Fyfe Pass

This used to be the traditional route from Aoraki / Mount Cook village to the Landsborough valley when there was more permanent snow and ice on the Spence slabs. Tom Fyfe and George Graham made the first crossing in February 1894 on their way to the head of the Douglas valley via the upper Landsborough and Douglas Pass.
Now the route is impractical due to the difficulties posed by vanishing snow – steep slabs, tricky overlaps, and rockfall are the norm. The pass is now only used en route to Mt Montgomerie and the Watch Tower.