Mount D'Archiac is a mountain 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 New Zealand.

Description

Mount D'Archiac is the highest peak in the

Two Thumb Range The Two Thumb Range (sometimes called the Two Thumbs Range) is a range of mountains in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located to the east of Lake Tekapo and has several peaks which rise to around .

which is a subrange of the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...

. It is situated 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 ...

and is set on the eastern boundary of

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is a national park located in the Canterbury Region in the central-west of the South Island of New Zealand. It was established in October 1953 and takes its name from the highest mountain in New Zealand, Aora ...

in 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 east to the

Havelock River The Havelock River is a river of New Zealand. The river source is in the Cloudy Peak Range, part of the Southern Alps, between Sceptre Peak and Outram Peak. It joins the Rangitata River which flows into the Canterbury Bight between Ashburton ...

and west to the

Godley River The Godley River is an alpine braided river flowing through Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. The river's headwaters are in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park at the Godley Glacier which flows from McClure Peak. The river flows south ...

Topographic relief Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

is significant as the summit rises in two kilometres. 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 March 1910 by

Jim Dennistoun James Robert Dennistoun (7 March 1883 – 9 August 1916) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and airman in the First World War. He is known in particular as the first person to climb to the top of Mitre Peak / Rahotu. Early life Dennisto ...

, Laurence Earle, and Jack Clarke via the East Ridge and Forbes Glacier. The nearest higher peak is Mount Annan, 20 km to the west-southwest.

Etymology

The mountain was named by

Julius von Haast Sir Johann Franz Julius von Haast (1 May 1822 – 16 August 1887) was a German-born New Zealand explorer, geologist, and founder of the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. Early life Johann Franz Julius Haast was born on 1 May 1822 in Bo ...

to honour Vicomte d'Archiac (1802–1868), a French geologist and professor of palaeontology at the Paris Museum of Natural History. The

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

name for this mountain is "Kāhuikaupeka" which means "assembly of river heads" as the mountain is the source for several rivers and streams.''Mount D'Archiac''
New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 16 December 2024.

Climbing

Climbing routes on Mount D'Archiac: * East Ridge – First ascent 1910 by Jim Dennistoun, Laurence Earle, Jack Clarke * North Ridge – Neville Johnson, H.J. Newberry, Ian Powell – (1934) * Trident Glacier / West Ridge – W.H. Scott, P.F. Scully, A. Thompson, Betty Lorimer – (1935) * FitzGerald Stream Route – Bob Unwin, Jack Stanton, Hallam Smith – (1940) * South East Ridge – Jack Pattle, Trevor James, Bernie McClelland, Stan Conway, John Sampson – (1951) * South West Ridge – Graeme Fyfe, Alf and Hunter Dowell, Peter Berry, Margaret Jeffereys – (1953) * The Bandaid Route (South Face) – Bill McLeod, Peter Dickson – (1992) * ''Desire'' (South Face) – Ben Ellis, Josh Mitchell, Jack Grinsted – (2018) * ''Lust'' (South Face) – Sooji Clarkson, George Loomes – (2020)

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 D'Archiac is located in a

marine west coast An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...

(Cfb) climate zone, with a

tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...

at the summit. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (

orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snow. This climate supports the Dennistoun, Trident, FitzGerald, Separation, and South Forbes glaciers on this mountain's slopes. 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 16 December 2024.

Gallery

File:Mount D'Archiac.jpg, Southeast aspect File:New Zealand Mountains.jpg, Mount D'Archiac to left, McClure Peak right edge of frame File:Mount D'Archiac -New Zealand.jpg File:Aerial view of the New Zealand Southern Alps.jpg, D'Archiac is the prominent peak in centre, aerial from southwest. File:Mount D'Archiac from Lake Clearwater.jpg, Mount D'Archiac from Lake Clearwater

Description

Etymology

Climbing

Climate

Gallery

See also

References

External links