Towns had long dreamed of climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. In 1999, with the assistance of two mountaineers he climbed Aoraki / Mount Cook and Fox Glacier, in preparation for climbing the Mera Peak, Nepal, which was to prepare him to summit Everest. On 20 January 2000, he died of a suspected heart attack while climbing Mera Peak, assisted by Michael Groom.