Russian Yeti: Is the Dyatlov Mystery Solved?

RussianYetiA new cryptozoology investigation, Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives, aired last night. They hint that a monster Yeti, Bigfoot’s cousin, may be responsible. The mystery is legitimate, the tragedy did happen. But can we believe the program’s conclusions?

Last night Discovery channel ran a program, Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives,  that came to some very interesting conclusions about what happened to nine students in the wilds of the Ural Mountains in 1959. Let’s investigate the mystery and the program.

The Original Story

On the night of February 2, 1959, in the desolate area of the Ural Mountains, 9 students and graduates of the former Ural Polytechnic Institute, now Ural Federal University met a mysterious and deeply disturbing end.

They had gone hiking into the wilds of the Ural mountains hoping to reach Otorten mountain. This hike was considered a “Category III” hike, and as all the students were experienced hikers and skiers, they hoped to accomplish this goal. On the night they died, they were about 6 miles from the targeted mountain.

Dyatlov9VictimsWhen the first search party arrived, three weeks or so after the tragedy, they found their abandoned tents that contained survival gear such as heavy boots, warm outerwear, knives – things they could have used to help themselves survive.

There were deliberate cuts in the tents which investigators were able to determine were made from the inside. Some speculate they were made so they could see what was stalking them outside. The tent doors were still buttoned shut, according to one of my sources, so the students had cut their way out of the tent.

We have to remember where these students were – in a desolate mountainous area, in temperatures below freezing -22 F (-30 C) in pitch black darkness. In all the accounts of this report that I’ve read, no one has ever mentioned a flashlight being found. (Ural Mountains in winter, below right.)

DyatlovUralMtnsSnowUltimately, the searchers found the bodies. Two of the young men had died of hypothermia next to a small fire they had built on the edge of the forest. What was unusual was the wood they were burning came from branches that were taken from 16 feet (5 m) up in the trees. The researchers speculated they must have climbed the tree to see if they could find their camp and return to it.

Three more, two males and one female, were found in a row, as though they were trying to get back to their tent.  One of them had a cracked skull but died of hypothermia, along with his two companions.

The rest were found in a dug-out snow cave they had made, as though they were hiding from something.  This group had sustained broken bones and serious internal injuries – all without any cuts or marks on their skin.

Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny, who examined the corpses, concluded that three of the students died from fatal injuries so severe, that it was outside the realm of possibility that a human could have caused them.

Initial Investigation

The man charged with figuring out what happened was Lev Ivanov, a Soviet investigator. He had trouble coming to any real conclusions, so he put decided to write that the students were killed by “an unknown elemental force which they were unable to overcome.”  How’s that for a bureaucratic explanation? (Other translations state his conclusion as: “a compelling unknown force.”)

One of my sources said that he privately felt that UFOs had attacked and killed the students.

Christie's Exploration and Travel saleFootprints

What we learned from the Discovery channel program is that the first searchers on the scene saw huge footprints around the camp. They weren’t human footprints, they looked just like Bigfoot prints. They took photos of them, but these were covered up with all the other information from subsequent Russian investigations. (To be clear, the photo above left is not taken from the Russian Yeti show – I wasn’t able to find a still photo of anything like that from the show. This was from another expedition in the early 1950s.)

It has to be noted that while they did find these huge animal prints, they did not find evidence of bear prints or those of any other animal native to the area that may have been stalking the students.

Other theories suggest that perhaps escapees from a “nearby” gulag camp killed the students. The gulag camps were places of extreme hardship where political dissidents were sent to die. These camps were located  near the Mountain of the Dead.  My first thought is, do political dissidents usually kill people? They may be starving but they could still talk and ask for food. I think this is a weak argument. Also, it seems unlikely they would have been able to escape given the circumstances and brutality of the Russian judicial system.

The point we should note is that there were no other footprints around the camp – just the students’ and the Bigfoot/Yeti, as per the photographic evidence.

DyatlovFailedMissile01Fateful Night

According to the TV program, something happened that caused the students to flee together about a mile away from their camp, into the cover of the nearby forest. One of the last photos they took was very blurry, but showed two big spots of light in the sky.

One expert commentator from the show explained why that was most likely the “airburst” of a two stage rocket that crashed in that area just as the students were camping there. This would explain why the KGB got involved in the mystery and possible cover-up of what really happened. It would probably also explain why there were high levels of radiation on some of the students’ clothes.

Some people previously thought that UFOs must have attacked and killed these students mainly based on the fact that “lights in the sky” were seen in the area the night they died. However, the fact that the Soviets were using this area as a missile test range in the 1950s is far more plausible than UFOs who may have been involved in the students’ demise.  As we know missiles can produce plenty of strange sky phenomenon, including lights.

