Not a good week for climbers
As a frustrating and so far fruitless search continues for San Diego mountaineer Ric DeVan, who has been missing in the Eastern Sierra high country above Bishop since the Fourth of July, experts in Alaska are seeking clues as to how two apparently fit climbers collapsed and perished in a four-day period on the slopes of Mt. McKinley.
Chicago's James Nasti, 51, who had no history of heart trouble and had not shown signs of altitude sickness or weakness, collapsed and died after reaching the 20,320-foot summit on July 4.
He became the first climber to die on the summit, and his body was buried in the snow nearby, bringing to 38 the number of bodies that remain on the mountain because of high risk associated with trying to bring them down.
Remarkably, an Indonesian climber perished in similar fashion three days later. Pungkas Tri Baruno, 20, from Jakarta, Indonesia, made it to the summit Monday, and nearly back to high camp at 17,200 feet Monday night before collapsing. Denali National Park personnel were planning to remove his body so experts might determine the cause of death.
Lisa Demer of the Anchorage Daily News has been covering the stories and states that Baruno's death was the fourth on McKinley this year. Fortunately, the climbing season is nearing an end.
--Pete Thomas
