George Lowe (mountaineer)

Wallace George Lowe, CNZM, OBE (15 January 1924 – 20 March 2013), known as George Lowe, was a New Zealand-born mountaineer, explorer, film director and educator. He was the last surviving member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, during which his friend Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first known people to summit the world's highest peak.

Born in Hastings, New Zealand, George Lowe was educated at Hastings High School and Wellington Teachers College before starting work as a teacher. He spent holidays climbing in the Southern Alps, where he met fellow-New Zealander Edmund Hillary.

In 1951, along with Hillary, Lowe was a member of the first New Zealand expedition to the Himalayas, including a first ascent of 7,242m Mukut Parbat in Garhwal, India. The following year, he went to Nepal as a member of an expedition to Cho Oyu aiming to explore physiology and oxygen flow rates. With Eric Shipton, Lowe and Hillary explored the region around Everest.,

In 1953 Lowe was a member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition led by John Hunt. During the expedition, Lowe helped prepare the route from the head of the Western Cwm up the Lhotse Face towards the South Col at close to 8,000m altitude. On 28 May Lowe, Alfred Gregory and Sherpa Ang Nyima, all carrying heavy loads, set out with Hillary and Tenzing as the support party for their summit attempt. Camp IX was established at 8,500m, then Lowe, Gregory and Ang Nyima descended to the South Col. The following day, 29 May, Hillary and Tenzing successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest.

...
Wikipedia