There are always reports of hikers going missing in remote areas, and most of the time they are found with a reasonable explanation as to what happened to them. But the Dyatlov Pass Incident that took place in 1959 still has many questions left to be answered. With all of the evidence that was brought to light in the late nineties when most of the documents were released surrounding what happened to the hikers, there are several things missing which gives us more questions than answers. So, let’s take a step back in time and give the Dyatlov Pass Incident a look and see what theories you might want to believe about what might have happened on one terrible night in February 1959.

Setting up a ski trek across the northern Urals in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, teacher Igor Dyatlov gathered his group of nine students and graduates to go with him. With the goal of reaching Otorten Mountain, a category 3 hike, all of his group were experienced hikers and ready to move out. During their ascent up the mountain, one of the members, Yuri Yudin was forced to turn back due to illness and never heard from his group again. With the promise of a telegram when returning to the base camp, Dyatlov did not plan on what would happen to his other members, much less that none of them would be making it off of the mountain alive.

Not getting word from Dyatlov that the group had made it back safe and sound, on February 20th, a search party was formed and headed up the mountain. What they found would lead to the mystery surrounding this incident.  Locating the original camp site, the group took note that the main tent was cut open from the inside and footprints led to their first discovery of the hiker’s bodies. Finding two bodies that appeared to be frozen to death, it is noted that the two were wearing next to no cold weather gear, they were only in their underwear with no boots to keep warm from the subzero temperatures. It did appear that there was a fire set by the tree they were found under, and the tree showed signs of being climbed as branches were broken off up to fifteen feet high. 

Moving further from camp, three more victims were located under a couple feet of snow and were said to be facing the direction of camp. With no visible injuries, it was determined that they all froze to death as well. But still they were not dressed to be in the cold climate, granted they wore a little bit more than the first two that were found, but not enough to say alive for that much longer.

Moving further down by a ravine, the final four bodies of the group were discovered and these ones lead to what is truly puzzling. These bodies had wounds, unlike the previous ones found, with a couple fractured skulls and massive internal injuries.  But what was interesting about these finds was that there was no external trauma found on the bodies that could have caused their internal injuries. One of the women from the group was also found with her face torn up, since she was missing her eyes, lips and tongue, and many of the bodies were discovered with a change in their skin pigmentation and their hair color.

Getting all of the victims off of the mountain and giving them a proper burial, the mountain was closed for three years. No real investigation was started to find out what really happened to these poor hikers, and autopsies were not performed on the ones that were deemed to have frozen to death. This all leads to all sorts of questions and when the official files were released, since there were plenty of things that seemed to be missing from the reports and more questions are raised as to what could be getting covered up. Why would experienced hikers cut their way out of their tent in subzero temperatures without proper clothing?  What would have caused them to separate so far away from their camp? Why was their skin and hair pigmentation changed when located on the mountain? What could have caused the internal injuries and how were there no signs of blunt force trauma on their bodies? How would some of the clothes get doused with radiation?

With all of these questions that really have not been answered, here are the popular theories as to what happened to the group.

Avalanche – This seems to be the most popular explanation as to what happened during the hikers last night. If an avalanche came down and knocked their tent down, the only way to escape would be to cut their way out. That could explain why not everyone was fully clothed when they left the tent, however, that does not explain why the tent was still found standing and no evidence was found in the camp site or the surrounding areas that an avalanche took place. Even with the bodies that suffered internal injuries that resulted in their deaths, a wall of snow would have left some extra scarring on their bodies somehow. Combined with the fact that their footprints were still found clear as day outside of the camp, this explanation gives little to no closure as to what happened.

UFOs – According to other groups on the mountain during that same time frame, fireballs were spotted in the sky. This was one of the top UFO spots in the country for some time and it was not out of the ordinary for these lights to be seen.  There is little evidence to prove or disprove that alien invaders could have been involved in what happened to the group, especially since their flying ships would have not left any trace on the snowy ground. With only the victim’s tracks being found and a discoloration on their bodies that indicated some advanced aging with grey hair and a hint of radiation, it could have been the little green men from a different planet.