In a Wiki article on the subject (see References), a man named Yury Kuntsevich (who began and runs the Dyatlov Foundation) reports attending the funerals of five of the hikers. He was 12 at the time and said he remembers that their skin was colored like a “deep brown tan.”  Radiation burns, perhaps? It could also have been part of the decomposition process their bodies underwent in those extreme conditions. Still, I think it adds credence to the missile malfunction and subsequent explosion.

DyatlovYuriYudinThe one member of the student group who didn’t make it as far as the other students and so survived, Yuri Yudin (right), reported that he knows for certain his friends’ organs were put in boxes and sent for analysis. He saw them. In my mind this would further indicate the authorities were studying the effects of radiation on the students’ bodies.

Why Now?

Much of what we know comes from the students’ own diaries that they left behind. Last night’s show revealed a one liner from one of the girls’ diaries that read, “Now we know the snowman exists.”  In fact, the students did seem to be taking a lot of pictures of the forest, as though they were trying to catch a glimpse of something.

Why hadn’t we heard this before?

Then we were shown a photograph, slightly blurred, of what looks exactly like a Bigfoot off in the woods. They had a forensic video analyst (I can’t remember their exact title) look at the photos and she concluded the photo was real, authentic, and hadn’t been tampered with. It helped that they had the original negatives which also showed the image.

Cold-WarWhy had no one seen this stuff before?

We have to look at the era in which this disaster occurred – at the height of the Cold War between the US and Russia. Rumors abounded and no clear answer was available back in the day. So the Soviets did what people in those days usually did – secreted all the evidence away in an obscure vault, leaving it to turn to dust.

 

 

The Menk

First Nations people living in the area where the students lost their lives, the Mansi, were interviewed for the TV program. At the time of the search and recovery of the bodies, some people suspected the Mansi had killed them. This was based on past incidents where the Mansi fought with Russians over various things.

RussianMenkIn fact, at least one of the student’s diaries mentioned a big fight that one of them had with the  Mansi, but it turns out the Mansi were just trying to warn the students away from the Mountain of the Dead, as they call it.

Further supporting their innocence, the doctor had firmly stated that the injuries perpetrated on some of the students could not have been caused by a human being because of the force involved in executing the blows.

But we did learn something very interesting. The Mansi know about a forest giant they call the “Menk” (artwork above right).  It sounds very much like a Bigfoot.  They describe it as big and strong. They said it hunts deer and likes to rip out the deer tongues and eat them. The Mansi woman reporting this also said they make a horrible whistling sound that seemed to spook her just talking about it. She said the menk doesn’t like when humans whistle in the woods so they don’t whistle.

ichukch001p1A chilling fact from the original investigation states that Lyudmila was found with her tongue ripped out. There was a lot of blood in her stomach which means she was still alive after it had been taken.

The Mansi woman interviewed for the program believes they were killed by the Menk. Their people reported they know of other people who have gone missing without explanation.

I’ve said this to my readers before. I take the testimony of native peoples very seriously. They aren’t idiots. They know their environment. And they have nothing to gain from talking about it.

I think this Mansi woman may be right. However, it’s not the whole answer.

Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives

Mike Libecki, American explorer, said, “I’ve spent a lot of time alone in the mountains and have had my share of near-death experiences.  I know if I went missing, I’d want my family to know what happened to me.” A compelling opening that leaves us in no doubt as to his motivation and intentions.

He is joined on this journey by journalist and translator, Maria Klenokova.

DyatlovByWoodsI really enjoyed watching the program, but some things were nagging at my mind and concerned me.

Parts of their adventure, particularly when they were looking for the Yeti nest in the cave, seemed contrived. If the film crew refused to stay there overnight, where did the footage come from?

I also didn’t think the “sound” they heard was very convincing. The “monster call” sounded very much like one I’ve heard on another program, “Mountain Monsters.” It’s my opinion that the Mountain Monsters show is a hoax and nothing but pure entertainment. So I’m disturbed that the “monster call” heard in the cave and at other points in the show, sounded canned.

Skeptics are all over this program, panning the assumption that a Yeti attacked their camp and severely injured some of them. One suggested the force of an avalanche hitting Lyudmila while she was screaming is what ripped out her tongue. Despite there being no evidence of an avalanche. It’s easy to criticize from a lighted, heated, home office.

Credibility04Credibility or Lack Thereof

For me, the main problem with the show is Discovery channel’s lack of credibility. They gave us that Megalodon show that some people believed, but it was pure fiction. Discovery channel owns Animal Planet. Remember their “Mermaids” movie? Pure fiction, and they put that fact in the small print so most people missed it.

So now we have the Russian Yeti program. How much of it can we believe?

