Mount Chevalier is a mountain in
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
Description
Mount Chevalier is part of the
Two Thumb Range which is a subrange of the
Southern Alps. It is located west of the city of
Christchurch
Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
in the
Canterbury Region
Canterbury () is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of
The region in its current form was estab ...
of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
.
[ Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west into the Macaulay River and east into North East Gorge Stream, which is a tributary of the Macaulay. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Macaulay Valley in three kilometres. The nearest higher neighbour is Achilles Peak, six kilometres to the east.][ The mountain's toponym was applied by Julius von Haast to honour Nicholas Chevalier (1828–1902), a Russian-born artist who visited New Zealand in 1865.][ The ]first ascent
In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...
of the summit was made in December 1941 by Bob Clark-Hall and J.L. (Pat) Clark-Hall via the South Face.[''Mt Chevalier'']
New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 4 February 2025.
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Mount Chevalier is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upwards by the mountains ( orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snow. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.''The Best Time to Visit the South Island''
nzpocketguide.com, Retrieved 4 February 2025.
Gallery
File:Chevalier and Ross.jpg, Mount Chevalier centred and Mount Ross to right, viewed from Lake Tekapo.
File:Lake Tekapo 30.jpg, Mount Ross to left, with Mount Chevalier behind (upper left corner).
South aspect, from south end of Lake Tekapo.
File:Lake Tekapo 33.jpg, Mount Chevalier and Mount Ross centred, viewed from Lake Tekapo.
File:Nicholas Chevalier oval photograph, c. 1870.jpg, Nicholas Chevalier
See also
* List of mountains of New Zealand by height
References
External links
* Mount Chevalier
weather
* Mount Chevalier
Climbnz.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chevalier, Mount
Southern Alps
Mountains of the Canterbury Region