Military Testing Ground – During this time frame, Russia and the United States were in the middle of the Cold War. It would not be out of the realm to think that Russia could have been testing out some of their newest inventions. The Parachute Mine is the most popular theory when it comes to this since they are set to detonate a six to ten feet above the ground, causing little damage to the ground, but inflicting massive internal injuries to organic life. I do really like this one, but I would have to believe that more of the hikers would have been affected by the blasts. And there was no report of the trees in the area having a lack of snow on them from the blasts.

Cryptozoological Event – Yeah, the Yeti. Why not since nothing else seems to make sense with what happened. The Yeti could have made its way into camp and come across the front of the tent forcing everyone to try and leave as quickly as possible. That could explain the distance from the camp that the hikers were found and even the first tree that was climbed out of fear. This is also the reasonable explanation for the three hikers that were found with the internal injuries, but I am sure that if a Yeti hit a person, they would show some sort of external injury as well. Once again, no other footprints were found around the area, but it is an interesting theory. 

A Cover Up – There is definitely something that is missing from the reports to what happened to the hikers, so something is being covered up, with the files being put into the top secret archives and the mountain being closed for three years following the discovery. But what it could be will be a question that might be answered many more years down the road as more documents are released. Yet, I doubt that what happened on the mountain was of the hikers own doing as things just don’t really add up to any of the explanations that have been given over the years.

My Take – Now, I am not a heavy duty camper, but one thing that I do know is that the higher you get up on a mountain, the more wind you will endure, so camping on a flat uncovered section of land does not make sense for any seasoned hikers to do, especially on a mountain. Most of the time, they would find a place that would be protected from the elements, like in a wooded area where the bodies were found over a mile away from camp. The cutting of the tent from the inside also does not sit well with me, even if there is something at the entrance of a tent, you would not risk the elements getting in if you believe you can survive. The lack of clothing found on the victims implies that they left in a hurry, so something spooked them, but it did not apply to everyone in the group, which means that some of them were not surprised by whatever happened in camp and being found so far away means that they were heading back, not running away.

So there is a chance they could have stumbled on something classified. It has been noted for years that the Russian Government likes to keep a lid on everything that could put them in the news, especially UFOs and strange events. I believe there is a chance that within their hike, the group found something that they were not supposed to see, perhaps something that had to do with a nuclear weapon and their campsite was too close for comfort, that would cover the radiation on their clothes and pigment discoloration of their skin and hair. Trying to move their campsite before being discovered, four of them were able to escape while the remaining were forced to answer questions and left for dead. The campsite was taken down, the tent was slashed against the snow, since the inside and outside looked the same. The campsite was moved away from the secret area and put in the open so it would be easily found. Putting footprints in the snow leading to the victims, away from the secret area, the troops covered up their footprints and aided in the search to keep their secret safe. 

Is that what happened? Who knows, but it would answer more of the questions that have been left out there concerning what really happened. There are several ideas about what happened in the camp back in February 1959, but only those in the camp would be able to answer any questions as I am sure that whomever else was there will never speak of the event. The questions still remain as to why those who were said to have frozen to death never got autopsied and why no other investigations were ever opened to give the hiker's families some sort of closure. According to reports, the pass is opened again and I am sure that there are many people out there thinking about giving it a look and try to solve the mystery themselves and all I can say to them is to be careful, especially if you find a hidden door or cave, it could lead to something you don’t want to be a part of.

If you are like me, you get to hearing about mysteries in the past that have never been solved and want to know what really happened. I am a sucker for a good story and can come up with all sorts of ideas about what actually happened, rather than what the reports are trying to tell you. With my love for history and being one of the few people left that actually likes to do research, I will admit that the addition of the internet is pretty cool to use for these purposes, since even the same site with different listings for an event has different information attached, so you have to do a little bit more research to find out what they are trying to say as the stories tend to stay the same, while the facts are always a little bit different. Today I would like to weigh in on the Roanoke Lost Colony Mystery since I have a few thoughts of my own about what happened that are not listed as the possible reasons of the disappearance of over a hundred people that has never been solved.

