Mount Gifford | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,149 m (7,051 ft) [1] [2] |
Prominence | 349 m (1,145 ft) [2] |
Isolation | 3.08 km (1.91 mi) [2] |
Coordinates | 44°43′30″S168°04′33″E / 44.72500°S 168.07583°E [2] |
Naming | |
Etymology | Algernon Charles Gifford |
Geography | |
Interactive map of Mount Gifford | |
Location | South Island |
Country | New Zealand |
Region | Southland [2] |
Protected area | Fiordland National Park |
Parent range | Darran Mountains |
Topo map | Topo50 CB09 |
Geology | |
Rock age | 136 ± 1.9 Ma |
Rock type | Gabbronorite, dioritic orthogneiss |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1955 |
Easiest route | North East Ridge [3] |
Mount Gifford is a 2,149-metre-elevation (7,051-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
Mount Gifford is part of the Darran Mountains, and is situated in the Southland Region of South Island. It is set within Fiordland National Park which is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. [2] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to the Hollyford River via Moraine Creek and Caples Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,050 metres (6,726 feet) above the Hollyford Valley in three kilometres and 1,250 metres (4,101 feet) above Caples Creek in one kilometre.
The mountain was named in 1939 by Dr. L. Stewart to honour Algernon Charles Gifford (1861–1948), an astronomer, explorer and teacher. [4] The toponym has been officially approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board. [4] The first ascent of the summit was made in October 1955 by Alistair McDonald and Ken Hamilton via the North East Ridge. [3]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Gifford is located in a marine west coast climate zone. [5] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak. [6]
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as 3,724 metres. It is situated in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits: from south to north, the Low Peak, the Middle Peak and the High Peak. The summits lie slightly south and east of the main divide of the Southern Alps, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the southwest. Mount Cook is ranked 10th in the world by topographic isolation.
Fiordland, is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes, and its steep, glacier-carved and now ocean-flooded western valleys. The name "Fiordland" derives from an alternate spelling of the Scandinavian word for steep glacial valleys, "fjord". The geographic area of Fiordland is dominated by, and roughly coterminous with, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand's largest national park.
Fiordland National Park is a national park in the south-west corner of South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, with an area covering 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi), and a major part of the Te Wāhipounamu a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1990. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation. The southern ranges of the Southern Alps cover most of Fiordland National Park, combined with the deep glacier-carved valleys.
The Routeburn Track is a 32 km tramping (hiking) track found in the South Island of New Zealand. The track can be done in either direction, starting on the Queenstown side of the Southern Alps, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu or on the Te Anau side, at the Divide, several kilometres from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.
The Hollyford River / Whakatipu Kā Tuka is in the southwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for 72 kilometres (45 mi) through Fiordland, its sources being close to the Homer Tunnel and in Gertrude Valley in the southern Darran Mountains.
The Hollyford Track is a tramping track in New Zealand. Located at the northern edge of Fiordland, in the southwestern South Island, it is unusual among Fiordland's major tracks in that it is largely flat and accessible year-round. It follows the Hollyford River which in turn follows the course of the Hollyford Valley.
Transport in Milford Sound in New Zealand is characterised by the remoteness of the area in which it is located. As a popular tourism destination in the South Island, Milford Sound and the village of the same name receive very large numbers of visitors. These tend to arrive and depart within just a few hours each day, as there is little accommodation at the village, leading to strong demand peaks for tourism services during the noon and early afternoon period. The journey from Te Anau is rated as one of the most photographic drives of the world.
Lake Marian is an alpine lake at the southern end of the Darran Mountains in the Fiordland National Park in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is located just above the treeline in a hanging valley leading northwest from the Hollyford Valley near The Divide pass. The valley is sheltered by steep snow-covered peaks of over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) on all sides apart from the entrance.
Mount Tūtoko is the highest peak in Fiordland National Park, in southwest New Zealand. It lies between the Hollyford Valley and Milford Sound, 15 kilometres due north of the Homer Tunnel at the northern end of the Darran Mountains. The glacier-covered mountain rises to a height of 2,723 metres (8,934 ft) and is visible from the Hollyford Track. Two slightly lower summits lie just to the south of the main peak.
State Highway 94 is a New Zealand state highway connecting the large Southland town of Gore with one of New Zealand's most popular destinations, Milford Sound. It also passes the significant townships of Lumsden and Te Anau as well going through the Homer Tunnel. The road also goes through Fiordland and crosses the Main Divide of the Southern Alps.
The Haast-Hollyford road or Haast-Hollyford Highway is a long-standing proposal to link Haast via the Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound and Te Anau in the South Island of New Zealand. Proposals for this road have been mooted since the 1880s.
The Humboldt Mountains or Humboldt Range are one of the many ranges which make up the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in the South Island of New Zealand. They lie to the northwest of Lake Wakatipu in the Otago Region. Parts of the range lie within Fiordland National Park, and they form the southern extremity of Mount Aspiring National Park. The range was named by early explorer James McKerrow, and like many geographic features worldwide, it was named in honour of notable scientist Alexander von Humboldt.
Mount Eglinton is an 1,854-metre-elevation (6,083-foot) mountain summit in the Fiordland Region of New Zealand.
Castle Hill Peak is a 1,998-metre-elevation (6,555-foot) mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.
The Thumbs is a 2,546-metre-elevation (8,353-foot) mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.
Mount Alba is a 2,360-metre-elevation (7,743-foot) mountain in New Zealand.
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Mount Christina is a 2,474-metre-elevation (8,117-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
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