They make an excellent case as to why the lights in the sky may have been there. Mike Libecki cites three other times a Yeti purportedly attacked humans and it was when they were provoked. So he concluded the exploding missile provoked the Yeti enough to attack the students. Well, it’s better than the UFO theory in my opinion.

As for the Yeti, I think it’s very likely that there is a Yeti that exists in the wilds of Russia and I see it as another relative of Bigfoot. But of course skeptics don’t believe in that either.

My main concern is with these “newly uncovered” files and secret archives – are they real? Are their contents real? Can we believe that photo of the Bigfoot in the forest anymore than we can believe in the canned “monster call?”

I’ve also been wondering, if that area really was a missile range test area, how is it that the Mansi aren’t sickened by the radiation fallout?

Yeti01Bottom Line

The program made a good case for how the students died that fateful night in 1959. The trouble is, can we believe it? How many of us can afford to go to Russia and start researching and investigating everything Mike Libecki did? Few to none?

So it’s hard to draw any definite conclusions.

Do I think a Yeti really exists? Yes I do. I know Bryan Sykes found evidence of an extinct polar bear and not a Yeti but that only means the sample he got wasn’t from a real Yeti. It was from an extinct bear.

Could the lights in the sky on February 2, 1959 have been from a failed missile test? Sure because the cold war really happened and Russian secrecy is legendary. In recent times we’ve also seen examples of rocket or missile tests of theirs that have failed spectacularly.  It’s certainly possible.

Credibility01Will we ever really know the full story about what happened to the students who died? Perhaps not quite yet.

What needs to happen is a corroboration and rechecking of these theories by people who have the authority to evaluate them – preferably people NOT associated with a network. Only when we have multiple reports saying the same thing, can we begin to believe it as fact. That’s called science.

I’d love to know what you think! Please share!

 

UPDATE TO THIS STORY:

https://visitcryptoville.com/2014/07/01/game-changer-1-russian-yeti-the-dyatlov-pass-mystery-new-insights/

Please be sure to come back and visit CryptoVille any time. We’ve got lots of articles about all sorts of things that should interest lovers of strange and mysterious creatures, as well as strange phenomena. The Search bar (near the top right corner of the home page) works very well.  There is also a list of categories further below that, which you can browse.

Please also stop by our Facebook page, CryptoVille, where we share all manner of strange, beautiful, and sometimes silly things related to all things cryptid! Please Like our page while you’re there.

References:

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/01/mountain-of-the-dead-the-dyatlov-pass-incident/

http://www.sptimes.ru/story/25093

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401175/Dyatlov-Pass-Indicent-slaughtered-hikers-Siberias-Death-Mountain-1959.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident

http://doubtfulnews.com/2014/06/dyatlov-pass-and-mass-murdering-yeti-a-dn-exclusive/

99 comments

  1. Something put a fright into all them – hysteria – so much so that they fled totally unprepared for the exterior conditions. Some have suggested infrasound – possible, but I don’t think all people are affected the same way. Some noise outside the tent? Animal? Explosion? The lights in the sky rapidly coming toward their location? If an animal – be it a bear or a menk – does it makes sense to flee suddenly – last man for themselves? No weapon of any kind – they left the ax, knives etc. No sign of chase foot prints. And, they go for 1100 meters toward the forest…so getting off the slope was important. Then, realizing they will die without supplies, three try to go back in the dark. So many unanswered questions. The immense rib injuries to some require an explanation. A fall into a ravine is not likely to result in such massive injuries. No report that I have seen indicates other foot prints. The fuzzy figure photo could be either a team member with hood up or the mysterious menk. A very bizarre case.

    • As you say Jo, a very bizarre case. I hope one day we do know, but as I mentioned I think it’s going to need a more scientific approach to figure it out. … Susan (CryptoVille)

  2. Excellent Russian video – two part…..The two most rational theories relate to rocket launch effects…explosion or shock wave. The snow slide / avalanche triggered by the shock wave is discussed and seems to fit the evidence except for the specific slope they were on which is not conducive. The blast effect on those outside the tent and falling on rock could account for injuries etc.

  3. The show’s hosts made a mockery of a tragic situation. The only good thing that came out of this show was resurrecting remembrance of those youth. Perhaps in this day and age the mystery will be solved.

    • Yes, it is Thomas. Even if ultimately the Yeti is absolved from any role in the students’ deaths, I believe they probably exist. The native people, the Mansi, know more about that area than we ever will. I believe them. … Susan (CryptoVille)

      • I belong to a very small group who have seen Sasquatch up close and personal. Knowing we would be scoffed at and ridiculed if we went public we keep the experiences to ourselves. BTW every one of us has passed a polygraph exam which is a requirement in order to be taken seriously. My bff was chased through a forest in the Northeast and if not for her two attack-trained Rottweilers she would not have escaped.

        • Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing your story. That must have been terrifying for your friend. May I ask what part of the Northeast that was?

          Whereabouts did you and your group have your other encounters? If you prefer you can email me at visitcryptoville@gmail.com.

          Thank you for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille).

  4. There was no evidence of an avalanche and I don’t know if falling on rocks would cause a both a tongue to be ripped out and eyes to be gouged out. I’m not sure what to make of the cave part, but I’m not discounting it just because there was no one else there to capture the footage. There are other programs where the host sets up, or holds, their own camera. All I can say at this point is that they’ve at least uncovered some credible evidence so far.

    • Well, ripped and gouged may not have been the correct term..missing, yes, but considering when she was found in May, there was plenty of opportunity for scavenging animals or other natural processes. However, there a many unanswered questions. Their massive injuries could not have taken place on the slope as they were the last to live. A fall seems unlikely as they were living in that place with the makeshift shelter. Some compelling natural force…whatever it was.

      Also, the “eyewitness” testimony of the odd tracks was new information.
      Nothing in the official reports. Though, the image used of the climbing tool and the foot print looks like it came from the Himalayan photo by Sir Edmund Hillary.
      This mix of truth and fakery simply ruins an otherwise interesting show.

  5. I thought the evidence and testimony in this show was more credible, more compelling and more fascinating than any other show I have ever seen about the Yeti/Bigfoot/Sasquatch. I have always loved the idea of the existence of this creature eluding man for so long. I also had never heard about this tragedy in the Ural Mountains before or the Mansi Tribe, so that mystery in itself was intriguing. I hope the Yeti really does exist and that it is proven some day, but I am a skeptic too. I mean, there has never been a corpse found or a young one caught. No definitive DNA samples, skat, or bones are in possession. Most sightings and photos can be explained away.

    • There is a widespread opinion that yeti or sasquatch, has a supernatural aspect. Hence, sometimes sightings have been accompanied by ufo sightings, only a couple prints that seem to dead end with no additional prints or tracks, super fast speed and strength, sulfer smell, no dead bodies, or at least not any made public. I am leaning toward this idea.

  6. Confirmed – the foot print photo is from 1951 Mt. Everest expedition. Easy to Google search and find it.

  7. Photo was taken by Eric Shipton and Michael Ward on the 8th November 1951 on Menlung Glacier during their exploration of the Gauri Sanker range in the Himalayas.

  8. From what I saw and heard on the show, I believe that the Yeti probably thought that the students were stalking him and when the lights exploded, it freaked out and attacked them. All of the other instances that they mentioned involved a large group of people and then the lights and noise from explosives, I think the same things seemed to be happening and the Yeti attacked and the students ran and died.

    • my problem with the majority of the theories is they say the students ‘ran’ wheras the photos clearly show their footprints, i’m in uni for crime scene investigation and the tracks show they walked

      • What an interesting point, Samuel! I hadn’t noticed that and clearly, neither did a LOT of other people. The whole situation was just so strange, I’m not sure we’ll ever know the whole truth. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

        And thank you for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

      • Read about this extensively, some reports are that the initial escape from the tent showed running in different directions and then coming together as a group and walking to the treeline. Many differing accounts at the rescue site just add to the problem. What happened at the pass, stays at the pass. (it seems)

  9. This show was bollocks. Discovery should be ashamed. The fact that an author for a cryptozoology site bought into any bit of it is funny though.

  10. why has nobody gone there to really investigate after so many years, as for the investigation on discovery is it true or not, i think there is a answer to this yeti or not but you cannot find the answer with a aremed guesrd with a shotgun no way u go up there prepaired but is the tv show true

    • Hi Dave! I think the Discovery channel program is wrong. I found a TV program made by Russians themselves in 1997 that presents a very comprehensive look at the tragedy. It changed my mind and I think it very clearly points the finger as to what happened to the students. Check out this post on CryptoVille “Game Changer 3: Russian Yeti & the Dyatlov Pass Mystery – New Insights.” If you don’t want to read the whole article, scroll down to the final “wrap-up” at the end. … Susan (CryptoVille)

    • A good friend of mine with a five year old and an eight year old went to hunt elk in Washington. He stopped his truck because he saw elk tracks in a meadow. He told them to sit tight while he followed the tracks. In the middle of the meadow he heard a crash sound where his boys were in the truck. He returned to them and asked them what happened. They said a huge hairy man threw a log at the truck. My friend couldn’t lift the log and had to maneuver his truck away from it. That happened.

      • That is chilling, Adam!! To think those little boys were so close to a mean-spirited Bigfoot!! (Although it might not have seen the children inside the truck.)

