On January 20th, we board the Ivdel train. January 21st is the first day of travel from Ushma to Dyatlov Pass. We'll follow the Dyatlov group's route, fully loaded for 10 days. Of course, without the help of Grandpa Slava's carts, five-legged horses, or modern snowmobiles. We'll carry everything ourselves, on foot. Severe frosts are expected during the hike. Therefore, preparations are being made with this in mind. Everyone is taking extra warm clothing, just like the Dyatlov group did. I'd like to remind you that the Dyatlov group had a lot of clothing. In my opinion, it was simply too much. It was all found in a tent after the tragedy and returned to the relatives. There are clothing lists in the Case files.

What makes our route unique and different from many commercial routes? Firstly, our route is not commercial. We are not making money off of the tragedy. Each participant pays their own travel expenses to Ivdel. From Ivdel to Ushma, the project's sponsors paid for the participants' transportation. The drop-off and drop-off were also covered. The first aid kit was purchased with sponsors' money. All participants bring their own food from home, according to a shared list. All equipment, tents, sleeping bags, etc., are the participants' property. No income is earned.

Secondly, our route is several times more difficult than any commercial one, due to the fact that we will be traveling along the Auspiya River, like the Dyatlov group. All commercial groups reach Dyatlov Pass via a road from the east, which is paved by snowmobiles. In terms of difficulty, these commercial routes can be compared to weekend hikes in the Moscow region. Vehicles transport us to the Ilyicha base, then we spend the day approaching the pass by snowmobile, 15 km. Then we set up camp. The next day, they'll run lightly to the outliers to take selfies by the obelisk and back. And on the third day, they'll head to Ilyich's base. This entire process is easy, thanks to a well-paved road; even a non-tourist can undertake such a hike. If necessary, a snowmobile will come and pick up those tired of walking. We'll be walking along the Auspiya, where there are no snowmobiles in winter, and no snowmobile can navigate due to gullies in the river, deep snow, blockages, and windfalls. We'll keep track of our progress and try to keep up with the Dyatlov group's schedule. It will be difficult. Many groups that have attempted the Auspiya in winter have turned around and returned. Those who have walked the Auspiya in winter are well-known. In the library of tourist reports, we found reports (4) from professional tourist groups over the past 40 years who have done so. Everyone's reporting that Auspiya is a very difficult section. Everyone wasted days trying to get through it and fell behind schedule. It was incredibly draining.

We've been preparing for the trip for three months now. During this time, six of the 12 participants have changed. Only the most resilient and seasoned hikers remain. Those who abandoned the trip, after delving into the route's demands, clothing, and equipment requirements, realized it was beyond their capabilities and decided not to risk it. After each 7-8-hour day of hiking, two hours of work are required to gather firewood and set up camp in damp clothing, something that doesn't happen on snowmobile trips, where everything is done by hired, specially trained people.

The final composition of the group:

1. Alexey Koskin (Yekaterinburg) - expedition leader
2. Oleg Taymen (Novokuznetsk) - organizer
3. Stanislav Evdokimov (Saint Petersburg)
4. Alexander Krasheninnikov (Kamensk-Uralsky)
5. Evgeniy Nefyodov (Serov)
6. Denis Zenkov (Novokuznetsk)
7. Maria Buntarskaya (Novokuznetsk)
8. Anna Guseva (Kaliningrad)
9. ​​Suleyman Gasymov (Tyumen)
10. Maxim Vinogradov (Gus-Khrustalny)
11. Maria Vinogradova (Chelyabinsk)
12. Natalia Syryaykina (Mezhdurechensk)

Information support for the project: Teddy Hadjiyska
Communications Coordinator in Yekaterinburg: Olga Igorevna Kuntsevich

There are an incredible number of tasks, from finding a labaz and pitching a tent in a strong wind to dealing with a collapsed snowdrift in the creek. We'll try our best to complete them all.