 |
|
|
George Lowe
GEORGE LOWE C.NZ.M., O.B.E was born in Hastings New Zealand. 'Manpowered' to train as a schoolteacher in the last war year. Spent College holidays at Mount Cook in NZ Southern Alps as assistant to the chief guide. Met Ed Hillary who returned from the Pacific War to spend his gratuity of £60 in hiring the chief mountain guide to learn mountaineering.
1951 First NZ Expedition to the Himalayas to Garwhal in India. Hillary, Lowe, Cotter, Riddiford. Ist ascent of Mukut Parbat.
1952 To Nepal. Cho Oyu expedition, not to climb the mountain but to explore physiology and oxygen flow rates. With Shipton, Hillary and Evans explored 60 miles around Everest.
1953 British Everest Expedition led by John Hunt. Ist ascent by Hillary and Tenzing on 29th May. Lowe and Gregory and Ang Nima Sherpa supported summit pair and placed Camp 9 1,000' from the summit of 29,035' (8850m)
1954 NZ expedition to Makalu with Hillary. Summit not reached, evacuation of injured climbers. Met Fuchs and was invited to represent NZ on the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition (TAA) Given the task of filming the first crossing of the Continent.
1955-58 TAA. Travelling at over 3,000m altitude, depth soundings of the ice made across the continent proved that Antarctica was a land mass beneath the ice. Returned to London from NZ on the first commercial flight over the North Pole to Amsterdam. Worked on the film 'The Crossing of Antarctica' which went on general release to cinemas. Lectured widely in UK and Europe.
Helped Sir Ed Hillary with the publication of his book 'High Adventure' and co-wrote with Ed 'East of Everest'.
1959-'63 Taught at Repton School, Derbyshire, UK.
1960 Silver Hut Physiological Expedition in Everest area and 'Yeti
Expedition' to Rowaling .
early 1960's Expeditions with the John Hunt Exploration Group for young people to Greenland, Greece and Ethiopia. Expedition with Hunt to the Pamirs with a British/Russian team.
1963-'73 Deputy, then Principal of The Grange School, Santiago, Chile.
1973-'84 Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools in England.
1989 With others, set up the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust UK, and elected as the first chairman from 1989 to 2003, then continued serving as a Trustee until 2008, when he succeeded Sir Chris Bonigton as Patron of the Trust.
|
|
|
|
|
|
