Everest '53 veteran George Lowe passes away

“I close my eyes and am proud of our happy time upon that mountain” – George Lowe, 2013

On the eve of the publication of his book on the landmark 1953 ascent of Everest, and just a few weeks before the 60th anniversary of the historic summit, veteran climber George Lowe has passed away.

Kari Herbert of Polarworld, the publishers of George’s book, Letters From Everest, made this statement:

“We had planned to announce today the imminent publication of our new book Letters From Everest by veteran climber George Lowe. Today, this first title of Polarworld’s new narrative non-fiction imprint Silverbear is rolling off the press – although proud of this special book, I am sending this message with a heavy heart, because we heard early this morning that George passed away peacefully last night.

“The ascent of Everest in the summer of 1953 was one of the twentieth century’s greatest triumphs of exploration.George’s efforts on the mountain were crucial to the endeavour. He was one of the lead climbers, forging the route up Everest’s Lhotse Face without oxygen and later cutting steps for his partners up the summit ridge.

“He ‘put up a performance’, so described the expedition leader John Hunt, ‘which will go down in the annals of mountaineering as an epic achievement of tenacity and skill’. For his own part, George was just happy to be on the mountain, playing his part in something incredible; doing something he loved. In this touching book, published on the 60th anniversary of this first ascent, a trove of unpublished letters from the Lowe collection are brought together for the first time, to provide a vivid, behind-the-scenes witness of a climb that would make history.

“Although we are all reeling from the news, George’s wife Mary has asked us to press on, and feels it more important than ever that people can share George’s beautiful and evocative words.”