        Thank you for visiting CryptoVille and sharing your story! … Susan (CryptoVille)

  11. I live in Oklahoma and go once a year to the winding stair mountains in southeast Oklahoma to hike far into the woods and camp at night in search of bigfoot. Do i believe they exist? Honestly I don’t know. I guess I could say I “hope” they do? This is such a crazy case. Like the imagination wonders.. (were her eyes gouged because she stared or her tongue “ripped” out because she wouldn’t shut up?) I just don’t understand why they were split up and why they hadn’t exited the front of the tent. That’s the only real piece that I dwell on. Why did they make holes inside the tent and why did they cut it to leave. They weren’t alone…

  12. Could the crush injuries simply have been from being under 13′ of snow? A cubic foot of snow varies from 5-25 lbs depending on type of snow…13′ of 20 lb snow =260 lbs per cubic foot….spread that over a human body and given time…who knows?

    • I believe the Mansi people, they have lived there for centuries, they live off of that land and they know it well, everything that grows and lives there. They have no reason to lie, they tried to tell the hikers not to go to the area. The Mansi lost nine hunters in much of the same circumstances years before the nine hikers were killed. They are a peaceful people from what I read. People who have never seen anything out of the ordinary should keep an open mind. Other people who have seen something out of the ordinary, forever have an open mind. The other theories make no sense. Sad for the horrible deaths of the nine hikers.

  13. I really enjoyed this article. Good work! You bring up some very valid points. I watched the Discovery show as well and I have been thinking about it frequently since I saw it. This whole story is fascinating to me. I also had issues with some of the events in the show, as you mentioned the whole cave scene seemed quite “produced” to me. Anyway, I am very intrigued by all of this and would like to do some more reading about it. It’s strange because I have spent my entire life reading about the unexplained, the paranormal and cryptozoology, but I had never heard about this incident before seeing the show on Discovery. Anyway, thanks for a very thoughtful and intelligent article.

  14. Something scared the living shit out of those students to make them leave their camp in the freezing cold. I do believe a yeti got them mainly for the fact that nothing else seems to add up. I believe there is something out their that got them and the Soviets were trying to cover it up. This is a rather upsetting but intriguing topic and I hope to per sue it further when I gain more experience.

  15. the sound of the yeti/snowman … is so close to the sounds the pigmy tribes in the Congo use to hunt duikers (small African antelope) it is suppose to resemble a duiker that’s hurt that attracts other to that area,

    • Hi Mike! I am fascinated to know this!! To me, that says a recording was used to make the “Menk” sound (and possibly other creatures on other TV shows).

      Very interesting & that’s something I’ll keep in mind. Thanks for sharing!

      Susan (CryptoVille)

    • You need to read the follow-up articles eusnnud. The story doesn’t end there. The link to the first one is at the bottom of this article. … Susan (CryptoVille)

  16. There really is no evidence for anything pointing to animal attack. The whole Menk hypothesis is based on the indistinct photo the crush injuries and the “missing” tongue and eyes (natural causes are most likely..birds etc). This is all pure conjecture and makes for a nice scary story. But, what actually happened remains a total mystery. The Russian video makes some plausible scenarios….rocket mishap…but, there are still things that don’t quite add up. IF the last to die were those last found, their injuries could not have happened
    initially as they were fatal. What killed them? This is where the whole Menk or whatever favorite cause comes to play. It is still hard to contemplate what drove 9 healthy young people to rush out of a tent, without shoes, coats, gloves etc. in very cold weather, descend about a mile to a distant forest tree line and sequentially die from hypothermia and others devastating injuries..

    • Jo, you may be interested in my follow-up articles on this subject. The first one is linked at the bottom of this article.

      If you don’t want all the detail, go to the 3rd installment and skip to the end.

      …Susan (CryptoVille)

  17. I did read all of the program material but the timing issue remains. How could at least two of the most severely injured have been among the last to die? If they were healthy enough to build a snow shelter it seems odd they would have incurred crush injuries at the outset. If later, the cause remains elusive…hence, a compelling natural force.

  18. These “evidence” are only possible deductions which cannot provide the definite answer. If the evidence for the Yeti is really found or the Russian government offers other authentic and useful information, the problems of this disaster can or may be possibly and correctly solved.

  19. Yep, and a mystery it remains, and a frightful one to consider. Things just don’t
    add up fully for any of the proposed hypotheses.

  20. I find it hard to believe the two young men found under the tree started a fire. If they were in their underwear and left their clothes behind then where did they get a lighter? Are we to believe that they ran without clothes, jackets and boots but remembered to grab a bic???

    • Good point Missy, it’s just another part of the mystery.

      I believe the Russian documentary when they say that’s what happened, though, because the people they interviewed were there and helped in the original investigation.

