It is situated 2,650 feet above the Ruth Glacier at the gateway to the Don Sheldon Amphitheater, or The Great Gorge, depending on direction of travel.

The mountain was named by famed explorer Dr. Frederick Cook for Edward Barrill (1861–1946), a horse packer from Darby, Montana, who was his sole companion during his 1906 claim to be the first to climb Denali.

The Japanese Couloir is a moderate, Alaska grade III route featuring steep 55-70 degree angle snow and ice.

[5] The first ascent of this route was made in 1976 by Teruaki Segawa, Kensei Suga, Masayuki Suemasa, and Eiji Tsai.

[12] Weather systems are forced upwards by the Alaska Range (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of snowfall.