would soon subside.
Here he realized that it would beimpossible to continue carrying a big bag with
the mounting pain he was enduring asa result. On February first, you
event back to Swirtloves Get Eager Titlesrequest reported to the Institute turclub leadership about

(29:15):
the extension of the group's campaign dueto weather circumstances, and sought medical attention.
In Native tabs. You re laterdetailed this. When we drove in
the back of the ruck there wasa strong draft, he explained hurriedly.
I have had radiculitis from a youngage. At first I thought that this
was temporary, it would pass.This happened to me many times. One

(29:40):
time, when we went with theat Lavaltai, the doctor wrote a referral
to me there and where I couldget help. From first eight posts on
the trip, they wrote that Ihad rhythema. It was summer. I
could warm my leg and lower backin the sun. But then in the
back of the truck we had nocover. The wind was blowing on us.

(30:02):
I reached second Northern and then itgot even verse. What else can
I say? I hope that itwould pass, Senator wrote in her journal
about urine leaving your union is leavingus Today the side tick nurse have flared

(30:23):
up again and he has decided togo home. Such a pity. We
distributed his load in our backpacks.Now down to nine, the group went
on. The party reached the edgeof a highland region on January thirty first
and started to get ready for climbing. The stored extra food and supplies that
would be needed for the return tripin a wooded valley. The last diary

(30:45):
entry NOE was made by title onthis day and it reads January thirty one,
nineteen fifty nine. Today the weatheris a bit worse than the wind
snow because the sky is perfectly clear. Came out relatively early. Took the
same beat Manci trail so far.We woked along the Nazi trail, which
was passed by a deer hunter notlong ago. We met his resting stop

(31:06):
yesterday. Apparently, today was asurprisingly good day for the tenth. The
air was warm and dry, despitethe low temperatures of minus eighteen degrees celsius
to minus twenty four degrees celsius.The walking is especially hard today. Visibility
is very low. We are goingat a speed of one whole fifty two
hundreds of the kilometer per hour.We are forced to find new methods of

(31:27):
clearing the path for the skis.The first member leaves his bag on the
ground and walks forward. Then hereturns rests for ten fifteen minutes with the
group. Thus we have a nonstop paving of the trail. It is
especially hard for the second to movedown the new trail with full gear on
the back. We gradually leave theOspii Valley. The rise is continuous but
quiet, smooth. We spend thenight at the forest boundary Windy's western warm,

(31:52):
penetrating snow free spaces. We can'tleave any of our provision to EASDSM
to the mountains. About four pmus choose the place for the tent,
wind some snow. Snow cover isone point twenty two meters thick. Tired
and exhausted, we started to preparethe platform for the tent. Fire avoid
is not enough. We didn't diga hole for a fire. Too tired

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for that. We had supper rightin the tent. It is hard to
imagine such a comfort somewhere on theridge with a piercing wind, hundreds kilometers
away from human settlements. The hikersbegan to cross through the past the following
day, on February first. Theymay have intended to cross the pass and
set up camp for the night onthe other side, but when the weather

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groovers and visibility decreased due to snowstorms, they apparently lost their way and turned
vest to climb to the top ofColatzix. The group decided to stop and
make camp there on the mountain sideafter realizing their error around February twelveth The
goal was to arrive at the tinysettlement of Visas and notify the UPI Sports
Club that they had arrived safely,but no such telegram ever arrived. The

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sports club initially believed that the grouphad just been delayed since there had been
news of a significant snow star inthe mountains, but after a few days
had passed, the group's relatives startedmaking anxious phone calls to the college and
the local Communist Party office, andon February twentieth, the search was started.
There were numerous search teams, includingUPI student volunteers, Evil Camp prison

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guards, NANCI hunters, local policeand military planes, and helicopters. Ski
footprints were discovered on February twenty fifth, and the group's tent was found the
next day. Nobody was present inside. The tent was covered in snow and
had been partially collapsed. The searchgroup discovered that the tent looked to have

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been intentionally slashed in numerous places.After digging it out, however, everything
seemed clean and organized inside. Boots, axes, and other gear for the
skiers were lined up on either sideof the door. There was food set
out as if it was going tobe consumed, along with clothing, cameras,
notebooks, and a stack of woodfor a heater. The search crew

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discovered very distinct footsteps of eight ornine people walking towards the tree line at
one hundred feet downhill. The majorityof the prints depicted socking or even naked
feet. It looked like one personwas doning a single ski boot. A
searcher later testified some of the printsindicated that the person was either barefoot or

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in socks because you could see thetoes. The group pursued the footprints downward
for six hundred to seven hundred yardsbefore giving up on them near the tree
line. So where were the hikers? Why were they out walking barefoot in
the cold? Join us in Parttwo to find out how the nine hikers
disappearance became a worldwide phenomenon.