      … Susan (CryptoVille)

    • If I recall they were possibly stripped of some clothes by the survivors. But, in any case, the dash by the group in sub-zero weather through snow over 1 mile without adequate clothing and footwear is hard to understand. Whatever the “compelling force” it had to present an immediate danger or perception of danger to the whole group for such a hazardous retreat from their camp.

  21. I think the KGB were not far behind the blast and may have been responsible for the demise of the survivors. 2 of the men had wounds on their hands that would lead us to believe they were in some sort of fight. If it was with a “Yeti” there would be some hair or something on their hands or under their finger nails. The radiation is the story here, the evidence of that pretty much give Sasquatch a pass,

  22. No survivors no answers ! ! Something truly scary forced them to escape at once . . . a menk ? maybe . whatever it was they couldn´t make their way back to the campsite . I believe a group of menks was chasing them out there but where are the footprints ? ? No aswers ! ! After 50 years or so . . . and yet no answers !

  23. I’ve been in law enforcement for 24 years and think there is some credibility to the case. I say if this is nothing, then more hiking crews should journey to the mountain of the dead and see how long they last out there.

    • Yes John, I agree, there is a lot going on behind this story. I think the Russians in their documentary, which wasn’t sensational like the American Menk program, honed in the subversion in the Russian government and their military practices. It sure is a strange and puzzling story, not to mention tragic.

      Thank you for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

  24. After watching the documentary on the Destination America Channel, I have to conclude that the Menk may in fact exist. I live in Pennsylvania and have been around deer all of my life. I know how fast and agile they can be. For any animal, living in those conditions, to be able to grab a deer, in transit, break it’s neck/back and rip it’s tongue out would have to not only be super fast, the animal must be capable of abnormal strength. Then when you look at the injuries of the hikers, we’re talking again an abnormally high amount of strength. I’m sure that I don’t have to explain the strength involved in the removal of a human tongue. Also, I wholeheartedly believe that the Russian government would have no problem sending their army into the area, exterminating the Menk, and never sharing this information with any other country.

    • Hi John! The local native tribe (the Mansi if memory serves) still believe the Menk roam the areas near where they live. They’re still afraid of them. The area where the students wound up was a known (to the government) missile test range. So it was a lethal cocktail (so to speak) all around, that’s for sure!

      Thanks for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

  25. Your source was in part right! Instead of missiles put a pair of ufo lights that excited the hikers and that scared a group (three or four) of yetis attracted by lights too and the game is done, an odd game but not impossible! The cover up for the russians was too easy at that time with the “cold war test missiles” excuse which they might have launched but probably not in that particular case!

  26. I’m sorry, I don’t believe in a Yeti. Whatever that bright light was in the sky, probably caused a landslide and caught the hikers off guard. The landslide could fill the tent up with snow and tear the tent. Sometimes when people get so cold, they feel like they are burning and took off their clothes or had them off in the tent and just ran out. They all just took off running every which way. The one woman could have been so cold with her teeth chattering that she bite her tongue. It makes more sense than a Yeti. The one guy had his nose frozen off. Somebody just wanted a tv program to scare people and carry on the legend about the creature.
    Just my theory.

    • Hi Grace! I tend to agree with you on this. I most definitely think the government was covering up the fact that these hikers were nearly struck by one of their test missiles. I didn’t realize that about people freezing, then feeling like they’re on fire so they take off their clothes. That makes sense in the context of this tragedy.

      I believe the locals are probably right about the Bigfoot they see in their area, which they call the Menk. I believe there are several hairy bipeds walking around the world that science hasn’t yet acknowledged.

      That said, you might be interested in my article about the Yeti. Here’s that link:

      https://visitcryptoville.com/2016/05/31/yeti-or-not-a-paradigm-shift/

      As for the TV show about the Menk killing the students, I’m with you. It was just hype and sensationalism to get people to watch the show.

      Thanks for visiting CryptoVille!

      Susan (CryptoVille)

  27. Don’t you think the Russian Government would rather have you believe its a Yeti instead of something they did to cause the hikers death? They don’t want to put out money.
    As for the eyes on the one dead hiker being gone. I think a Bird flew by and saw the corpse and pecked out the eyes. That’s a very harsh land to try and live in, even for an animal. Just another theory.

  28. I didn’t see a hand written note that said, Snowman exist, it was typed. ????
    If your running for your life, when would there be time to write something?
    I still think it was a snow avalanche.
    There are more Bears around than a so called Big Foot. A bear would scare the heck out of me.
    I have been around for 78 yrs. and no Yeti has been caught in my life time.

    • Hi Grace, the note was written prior to their hasty exit. I don’t believe a menk did it but something (likely military rocket explosion) scared them enough to lead to a very hasty retreat from the tent. It is not likely to have been a snow movement as the slope is not great, the tent was standing and tracks uncovered. It remains a confounding mystery. The massive injuries to the “last’ survivors is not adequately explained.

