Comments on: Pungas Tri Baruno Dies On Denali, Second Death In One Week On America’s Highest Peak

By: Mitch Lewis

Mitch Lewis — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:39:51 +0000

Hello, We are people with maybe the most information on Pak Baruno’s death and a little more on Mr. Nasti’s. We just descended from Denali after summiting on the evening of July 8th. First, we were part of AMS expedition that was at high camp (17,200′) on night of July 7th getting ready for summit attempt the next day. We heard the frantic shouts of “help” coming from the trail that was - as noted - very close nearby to camp, visually. Our guides went to try to resuscitate the young man but it was obviously too late. He was well taken care of in the snow off the trail both with wands and pickets and covered respectfully with snow, as we had to go past the next day on our summit attempt (we were all successful, 6 clients and 2 guides on a bluebird day.). I don’t know anything about the headache, but we can say that the wind was howling, started up that early evening and the cold and wind may have contributed. Also, we were at ABC 14,200 when the reports came in for Mr Nasti. I am also 51 with two grown sons and member of 7 continents club (marathons on 7 continents) and Denali was #5 of 7 for 7 summits. There is not really a place where you use ice axes between the top of Pig Hill and the summit ridge and summit itself which is about 500′ of exposed ridge - except as a stick and balance point between falling off each side. My and our heart goes out to both families and we all on our trip were respectful of the mountain and the people lost before us, and how luck we were to summit and return safely. (Mitch - from Anchorage on way home, commments welcome on own blog site as well).

By: Mark Kalch

Mark Kalch — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:40:48 +0000

Hi Jason,

Good response. I dig how Mr. Moss found it necessary to place the attorney-at-law tag after his name. For what purpose? Was it to intimidate you?

Mark Kalch esq.
Butcher, Baker and Candle-stick maker

By: Jason A. Hendricks

Jason A. Hendricks — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:22:01 +0000

By the way, I have now contacted the Jakarta Post on this matter and have asked for a confirmation of where they got this information. If it is learned that this came from an unreliable source, I will definitely change the article to correspond to this information. I don’t take issues like this lightly and should have more information in the coming days.

By: Jason A. Hendricks

Jason A. Hendricks — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:28:02 +0000

Sir, I beg to differ. I always have my sources lined up. This is coming from a newspaper report from the Jakarta Press from Jakarta, Indonesia. It reads as follows:

Adventure always involves a risk. But that risk cannot stop people from seeking adventure.

One such adventurer was Pungkas Tri Baruno, an Indonesian youth who lost his life on Monday (Tuesday in Jakarta) after scaling Mount McKinley, North America’s highest mountain.

The 20-year-old Jakartan had succeeded in planting the Indonesian flag at the peak of the mountain, which stands in the Denali National Park in the U.S. state of Alaska.

Pungkas, a member of the National Scouts Association, departed on a four-member expedition to McKinley last month.

His death was reported by officials from the Denali National Park and was confirmed by the Indonesian consulate general in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Pungkas died on Monday night (Tuesday in Jakarta) while descending from the top of McKinley, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said.

He collapsed about half a kilometer from the summit — about 5,000 meters above sea level — after complaining of a headache. Several hiking guides tried revive him, but it was already too late.

“The cause of death remains unknown,” Faizasyah told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

_____________________________
You may find the article Here:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/07/10/indonesian-dies-alaskan-peak.html

If the fact is being reported wrong, it is being reported wrong by the Press and the Indonesian authorities. For that, I am not at fault and am not to blame for the correctness of the line. I will change that line to correspond with the source, but as you can see it is plain and visible and in the public before I ever wrote the piece. Not my fault. Now, who is making up the facts? If anybody, it is the Jakarta Press. The source will be listed.

Thanks for questioning my integrity on this issue, but it shouldn’t be an issue at this point. I’ve made my case.

By: James H. Moss, J.D.

James H. Moss, J.D. — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:25:09 +0000

You are making facts up to fit the story you want to tell. Mr. Baruno never complained of any headache while descending. No NPS report, no report from the outfitter and no witnesses let alone the deceased, prior to his illness and death, has made any statement concerning Mr. Baruno having a headache. Please correct this in your article immediately.

James H. Moss, Attorney at Law.
jhmoss@gmail.com