Sir William Peak

Last updated

Sir William Peak
Sir William Peak.jpg
Southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation 2,610 m (8,563 ft) [1] [2]
Prominence 535 m (1,755 ft) [2]
Isolation 3.11 km (1.93 mi) [2]
Listing Highest mountains of New Zealand
Coordinates 44°35′33″S168°24′16″E / 44.592378°S 168.404531°E / -44.592378; 168.404531 [2]
Geography
New Zealand (relief map).png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Sir William Peak
Location in New Zealand
Sir William Peak
Interactive map of Sir William Peak
Location South Island
CountryNew Zealand
Region Otago
Protected area Mount Aspiring National Park
Parent range Southern Alps
Forbes Mountains [3]
Topo map(s) NZMS260 E40 [4]
Topo50 CA10 [3]
Climbing
First ascent December 1930
Easiest route North Face [3]

Sir William Peak is a 2,610-metre-elevation (8,563-foot) mountain in Otago, New Zealand.

Contents

Description

Sir William Peak is located 28 kilometres north of Glenorchy, New Zealand, in the Southern Alps of the South Island. It is set within Mount Aspiring National Park which is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. The peak is part of the Forbes Mountains which are a subrange of the Southern Alps. [3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's southwest slope drains to the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu via Bedford Stream, whereas all other slopes drain to the Rees River via Hunter Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,150 metres (7,054 feet) above the Dart Valley in five kilometres, and 1,300 metres (4,265 feet) above the West Branch of Hunter Creek in 1.5 kilometre. The nearest higher neighbour is Mount Earnslaw, three kilometres to the south. [2] This mountain's toponym has been officially approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board. [4]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Sir William Peak is located in a marine west coast climate zone, with a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) at the summit. [5] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upwards by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow. This climate supports the Frances Glacier on the southwest slope and an unnamed glacier on the east slope of the mountain. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak. [6]

Climbing

The first ascent of the summit was made in December 1930 by J.A. Sim, V.J. Leader, and K. Grinling. [3]

Climbing routes:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sir William Peak, Otago, NZTopoMap, Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sir William Peak, New Zealand". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Sir William Pk, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Sir William Peak, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Te Anau Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  6. ↑ The Best Time to Visit the South Island, nzpocketguide.com, Retrieved 2 January 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.