GREELEY, Colo. - A Greeley man has died while climbing Mount Aconcagua in Argentina.

Eric Nourse, 41, died last weekend while climbing the 22,841-foot peak in the Andes, his wife Kandee Nourse told 7NEWS.

A climbing partner, David Reinhart, 42, of Lake Oswego, Ore., also died during the expedition.

Eric's twin brother, Greg Nourse, of Portland, Ore., survived but is hospitalized with frostbite on his feet.

Kandee Nourse said she's proud of how her husband went out -- doing what he loved and trying to help his stricken buddy.

"He lived fast and he lived it the way he wanted to live it," Kandee Nourse told 7NEWS reported Tyler Lopez Tuesday. "I know there'd be no other way he'd want to go."

Eric Nourse had called his wife by satellite phone on Christmas Eve from 16,000 feet, and said the wind was blowing 60 miles per hour, but everyone was in good spirits and healthy.

Two days later, as the trio was 600 feet below the summit, Reinhart suffered altitude sickness, Kandee Nourse said.

She said Eric and Greg left to get help, and made it to a base camp at 19,000 feet.

"He's so amazing," Kandee Nourse said of her husband's effort to save his friend. "I know every spouse says this, but he’s so amazing.”

She said Eric had gone 36 hours without food or water. He died of cold and exhaustion on Saturday.

"Greg said he had a smile on his face," Kandee Nourse said.

"And (Greg) said, 'You know, don't measure his life by the number of years. Measure how much he packed into it.' And he did, he did a lot," the wife recounted.

Eric's widow said he was a very experience climber, and had twice climbed Denali in Alaska -- the highest mountain in North America. He was also an expert kayaker and fisherman, and recently took up bow hunting.

"He just lived for living," she said.

Kandee Nourse said she plans to have her husband cremated in Argentina, and then spread his ashes in some of his favorite adventure spots.