Lt Alick Cowieson (“Alick Mor”)
Rope descent specialist. He created and led the “Death Ride” or “Death Slide” rope descent course across the River Arkaig
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Served with the Cameron Highlanders before transferring to the Commandos, where he was known among trainees as “Alick Mor” (Alick the Mighty)
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Assigned to the staff of No. 3 Commando and concurrently served as an instructor at the CBTC
Instructor Role at Achnacarry
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Credited with designing and introducing the legendary “Death Ride” or “Death Slide” as part of the “Tarzan Course” — a 50-ft rope descent across the River Arkaig from a 30–40 ft tree height to the water below
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This course was built on top of earlier obstacles like the Toggle Bridge, which trainees used to cross the river via rope chains
The “Tarzan Course”
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Comprised of rope-based challenges: the Toggle Bridge, Death Ride, high-line “cat crawls,” grappling‑net drops, and swinging transitions set high in trees (~30–40 ft)
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Cowieson’s Death Ride was especially fearsome — trainees climbed trees, rigged their toggles, and slid across the river into cold Highland waters, embracing danger and fear head-on
Innovation & Impact
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The French account Les commandos highlights Cowieson’s perfectionism: he continually refined the obstacle circuit, adding dynamic elements like “exploding charges in trees” (nicknamed “sapins de Noël”) and integrating moving targets to intensify the physical and psychological challenge
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His methods targeted resilience, composure under pressure, explosive bursts of energy, and team coordination—built via creative, adrenaline-laced training .
Why He Matters
Cowieson’s contributions redefined commando training by embedding calculated risk and controlled danger into core exercises. The Tarzan Course — especially the Death Ride — instilled in trainees the confidence to leap into the unknown, which became a defining attribute of commando operations during WWII.