Avalanche Peak is a peak in the

Arthur's Pass National Park Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand and covers 1,185 km2 of mostly mountainous terrain. Adjacent to it lies Craigieburn Forest Park. History Arthurs Pass National Park was established in 19 ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is subject to

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...

s in the winter, hence its name. Avalanche Peak has sheer drops of around at the peak of the mountain and therefore is not recommended in icy or windy weather.

Avalanche Peak Track

The

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

maintains two one-day

tramping Tramping may refer to: Travel *Hiking *Trekking *Tramping in New Zealand, a style of backpacking or hiking * Czech tramping, a Czech outdoors pastime Places * Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380, Saskatchewan, Canada ** Tramping Lake, Sas ...

routes up to the summit, the Avalanche Peak Route and Scotts Route, both starting and easily accessible from

Arthur's Pass Arthur's Pass, previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, and for some time officially Arthurs Pass, is a township in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district. It is a popular base for explorin ...

village. It is the only poled summit route in the area. The peak is one of the most popular summer tramping routes in Arthur's Pass, offering views of several mountain ranges in the park on a clear day. It is also a popular place for

kea The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings ...

. There is an annual mountain run, the Avalanche Peak Challenge, which crosses the peak. Since 1933 there have been several reported fatalities of people attempting the peak.

References

Mountains of the Canterbury Region Arthur's Pass National Park Hiking and tramping tracks in the Canterbury Region {{CanterburyNZ-geo-stub