So here is the story of what happened on Roanoke Island back in 1584. Sir Walter Raleigh was granted a charter to colonize North America in the name of the queen before the Spanish were able to get a foot hold. Needing to set up a colony to have, hold and enjoy, Raleigh was also supposed to develop an outpost for ships filled with privateers* that could head off the Spanish fleet and take their treasures as they continue to raid the south. With ships exploring the southern coastline of North America, Captain Grenville’s fleet was hit by a terrible storm, forcing them to break up and Grenville was able to establish a fort while waiting for his other ships to arrive on the banks. Tired of waiting for his ships, he abandons his fort and heads back up the coast to Newfoundland to privateer. 

In 1585 a new exploration into the southern coast takes place again and this time Grenville is able to find a spot to try and colonize. But there is a problem, a lack of supplies, so he heads back to Europe to refill leaving 100+ people to colonize the area. Building a fort, the group is met by hostile natives whom they are able to fight off, but most of the colonists want to return home since life in their new home is not what they were promised. To their surprise, Sir Francis Drake had spotted the group and gave most of the survivor’s safe passage back to Europe. After getting supplies, Grenville returned to Roanoke and found it abandoned. Leaving a small garrison of a dozen or so men to keep a presence there, the captain returned home as well.

In 1587, Raleigh dispatched a new group of 115 colonists to establish England’s presence in the New World. Being led by John White, the group was supposed to stop and pick up Grenville’s men at Roanoke from the previous year, but only found the fort and a skeleton in what seemed to be an abandoned post once again. The master pilot, Simon Fernandez refused to allow any of the colonists back on their ship as the abandoned settlement seemed fine for what they needed to do. Not heading any further north to Chesapeake Bay as instructed, Fernandez seemed to have this destination in mind before the ships made it to land.

Setting up their settlement, John White is able to smooth over relations with the local tribes and make sure his daughter and new granddaughter were well tended to. But once again the supplies were running low and White would need to return to England to resupply. What should have been a three month voyage turned into three years for the aging man who was able to get his requests tended to, but he was not able to get a ship as England’s war with Spain was in full effect. Being able to secure two ships in 1588, the captains were more concerned about lining their own pockets than making it to the colonists and the precious cargo was lost. In 1590, White was finally able to cross the Atlantic to his small colony, but found it abandoned, and this is where the story comes into play and reports vary in description.  

It appeared that the settlement had moved as the wall that was constructed was moved further inland than White had remembered and the area was overgrown with vegetation. The buildings that stood tall and true were no longer standing and not a soul was to be found in the surrounding areas. Searching for a sign of a Maltese cross that he told the colonists to carve into a tree if they were attacked by the natives, he was not able to locate one, but instead found a carving in a fence post that said CROATOAN and a carving on a tree that just said CRO. Believing that this meant that his people moved islands, as Croatoan was the name of an island hosting a friendly tribe, White took his boats back out to set sail looking for his people, but got caught in a storm that pushed him further out into the Atlantic and he was forced to head back to England without knowing what happened to the settlement.

Raleigh decided to try and find out what happened to the colony years later and in 1602 his first attempt came back empty handed and Raleigh was arrested for treason shortly after, so he could send no further expeditions. In 1603, Bartholomew Gilbert tried to find the Lost Colony as well, but weather once again came into play and his expedition was blown off course. Their luck did not get any better, since the landing party, including Gilbert, were killed by a group of Native Americans shortly after they landed. 

When Jamestown was founded, John Smith also had interest in the Lost Colony, but the normal means of searching was not working so he turned to the local Powhatan tribe for answers. Hearing from the Chief Powhatan that he massacred the white people that were traveling with the Chesepains, a rival tribe, Smith believes that he has found the final answer as to what happened to the Lost Colony. In 1610, William Strachey, the Secretary of Jamestown also got the same response from Chief Powhatan and this was accepted as truth, however, the story that Powhatan has conveyed seemed to line up with more about what happened to a garrison with a small amount of men and not families being harbored by the Chesepains, so there are more questions than answers from this.

Well, there is the story behind the mystery, now on to the theories as to what happened to the colonists after John White left them alone in an unforgiving country.

