Almost 60, she had scaled a number of mountains in Indonesia in her lifetime. However, her thirst for adventure, like the fictional archeologist of the Indiana Jones film franchise, was still strong.
Fatigue did not make her want to give up. She wanted to keep climbing — a determination her Instagram posts capture well, along with her grit and journey:
"Forever Young (sic)? Just following the forever young trend... But it is also fun to collect old photos and laugh at myself. A little happiness means a lot when we can accept our situation and conditions as they are, right?"
"It is funny to see my 18-year-old self hiking in basketball shoes, cotton-fabric pants, and a simple jacket, (I was) still poor back then. Didn't have money to print photos. Gear like this can last until now…"
"This is nostalgia from when I graduated from high school and had to join the army, being toughened up there before starting my education at Telkom. It is funny, at the education center, our rank was the lowest. So we had to salute junior privates, and we were nervous around the Military Academy graduates; it was funny.... So don't be surprised if I became brave, because I was toughened by military education, guys."
"These were times working at Telkom, and the marching routine which I disliked the most. When I was a girl dressed like an adult, now old trying to look young, hahaha..."
"Having a child where all the furniture were Olympic-branded. Now I have upgraded a bit... to IKEA, hahaha..."
"And I was once fat, you know, at 48, I weighed 68 kg. After three years of gym, I got stable (body weight) again... Started hiking again at 50. When the kids started college and were busy with their own affairs."
When Poegiono started hiking, she faced difficulties, injuries, and bleeding at first. However, she persevered, -- a story she shared in her Instagram stories, too:
"We are Indonesians: Diverse but one.
At the age of 59, I still continue to climb. Every step is a reminder of the struggles of heroes.
Indonesia is like a long climb, full of challenges, but with beauty. Although we step on different parts of earth, we all gaze at the same sky, sun, and moon.
Let's continue to hold hands, maintaining unity in diversity. Long live the nation!"
Her Instagram account had 22.7 thousand followers. Every reel she posted drew numerous likes.
A tragic end
On Sunday (March 2, 2025), the WhatsApp groups of several nature-loving student organizations in Indonesia were abuzz with reports of two climbers dying at the summit of the Carstensz Pyramid, which is locally known as Puncak Jaya, in the Jayawijaya Mountains, Mimika, Central Papua.
The reports were later verified by online media, including Antaranews.com.
As reported earlier by Antaranews, the chief of Mimika Police, adjunct senior commissioner Billyandha Hildiario Budiman, confirmed on Sunday that two climbers had died while making their descent from the Carstensz Pyramid.
"Yes, there were two women climbers from Jakarta and Bandung (according to their resident ID cards) who died due to experiencing hypothermia," he said. One of the climbers was identified as Elsa Laksono. The other was "Hiker Mom" Poegiono.
Laksono's body was evacuated to the Mimika Regional Hospital. Poegiono's body was scheduled to be evacuated on Monday, he informed.
Laksono died while making the descent from the summit due to indications of acute mountain sickness (AMS).
Poegiono also died of AMS around 2:07 a.m. local time on March 1 after being evacuated by her companions and guides to Teras Dua point.
The bodies of both climbers were flown to Jakarta on Monday on a commercial flight.
Meanwhile, the Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) confirmed that 13 other climbers at Carstensz Pyramid were safe, including musician Fiersa Besari and three foreign nationals.
"Besari, along with three foreigners from Turkey and Russia, are safe," head of the Timika Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, I Wayan Suyatna, confirmed.
Besari, a musician from Bandung, West Java, and an outdoor activity enthusiast, was among the 15 climbers at the Carstensz Pyramid who were reported to Basarnas at 00:46 local time on Sunday, saying the team needed to be rescued.
Earlier, the climbers had experienced dangerous conditions. As per information obtained by the SAR team, this was because some team members likely experienced AMS during the descent after summiting and before crossing the rope bridge.
The evacuation process involved a joint team of personnel from the Timika Army, Navy, Mobile Brigade, Tembagapura Police, and PT Freeport Indonesia.
Poegiono and Laksono were close friends from the same high school, SMA Dempo Malang, East Java, who shared a passion for climbing mountains.
Their death left the country's hiking communities grieving. Rest in peace, Lilie Wijayanti and Elsa Laksono.
Translator: Riza, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
