The loss of a dear friend 

An elderly George Lowe has been coping with the loss of a dear friend.

The fellow mountaineer is one of Sir Edmund's best mates and was there on Everest in 1953 and was best man at Sir Ed's first wedding.

"He was a great leader...and he's now not with us...very sad and very sorry," remembers Lowe.

Lowe and Sir Edmund met 60 years ago while climbing in the Southern Alps. From there they went to Everest in 1951, 1952 and finally 1953.

It was Lowe that Hillary first spoke to after he reached the top of Everest, and it was Lowe that was the best man at Sir Ed's wedding.

"I have known Sir Ed for many years. I have travelled back to New Zealand with him and gone to his wedding," says Lowe.

Lowe has also been there to help raise money for Sir Ed's work in the Himalayan mountains.

"That's been Ed's life work and he's absolutely revered in India and Nepal. I think he's always said that he got more satisfaction from that than from a footprint on the top of a mountain," says Lowe.

"He was always wanting to set himself challenges and adventures and he often said the scale of the adventure didn't matter so long as one had adventures through life."