Wallace George Lowe (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. Sir Edmund was his fellow Briton and served as his mentor. Early life and expeditions Born in Hastings, New Zealand, into a farming family, 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. On that expedition, Earle Riddiford and Edmund Cotter made a first ascent of 7,242m Mukut Parbat in Garhwal, India, a feat which earned New Zealand two places on the 1951 British reconnaissance of Everest. Riddiford and Hillary took up this offer. The following year, Lowe went with them to Nepal as a member of the 1952 expedition to Cho Oyu aiming to explore physiology and oxygen flow rates. With Eric Shipton, the three New Zealanders explored the region around Everest. Everest and subsequent expeditions In 1953 Lowe was a member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition led by John Hunt. Hillary and Lowe were the only members who Hunt had not previously met, but were known to Shipton and others. Hunt wrote that "His ice techniques, acquired like Hillary’s from the exceptional opportunities offered by New Zealand mountains, is of a very high standard." 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. During their descent to the South Col, the two men were met by Lowe. It was then that Hillary delivered his immortal summary of their achievement: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off." Lowe