This was recorded during the summer and meant to be our first podcast in this series, but it didn’t work out that way, so enjoy a little bit of a trip back in time in the banter at the beginning. Remember Pokemon Go? Ha ha ha ROFLMAO etc., etc., etc. In any case, enjoy!

Today we will be heading to 1959 Russia, to a place called Oroten Mountain which in the local Mansi language means, no joke, “Don’t go there”.  Ten skiers went in.  One came out.  The rest ended up in a place called Kholat Syakhl.  Mountain of the dead.  Though that was not as spooky as it sounds.  The literal translation from the Mansi means “place with no game” but hey, it ended up being legit!

The leader of the group, Igor Dyatlov, was an experienced hiker, climber and guide.  The other members, were also used to long hikes, ski trips and mountain expeditions.  They took a train to a place in the Ural mountains called Ivdel, then took a truck to Vizhai, the last inhabited place that far north.  Which seems like the sort of place you should not go past.  But, whatevs, on January 27, 1959, they started off on their super fun trip through freezing mountains.

Some of the group in happier times. Before they were all dead. But why and how did they die? Nothing about this story leaves you with obvious answers.