Thank you! I actually have written a book about this.
And I have to say- you write beautifully! Your words are so descriptive and compelling! I kept wanting to read more.
Thank you for this and I agree completely with what you're saying about this mystery. It's so difficult to decipher.
The person you're replying to did actually write a book on the topic, linked above: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Nine-Dyatlov-Pass-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07MSFVWS5/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1548951201&sr=8-4&keywords=dyatlov+pass
I've written a book about Dyatlov Pass. In it I go over the hikers, the hike itself, the autopsies, the injuries, and the theories. The book contains a huge collection of photos, facts, and clues. I also go over a lot of the theories and why they are or aren't viable.
It's getting very good reviews on /r/DyatlovPass and on Amazon itself.
My book is called Death of Nine: The Dyatlov Pass Mystery.
In fact, since this post didn't get much traction, you can always post this same question at /r/DyatlovPass. It's a small sub, but there are folks there who are definitely interested in discussing the mystery.
As for why the Russians re-opened the case: I believe the officials have been getting a lot of pressure from the families and special interest groups. They probably feel pressured to do something and this is one way for them to answer all those questions. The Russians themselves have always thought this was a cover-up, so the officials may want to clear that up also.
Buy a few guns, learn to filter your own water, and be cool with eating roots, bugs, and maybe some human flesh every once in a while and you're gonna be fine. The Bay Area is going to be a cornucopia of easy pickings.
Seriously, though, read this book, build the recommended kits (they're very small and extremely portable), and spend a weekend practicing the recommended skills like building fire and shelter in the National Parks/Forests: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M719VG4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
You can shortcut a lot of it buy buying the small items on Amazon (torch lighter, Life Straw, etc.).
Keep the tiny kit on your person at all times, the other in your car or in a safe location nobody knows about.
Once disaster hits, you're going to want to get out of the city as fast as possible.
The Bay Area is in no way shape or form ready to absorb the damage from a catastrophic earthquake. Our highways and infrastructure already grind to a halt during rush hour.
And remember when the vineyards were on fire and the human garbage came from all around to loot the abandoned homes? Those are the types of people you have to worry about, because they'll be attracted to the carnage like flies to shit.
Real talk, if you have to ask this question to randos on the internet, you should almost certainly not be in the backcountry this year. Avy risk and trail crowding will be at an all-time high because of the number of first-timers thinking exactly the same as you. If you don't already have potential partners to show you the ropes, now is not the time to be dabbling.
I would get setup for future seasons.
But I wouldn't plan on consistently getting out into the field unless you can either afford multiple guided trips or find experienced partners willing to mentor you.
Absolutely! Snow is incredibly interesting and demands respect.
If you are interested in a primer, get the book "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain"
There are a few courses online if you look around, ask over at r/backcountry
Check your local library for this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GSYB74A/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Also, following along with your local avalanche center is a great way to learn about the dangers in your particular area.
There's a good short guidebook called "10 Classic Alpine Climbs of Japan". The author's blog is also pretty good.
I picked up a copy of The Self Coached Climber and believe it is a great learning resource for the newer climber.
It is a little bit older, and I wouldn't say I learned anything ground breaking, but it gets you to think about technique in different ways and gives you some different drills to help you practice your fundamentals.
I'm an alpinist/mountaineer type, but I can't recommend this enough:
> In Training for the New Alpinism, Steve House, world-class climber and Patagonia ambassador, and Scott Johnston, coach of U.S. National Champions and World Cup Nordic Skiers, translate training theory into practice to allow you to coach yourself to any mountaineering goal. Applying training practices from other endurance sports, House and Johnston demonstrate that following a carefully designed regimen is as effective for alpinism as it is for any other endurance sport and leads to better performance. They deliver detailed instruction on how to plan and execute training tailored to your individual circumstances.
> Whether you work as a banker or a mountain guide, live in the city or the country, are an ice climber, a mountaineer heading to Denali, or a veteran of 8,000-meter peaks, your understanding of how to achieve your goals grows exponentially as you work with this book. Chapters cover endurance and strength training theory and methodology, application and planning, nutrition, altitude, mental fitness, and assessing your goals and your strengths.
> Chapters are augmented with inspiring essays by world-renowned climbers, including Ueli Steck, Mark Twight, Peter Habeler, Voytek Kurtyka, and Will Gadd. Filled with photos, graphs, and illustrations.
It definitely helps, but I'd put it the other way around. Like, lifting before I started climbing made my start easier. I moved through the easy routes much faster than some starters because I already have enough strength that my weaknesses are in technique rather than physical limitations. The fact that I already have good physical strength has 100% impacted my climbing in a positive way.
That's my anecdotal information. The following, on specialized training and exercises that can be good for climbing, are drawn from what I learned from this excellent book about the philosophy of training to climb.
That being said, there are lifts that absolutely help climbing from a fitness standpoint. Things that increase upper-body endurance and grip strength, as well as core power. Pullups, OHP, deadlift, all come to mind. One of the basic ideas of climbing is also using your legs to push upward rather than your arms, so it follows logically that stuff like squats that help core, stability, and leg power are good for it.
At a certain level, specialized training should take over, but unless we're talking basic fatigue, there's no reason that weight training would impede climbing ability. It's also worth noting that climbing doesn't do much for your chest, so doing chest training is a good idea.
(Caveat: alpinist, not BC'er)
You'll get some, but it is towards the end of the season and given the snowfall this year (low, generally) it might be on the shoddy end. I was on Tateyama/Tsurugi in early May last year and there were plenty of BC guys around there - it was baselayer weather, though, and pretty slushy by the end of the day.
Fuji would usually still be in, but again I'm just not sure this year - Jan was almost bare up there, and while there's been a decent dump in early Feb, it was getting warm again last week. Unless there's a decent fall again in March, I think May might be pretty barren.
Would recommend getting in touch with Damian at Hakuba Mountain Life for beta (https://www.facebook.com/mountainlifejp/?fref=ts on ) - tell him CJW put you his way :-)
If you fancy getting some routes in rather than skiing, then it's worth checking out Tony Grant's new ebook (http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Alpine-Climbs-Japan-Climb-ebook/dp/B01ARU5KR0) - a steal at only $5.99...
There are nicer packs on the market, but the BCA Float is on sale right now at a few places for a pretty good price. As /u/joekrivak said, you still need a beacon and probe. First, you may not reach your rip cord in time, or may not stay on top. Second is that someone else in your party may get buried, and you will need that beacon and probe to save their life (and the shovel).
I really recommend taking an avalanche course so you can learn how to use all this gear correctly.
There are a lot of classes available in your area. We thought about driving down there to take one but they ended up offering one at a community college near me. A class really helps drill in rescue procedures. I highly recommend Avalanche Essentials by Bruce Tremper. I read the book Snow Sense before going to my class. Snow Sense is the book that was used in class.
I'm not a fan of Freedom of the Hills, despite it being considered the standard text. I find the prose dry to point of being unreadable, like it was written by committee.
I prefer the Mountaineering Handbook by Connally. It's engagingly written, though his opinions are controversial (he recommends the bowline with Yosemite finish as a tie-in).
High Crimes by Michael Kodas. Kodas was on the mountain and met David Sharp, gives an exhaustive account.
Another eye-opening book about Everest is Death Zone by Matt Dickenson. He was on the mountain during the 1996 storm, and gives an account of how the Japanese team left the Indian team to die on the North Face.
Thanks for all the downvotes for relating additional facts about the subject at hand.