Dead Mountain

Imagine yourself transported to a time where communism rules all, recorded music is illegal as well as international travel, and hiking clubs are found on every college campus. You would then find yourself in 1950s Soviet Union (now Russia) along with the members of the Dyatlov hiking team. Dead Mountain, a documentary style book written by Donnie Eichar, tells the untold true story of these hikers. Debunking myths and conspiracies about what happened to them in the Siberian wilderness every step of the way.

I started reading Dead Mountain on a Friday afternoon at a library in the I.E. while waiting for my oldest to get done with classes at the high school next door. I had purchased the book on Amazon after it was recommended by a book club I’m in. Upon finishing the Prologue, I knew I wouldn’t be able to put this book down! And I didn’t, completing the just under 300 page book on Saturday evening.

Dead Mountain goes into great detail regarding the hyped deaths surrounding the Dyatlov Incident of 1959. The Incident occurred in February of that year, leaving 9 hikers dead in the Ural Mountains with no explanation as to why they perished. It has become something of a legend in Russia, and a well known incident among the hiking population in general. So I was surprised I had never heard of Dyatlov Pass; the area renamed for Igor Dyatlov who led the experienced mountaineers on their final journey. In hindsight, I think this was a plus as I was able to fully immerse myself in Eichar’s quest for answers.

 

Eichar does an excellent job of jumping between three timelines: the journey of the hiking team, the investigation and search team’s efforts, and his own quest for discovery. It flows so well together that there are never any, “Huh?” moments as are usually found in jumping timelines. And Eichar is a great storyteller! He recreates the visual detail of photographs into words almost poetically. Ironically scattering lyrics and lines from songs and poems of the time into his book.

Eichar is not only a published author, but also a documentary filmmaker; most notably for his work as a producer on Killing Fields, a Discovery True-Crime series. He brings that background to his writing style in the book, weaving descriptive text and photographs with factual evidence and interviews. His writing is very fluid, one of the many reasons the reader will find it hard to put Dead Mountain down for even a moment. Eichar knows how to leave you wanting more chapter after chapter; never fully satisfied until you’ve reached the Index at the end.

If you love history, hiking and cold cases, then Dead Mountain was written for you! If you’re looking for a good read littered with facts and interviews from those closest to the Dyatlov Incident, then pick up a copy of Dead Mountain. Or, if you simply like reading a good non-fiction book, it doesn’t get any better than Dead Mountain! Let us know what you think about the book in the comments below.