George Lowe (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Wallace George Lowe, CNZM
, OBE
(born 1924), known as George Lowe, is a New Zealand
-born mountaineer
, explorer
, film director
and educator
. He was a member of the 1953 British Everest Expedition, during which his friend Edmund Hillary
and Sherpa
Tenzing Norgay
became the first known people to summit the world's highest peak.
, 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
.
, 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 Oyo aiming to explore physiology and oxygen flow rates. With Eric Shipton
, Lowe and Hillary explored the region around Everest
.,
. During the expedition, Lowe was involved in preparing 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. During their descent to the South Col, the pair were met by Lowe. It was then that Hillary delivered his immortal summary of their achievement: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off." Lowe also directed a documentary film of the expedition, entitled "The Conquest of Everest
".
. However, during this trip Lowe met Vivian Fuchs
, who invited him to become a New Zealand representative on the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
which, between 1955 and 1958, not only traversed Antarctica, becoming the first to reach the South Pole
by land since Amundsen
in 1911 and Scott
in 1912, but also carried out extensive surveying of the continent. At the Pole, he was met by Hillary, who had led a route-finding party from the other direction. Lowe worked on the film of the expedition: "The Crossing Of Antarctica". In 1960 he was a member of the Silver Hut Physiological Expedition in the Everest area and the "Yeti Expedition" to Rowaling. During that decade he went on expeditions with the John Hunt Exploration Group for young people to Greenland
, Greece
and Ethiopia
. He also joined Hunt on an expedition to the Pamirs
with a British-Russian team.
, in Derbyshire
, England. In 1963 he went to Grange School in Santiago, Chile
, later becoming Headmaster
. Lowe returned to the UK in 1973, to become an Inspector of Schools
until his retirement.
, a charity set up to assist development and improve infrastructure for the Sherpa people living in the Himalayas. Lowe was elected as the first Chairman, serving from 1989 to 2003. He continued as a Trustee until 2008, when he succeeded Sir Chris Bonington
as Patron.
, with whom he had three sons. He is now married to Mary, also a former teacher and schools inspector.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1924), known as George Lowe, is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
, explorer
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and educator
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He was a member of the 1953 British Everest Expedition, during which his friend Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
and Sherpa
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
Tenzing Norgay
Tenzing Norgay
Padma Bhushan, Supradipta-Manyabara-Nepal-Tara Tenzing Norgay, GM born Namgyal Wangdi and often referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer...
became the first known people to summit the world's highest peak.
Early life
Born in Hastings, New ZealandHastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
, George Lowe was educated at Hastings High School
Hastings Boys' High School
Hastings Boys' High School is a boys' secondary school in Hastings, New Zealand. The school is part of the Super 8. The school was founded in 1909 as Hastings High School. Fifty years later, it split into Hastings Girls' School and Hastings Boys' School....
and Wellington Teachers College
Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Education of Victoria University of Wellington was formed from the former School of Education of the University, and the former Wellington College of Education on 1 January 2005....
before starting work as a teacher. He spent holidays climbing in the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
, where he met fellow-New Zealander Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
.
Early Expeditions
In 1951, along with Hillary, Lowe was a member of the first New Zealand expedition to the HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, including a first ascent of 7,242m Mukut Parbat
Kamet
Kamet is the second highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India, after Nanda Devi. It lies in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, close to the border with Tibet. It is the third highest mountain in India Kamet is the second highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India, after Nanda Devi....
in Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The following year, he went to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
as a member of an expedition to Cho Oyo aiming to explore physiology and oxygen flow rates. With Eric Shipton
Eric Shipton
Eric Earle Shipton CBE was a distinguished British Himalayan mountaineer.-Early years:Born in Ceylon in 1907 where his father, a tea planter, died before he was three years old. His mother buried her grief by taking Eric and his sister Marge and travelling constantly for the next five years...
, Lowe and Hillary explored the region around Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
.,
1953 Mount Everest Expedition
In 1953 Lowe was a member of the British Everest Expedition led by John HuntJohn Hunt, Baron Hunt
Brigadier Henry Cecil John Hunt, Baron Hunt KG, PC, CBE, DSO, was a British army officer who is best known as the leader of the successful 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest.-Early life and career:...
. During the expedition, Lowe was involved in preparing the route from the head of the Western Cwm
Western Cwm
Often called the Valley of Silence, the Western Cwm is a broad, flat, gently undulating glacial valley basin terminating at the foot of the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest. It was named by George Leigh Mallory when he first saw it in 1921...
up the Lhotse Face
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
towards the South Col
South Col
The South Col usually refers to the southern col between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal, their final camp is situated on the South Col...
at close to 8,000m altitude. On 28 May Lowe, Alfred Gregory
Alfred Gregory
Alfred Gregory , FBIPP, Hon. FRPS, was a mountaineer, explorer and professional photographer. A member of the successful British team that made the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, he was in charge of stills photography and, as a climbing member of the team, reached 28,000 feet in support...
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. During their descent to the South Col, the pair were met by Lowe. It was then that Hillary delivered his immortal summary of their achievement: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off." Lowe also directed a documentary film of the expedition, entitled "The Conquest of Everest
The Conquest of Everest
The Conquest of Everest is a 1953 British documentary film directed by George Lowe about various expeditions to the summit of Mount Everest. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature....
".
Antarctica and Later Expeditions
In 1954 he again joined Hillary, on an unsuccessful New Zealand expedition to MakaluMakalu
Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...
. However, during this trip Lowe met Vivian Fuchs
Vivian Fuchs
Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs FRS was an English explorer whose expeditionary team completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica in 1958.- Biography :...
, who invited him to become a New Zealand representative on the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The 1955–58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition was a Commonwealth-sponsored expedition that successfully completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica, via the South Pole...
which, between 1955 and 1958, not only traversed Antarctica, becoming the first to reach the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
by land since Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
in 1911 and Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
in 1912, but also carried out extensive surveying of the continent. At the Pole, he was met by Hillary, who had led a route-finding party from the other direction. Lowe worked on the film of the expedition: "The Crossing Of Antarctica". In 1960 he was a member of the Silver Hut Physiological Expedition in the Everest area and the "Yeti Expedition" to Rowaling. During that decade he went on expeditions with the John Hunt Exploration Group for young people to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He also joined Hunt on an expedition to the Pamirs
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
with a British-Russian team.
Teaching career
After teaching in New Zealand for some years, in 1959 he joined the staff of Repton SchoolRepton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
, in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England. In 1963 he went to Grange School in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, later becoming Headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
. Lowe returned to the UK in 1973, to become an Inspector of Schools
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
until his retirement.
Trusteeship
In 1989, he was one of the founders of the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust UKHimalayan Trust
The Himalayan Trust is a non-profit organization set up by Sir Edmund Hillary after his successful first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953...
, a charity set up to assist development and improve infrastructure for the Sherpa people living in the Himalayas. Lowe was elected as the first Chairman, serving from 1989 to 2003. He continued as a Trustee until 2008, when he succeeded Sir Chris Bonington
Chris Bonington
Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna.-Early life and expeditions:Educated at University College School in...
as Patron.
Personal life
In 1962 he married the Honourable Susan Hunt, daughter of Lord HuntJohn Hunt, Baron Hunt
Brigadier Henry Cecil John Hunt, Baron Hunt KG, PC, CBE, DSO, was a British army officer who is best known as the leader of the successful 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest.-Early life and career:...
, with whom he had three sons. He is now married to Mary, also a former teacher and schools inspector.