  29. Why is it that people are combining SO many aspects/elements? I do believe the Russian Gov’t may have sent out a test rocket or weapon…that exploded either by chance or was blown up on purpose. First bright lights or orbs could have been observed by students…..then actual debris could have fallen within the area…….causing the students to get the hell out of there. Unless the Russian Gov’t knew for a fact that the students were camping in that very location…..I wouldn’t see how they would be accountable…..unless the “clean-up” crew got involved……..which may explain the hesitation and then, deaths of the students as they waited for them to leave.

    • Hi Becca! I think the main problem is that this happened during the Cold War when all military tests and escalations were extremely covert. It just adds a huge layer of secrecy to the account that makes people suspicious. That’s why I believe the Russian account – many of them lived through it and could witness to what life was like and conditions were like in the area at the time.

      Thanks for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

      • I have never seen a satisfactory explanation why the most massively injured were the last to die and what could have caused the compelling natural force. I do think it likely there was some kind of aerial phenomenon witnessed, be it a rocket burst or some other event that scared them to rush away from their tent in subzero temps. I can understand the exposure deaths but the massive chest crushing and other injuries were on those last to die….something does not make sense.

  30. Yes, I believe the operations were very covert..and the students witnessed it. Could the Injuries be due to the result of being kicked by rifle butts…or similar weapon? It would NOT have been in the Military’s best interest to shoot them…….as the citizens would have been outraged….neither could they “remove” the bodies……as searchers would be within the area for years looking. If they “froze” to death, and were removed by the searchers/families…the “incident” would eventually have to be forgotten. By this, I mean by everyday Russians. They would have had no way of knowing that within a few decades, we would all be discussing this via the internet. I have read a lot of Russian history, aside from this incident, of course, and the “classified” information they did keep may very well be destroyed forever. Thank you for allowing my comments……I am just now reading more about this in depth…yet, it was my gut instinct that this happened only. (Sort of wanted it to be a Yeti 🙂 )

  31. Hi, i am not sure if this thread is dead anymore but let me explain my point of view. I personally believe that in this case we should focus on those lights, or fireballs. I personally had an experience with those lights and saw it during hiking. I can explain very shortly what happens. My, my girlfriend and 2 other guys were hiking in eastern Europe. First night everything was OK. Second day we lost our trail and we found some old settlement so we made a camp fire there and search a map for next move. This settlement was just a simple house with 2 rooms and one kitchen room. Then we hear some whistle and saw in the forest those lights fast moving. First we was thinking that somebody is there but lights was so fast that no human being cant carry them. My friend came with theory it could be some ball lightning. I had a bad feeling about it but we move on and continues hiking. We found a trail and continues hike for about 6 hours that day. By the end of the day we lost trail again but we saw in the distance that there is some house in the wood so we decide to ask for directions. To be clear all day we check with GPS our location and also with hand compass. When we came closer to house i stayed shocked. Same fucking house as we were 6 hours before. Campfire was there also left from us. We start fighting that we are going in circles and blame each other that we lost half a day. My girlfriend cried and goes inside house. We continues fighting but then we heard screaming of my girlfriend going inside of house. We start running inside and i froze to dead. This house this fucking same house we visit few hours ago now has instead of 2 rooms and one kitchen one more bedroom. We were so confused that we run out fast and everybody stays silent. My girlfriend begs me to return home. So we decided to go home but we were unable to find correct directions. Those lights shows after one hour again. This time i don’t remember events so clear but i lost everybody and runs desperately down the forest. I cannot tell how much time passed when i found my girlfriend but she was so scared. I never seen a person so scared like her. We found our car after another hour and also one friend was waiting there for us. He doesn’t have a keys so he waited for us there. I beg them to wait for another friend which was missing. But they doesn’t remember anybody else. When we return i reported missing person on Police station. They doesn’t find anybody and also they don’t have even evidence about this person in their database. My GF stays on medical treatment on mental hospital now and never spoke to anybody else. Second friend left country.

  32. So far i believe those lights can somehow manipulate time an environment around you. I believe that group in tents experience same thing. Reality was another then they saw. That would explain their run from the tents without proper clothes. I cannot explain how scary it is. Mystery is also their injury but i believe if something can manipulate environment around you it could easily made you a huge injury. I search some history tales books and those lights were here spotted from early middle age. There is a lot of other tales about them. If somebody interested i can send him location of those events. I search newspapers almost century ago and there is a lot of cases people missing and never found in this area where we were hiking. And one last thought about yeti. If you see him and believe that yeti is somewhere out there you will never go sleep in tent without all clothes up. You will stay prepared for everything.

