Alastair McDowell is a member of the New Zealand
Alpine Team, a group of climbers who regularly
visit Canada and other alpine destinations. He and
his team made the first ascent of King Cobra, a
major variation to a classic Alaskan alpine route in
the Ruth Gorge this spring. We touched base with
McDowell after he returned home in June.independent line well to the right of the
Cobra Pillar, but after five days we bailed
on this line due to objective danger from
slough avalanches and poor rock. The only
slice of the mountain relatively safe from
avalanche was the central Cobra Pillar zone.5
What was the climbing like?
Fantastic. The first 14 pitches to the
top of the Cobra Pillar are very sustained
in the mid- 5. 10 to 5. 11 range and provided
pitch after pitch of excellent crack climbing.
The route we ended up climbing starts up
the original Cobra Pillar for three pitches
of techy corners which we re-cleaned,
before breaking out onto the face for 4001
What is the New Zealand
alpine team?
The New Zealand Alpine Team (nzat) is a
group of climbers from New Zealand and
some from Australia with two goals: to
mentor young alpine climbers through a
three-year mentoring scheme and to grow
a group of expedition climbers for overseas
trips, both working together to promote
alpinism in New Zealand.2
How many trips have you
taken to Canada?
I have just made one extended trip to
Canada for the first half of 2017. As part of
the nzat mentoring scheme, the first train-
ing trip is three weeks of ice climbing in the
Canadian Rockies, which will happen again
next year. I enjoyed it so much I stayed
in Canmore for the whole winter season,
followed by a season of B.C. prawn fishing
and granite in Squamish and the Bugaboos.3
Who went to Alaska?
The team was made up of Daniel Joll,
Kim Ladiges, our photographer John Price
and myself.4
Was Cobra Pillar zone
the objective?
Our initial objective was the Citadel in
the Kichatna Spires. But after four days
waiting for weather we gave up, and made
a last-minute change of plan to try a new
route on the East Face of Mount Barrill in
the Ruth Gorge. We wanted to climb anfeet of splitter offwidths. Above you’ll find
brilliant finger and hand cracks with roof
bulges, before finally joining the original
route towards the summit.6
Can you break down the crux?
The first crux was a 5. 11 c thin face tra-
verse used to gain the striking line of split-
ter offwidths, which Kim figured out. The
(mental) crux for me was a blank section of
face climbing connecting these offwidths
to an alcove and cracks above. I first had to
clean off a lot of loose rock here, and pull
some spicy moves into the alcove, which
was loaded with loose f lakes and protected
only by a couple of hammered peckers.Alastair
McDowell
On Spring Climbing
in Alaska
Photo^John^ Price10 questions
06