The inaccessible mountains of the Urals have always attracted the close attention of tourists, because many ancient legends are associated with them. Those who dare to take a risky journey are not afraid of the unfavorable nature and harsh climate. Mother Nature has created amazing masterpieces, whose beauty strikes on the spot.
The place is beautiful but dangerous
Unfriendly mountains with unsettled tourist routes have been little studied, but all the more interesting for travelers. There is no nicer place on the Ural ridge than Otorten, which is considered the anomalous zone. The mountain, which claimed the lives of people, is known not only to climbers: a lot of material has been written and filmed about the peak with an unkind reputation.
Mountain tradition
The fact is that at different times and under mysterious circumstances people died here. Locals say that at the top, whose name translates as "do not go there," terrible things happened. Shamans, to appease the spirits, brought bloody sacrifices. The goddess of death living on the mountain took nine living creatures into her arms, but after the ritual killings of birds and animals, a tragic incident occurred that claimed the lives of Mansi hunters.
The mysterious mountain of Otorten, the legends of which have been going on for several hundred years, seems to have come to taste: contemporaries know about 27 dead in the vicinity of a place filled with mysticism. The Mansi people consider nine as a sacred number, opening the door to the spirit world, and I am sure that this is a symbol of both the end of life and its rebirth.
Tragedy, the reasons for which are still unknown
In 1959, the public was thrilled by the news that on the slopes of the mountain were found the bodies of experienced tourists, not the first time going on a hike. The circumstances of the deaths of young people to this day have not been clarified, although there are many versions explaining the causes of their mysterious death.
One way or another, but again the notorious Mount Otorten took nine lives.
Where is the abnormal zone located?
Places called the Ural Alps are located between the Sverdlovsk region and the Komi Republic. A beautiful corner that attracts travelers can rightly be called a natural miracle. At the foot of the peak there is a picturesque dwarf forest, and from its height an amazing view of the Lozva River valley playing with paints opens up. There is a five-meter stone ridge, the slope of which leads to the transparent lake Lunthusaptur.
Two peaks
The path to this peak passes through the infamous Dyatlov pass. Tourists are attracted by the echoes of the tragedy that took place 57 years ago and the fantastically beautiful views that Otorten is famous for.
“Mountain of the Dead” - Kholatchakhl - is located to the north, and enters the Stone Belt ridge. These are two peaks that tourists from the Dyatlov group wanted to conquer. Even the names of the mountains suggest that they should be avoided, but young and healthy tourists only laughed at the local folklore.
The punishment of the gods?
In 1959, a strange phenomenon was observed over the Northern Urals: Mansi was either approaching the earth, or soaring up bright fireballs clearly visible against a dark sky background. Residents in alarm watched the unusual picture and considered it the wrath of the gods for the fact that people came to conquer Otorten. The mountain did not give up the body, although hundreds of volunteers were looking for them.
And after the dead were found by a terrible death, terrible rumors began to circulate in the local villages about the merciless war that the gods declared to earthly creatures who tried to invade the forbidden territory.
Reconstruction of the infamous campaign
A trip to the Urals was long planned by an experienced leader Igor Dyatlov, who dreamed of going a route of the highest complexity. The group had to overcome about 350 kilometers on skis and conquer two peaks, about which there were terrible legends.
What made the group go to Otorten? The mountain, which local hunters don’t even glance at due to a bad reputation, is shrouded in secrets and mysticism. Perhaps this spurred students and graduates of the institute, who knew about the damned number and were very skeptical of village superstitions.
Ten tourists prepared for the difficult journey, but before the start of the trip one of them left the race.
On a cold January day, nine people went uphill, experiencing all the "charms" of the local climate: the wind knocked down did not allow them to go, and the circling snow stuck around their faces, not allowing anyone to see around. Woodpeckers decides to spend the night in tents in order to lead the group further in the morning. He is inspired and enthusiastically awaits tomorrow, because Mount Otorten will reveal his secrets to him.
The death of the Dyatlov group
However, the tourists did not get in touch at the appointed time, and rescue activities were immediately organized. For three long weeks, they went searching for the missing group, until they found a tent left by people in extreme cold. Traces of students running down, as if disorientated or blinded, have survived. The frozen bodies of six young people who died from hypothermia were found in the snow, and the death of three others came from severe injuries incompatible with life.
The circumstances of the tragedy were hidden even from close relatives who were informed of the death from hypothermia, and all the results of the investigation were classified. Non-disclosure subscriptions were taken from the autopsy specialists who discovered a small amount of radioactive substance on clothing samples .
Having a great public outcry, the death of the group worried scientists. They were interested in what caused people to run out into the fierce frost, naked and under cover of night. The main version was the descent of an avalanche that killed students. However, there are also the most fantastic versions explaining the tragedy, which is dedicated to about twenty documentaries and television programs.
New name appearing on the map
The modest obelisks in the cemeteries of Yekaterinburg are a constant reminder of her, and a new name appeared on the map - the Dyatlov Pass. Mount Otorten does not stop taking human lives. At the beginning of this year, Perm tourists discovered the corpse of a man who died from hypothermia. It is believed that the traveler went alone in the wake of the expedition to solve the mystery, and froze.
The route for the brave
Now for the brave souls, a tourist route has been developed: Ivdel - Dyatlov Pass - Otorten Mountain, which is a memorable trip. A helicopter takes tourists from the northernmost city of the Sverdlovsk Region, which will throw them into the picturesque Mansi village and the famous pass. During the trip, the group is under the scrutiny of experienced instructors with special knowledge and skills.
Mount Otorten: how to get there?
You can drive to the mountain on your own in the following way: arrive in Yekaterinburg, and from it take the train or a passing car to Ivdel, from which SUVs go to the village of Ushma. It is from there that the trek through the famous Dyatlov Pass begins. A few hours drive, and tourists are greeted by the mysterious mountain of Otorten.
How to get to the picturesque place, it is easy to find out from local residents. They will also show the cleanest lakes in which you can swim, and tell about ancient legends passed down from generation to generation.
The mystery of our planet
More than 50 years have passed, and the true causes of the death of the Dyatlov group are hidden from the public. Tourists visiting these places do not pass by the pass, and lay flowers at the memorial plaque, installed at the foot of a natural miracle called Otorten.
The mountain keeps the circumstances of death and is in no hurry to share with anyone. When one of the main mysteries of our planet will be revealed, no one knows.