
About this episode
The episode explores the mysterious Dyatlov Pass Incident and discusses various theories surrounding it.
What happens when nine experienced hikers flee their tent in the middle of a Siberian winter, leaving behind their boots, gear, and any chance of a normal explanation? In 1959, the Dyatlov Pass Incident became one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in outdoor history. A group of young hikers set out into the Ural Mountains and never returned. When rescuers finally reached the scene, they found a tent cut open from the inside, strange injuries, missing gear, and more questions than answers. Joining me is Kevin Goldberg from the Distance to Empty podcast as we break down what actually happened, the evidence, the most popular theories, and a few theories that are probably not supported by science. We discuss avalanches, military testing, Soviet secrecy, hypothermia, survival decisions, and of course whether a Yeti may have been involved. This episode is a little different from the usual Free Outside conversations, but if you love the outdoors, adventure stories, and unsolved mysteries, you're going to enjoy this one. Let us know what you think happened at Dyatlov Pass. #DyatlovPass #OutdoorMystery #FreeOutsidePodcast #DistanceToEmpty #Hiking #Backpacking #TrueCrime…
People in this episode
Host: Jeff Garmire
Guest: Kevin Goldberg
Topics covered
- unsolved mysteries
- hiking
- adventure stories
- survival
- Soviet history
- theories
Keywords
- Dyatlov Pass
- hiking
- mystery
- Siberia
- survival
- theories
- adventure
- true crime
Sponsors
Sawyer, Janji, CS Coffee, Garage Grown Gear
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Distance to Empty
Places: Siberia, Ural Mountains
More episodes of Free Outside
- From Barkley Crew to Professional Trail Runner: Jade Belzberg · June 8, 2026 · 1h 5m
- The FKT That Took Bob Stewart 3 Tries to Finish · June 5, 2026 · 1h 7m
- Rory Linkletter on the Olympics, Social Media, and the Future of Running · June 1, 2026 · 1h 27m
- Sage Canaday on Competition, Content, and the Future of Running · May 29, 2026 · 1h 9m
- The Mental Side of Ultrarunning | Lauren Jones on Failure, Hallucinations, and Hard Things · May 25, 2026 · 52 min
- Why Trail Running Can't Stop Fighting Itself: TLDR Dumpster Fire Observations · May 21, 2026 · 1h 5m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Free Outside podcast page.