Integration with local tribes – This seems to be the most popular and most likely to have happened theory out there. When more archeologists are trying to find out what happened back during 1587, they have found that during this time, the area was having the worst drought in over 800 years and it would have been next to impossible for the colonists to grow their own food without help from the natives. While everyone seems to gravitate to this theory very quickly, what I find interesting is that none of the Native American sites have any artifacts from European settlers that would indicate that this happened.  With the lack of evidence to support this, there has to be more that we are missing.

Slaughtered by a tribe – During this time frame, it was hard to know what was going to happen with the local tribes, even if you were on good terms with them, a random murder would happen outside of camp.  While the settlers were not trying to encroach on the new territory to take it away from the natives, they could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time when another tribe was making their paces. What does not leave this theory with much to stand on is the lack of bodies around Roanoke since Native Americans did not observe the same types of burial rights as the English and there would have been some sort of evidence of burning in the area, even after three years.

The Spanish destroyed the colony – I kind of like this theory, but the biggest problem with it is that there is no evidence of a struggle and the buildings in Roanoke were taken down, not burned to the ground which was a trademark of a village being pillaged. Besides the fact that the Spanish were still looking for the colony after John White found that it was no longer there years earlier. 

The Dare Stones - This is an interesting part of the story that I just found out about while doing some research. The original Dare Stone is said to have been written by Eleanor Dare, the daughter of John White, and tells of an attack that took place at the colony where many people died. With only seven survivors, Eleanor says that there will be another stone that will reveal where all of the bodies are buried. Getting a huge story in 1937 after being found, many ‘Dare Stones’ were brought in with different stories attached to them and most of them were found to be counterfeit, but a few might be able to point the searchers for the Lost Colony in the right direction. This really seems to be the only possible clue about what might have happened back in 1587, but only if it is legit. 

The Virginia Pars Map – A map drawn by John White during his visit to Roanoke Island in 1585. The map is supposed to show the location of the colony, but it was discovered in 2011 that the map has patches on it that could be hiding the true location. When sitting on top of a light box, you can see what was covered and a large square shape symbol with oddly shaped corners can be seen. Many people believe this to be the fort where the colonists chose to settle around.

An elaborate sham – This is one of my theories on what happened on Roanoke Island. One of the things that I believe is that the colonists were killed on arrival to the island and only a few survivors stayed on the boats, including John White. When his supplies were getting depleted, he decided to leave and say that the colony was doing fine, rather than face the repercussions of a massive failure. My reasoning behind this falls onto the buildings being taken down in the colony. Nobody does this, especially if they are moving to a different island, since there really is no good way to move all of the wood. If the colony was really there, there would be something that indicated that it did exist within three years of missing it and there was only a fence? That seems a little odd to me.

John White wanted freedom for his colony – One of the things that comes to mind when hearing about the Virginia Pars Map and the covered sections, is that John White wanted to get out from under the thumb of England. Knowing that nobody would question him when they found that the colony had gone missing, his people could be living anywhere in the New World and if they were able to integrate with the local tribes, there would be no better way in doing it. Make a false town, don’t leave anything that even implies that the English have settled there and most of all, leave no clues behind that can be followed up upon, resulting in freedom for the first English colony that could have landed anywhere in North America and found a safe place to live for generations.

There you have it, the history and theories of what happened on Roanoke Island back in the sixteenth century. Will we ever know what really happened there? I hope we do, but most signs are pointing to no.  One of the biggest issues for trying to find out what happened to the 115 people that went missing is the overall lack of evidence that they were even there. Some Archaeologists believe that the settlement has been pulled underwater with how much the land has been eroding in the area, and while that seems like something new to look at, I don’t think anyone would have settled that close to the ocean with the storms that were always moving in. But hey, keep your eyes open to see what they are able to find next and hopefully one day we will have the answers that we are looking for, rather than more questions, which always seems to be the case.

*Privateer – an armed ship owned and officered by private individuals holding a government commission and authorized for use in war, especially the capture of enemy merchant shipping. Pretty word for a Pirate.