    • Hi Joe! No thread is ever dead in CryptoVille! LOL!! I’m always watching for news and comments! 🙂

      Anyway, I am intensely interested in your account. It DOES sound much like what the 9 college students experienced. I think your friend may have been onto something when he mentioned ball lightning, but I’ve never heard of it causing disorientation or hallucinations before. Is this an area of volcanic activity? Because if some strange gases were being emitted, they may have caused the mental confusion.

      I’d love to know where you were, the country and area. It’s very strange, scary, but interesting.

      I’m sorry about the loss of your friend. That is very unfortunate.

      Well, let me know where this happened if you don’t mind sharing. Thanks!

      And thanks for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

  33. Hi Susan, sorry for late reply. I was hiking there again during last days and search for some clues but without any result. Area is without any volcanic activity or gases supplies around. All happens in mountain area called Tribec. It is located in Slovakia and here you can find more information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe%C4%8D. Mountain range is very accessible by tourists. Biggest peak is mountain called Big Tribec only 835 meters altitude. I start to be addicted about this whole thing and start some small investigate. For the last decade i found there is few people missing in this area without any explanation. First documented missing was dated in 1929 when local hunter goes on regular walk to wood. He knows very well surroundings but he never came back to hut. Those woods are also populated with brown bears but in this case of attack there will be some remaining of body. Nobody never found any evidence of missing people. Year later young student goes trough shortcut visit her friends in another village but also she never showed up. In 1939 another worker get missing on his hike tour. During winter 1980 one person was living near Tribec in small house. When he dont show up for few weeks his friends goes to check him. His house was locked from inside but nobody inside. During June 2012 Mr. Jaroslav Buransky from Zirany get lost in this area. Police still searching for this person till today and he is registered as missing person in database till today. This i found on local news papers. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/209970/policia-patra-po-nezvestnom-hubarovi/ Anyway local people do not want to speak about this events or don’t remember. Also this area with empty houses feel really discomfort and during night very creepy. I will let you know if i found something else.

    • Yes Joe, please let us know if you find anything more about that area. It is very strange and mysterious. Do you ever hear stories about the Menk that the local native people near Dyatlov referred to? Here in the US, some researchers claim that Bigfoots will take and kill humans to eat. I’m wondering if the Menk, IF it’s in that area, might do the same.

      Then again, mountainous areas are usually dangerous places due to animals around, treacherous terrain, crazy weather, and the easy way people can get lost.

      Well, I’ll look forward to hearing anything that you find. Good luck and be safe! … Susan (Cryptoville)

  34. I want to check off a few boxes in my life. reason all possibilities. Validate without question. Truth yourself first. All the rest has been solved. Think it out. Always have open perceptual mind.

  35. Its amazing how long these programs get aired around the globe, i usually quickly switch to other channels. However i wanted to see what the date was for the current version of these programs. So i was not really surprised to see it is the 2014 series being aired again and again. Looking further to the dates of the other monster stories and so called sights i ended up with the same ages old dates.
    So it seems this channels clearly have no real content anymore to air so they send the million ages old programs again and again. I wonder if all these old man still am alive and get paid for their so called monster hunts :D.

    • It’s even worse with UFO shows, Bronan. They hype those shows to sound like they have new evidence or reports and all we get is Roswell, Rendlesham Forest, Shag Harbor, Betty & Barney Hill, etc. all over again.

      They know people like these topics, so they just keep trotting out a lot of the same repetitive stuff. Josh Gates recently did a show about the Dyatlov Pass tragedy and he actually went there with some experts and did an analysis. It was a good show, and I feel he whittled down the possibilities in the same way I did. In the end, he didn’t really want to commit to it having been caused by Russian military tests gone bad, but I have no problem saying it. I feel sure that’s what was behind it all because that’s what the Russians throughout that area said. It’s a good episode of Expedition Unknown, if you get a chance to see it.

      Thanks for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

  36. The photo of the yeti that they claim the hikers took. That was in the original photos from the found camera? I don’t remember this picture.

    • Hi Rebecca! Yes, that picture was taken by the students prior to the tragedy. However recent photographic analysis has clearly shown that was a photo of one of the students dressed in their winter hiking gear, and not a Yeti at all.

      That said, the local native population firmly state that there is a bipedal ape or man-like creature roaming those woods. They encounter it from time to time. They call this version of Bigfoot the Menk. But I don’t believe that creature had anything to do with the tragedy, and neither do the Russians whose report I studied.

      Thank you for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

    • Hi Robert! I think we all do. From all I’ve read and seen about the event, I believe it was their own government that accidentally killed them by launching test missles right over that area (which they did regularly). You have to wonder why people would hike there, then. Even the local natives said that place should be avoided – they knew about the government testing. Crazy stuff.

      Thank you for visiting CryptoVille! … Susan (CryptoVille)

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