Mount D'Archiac is a mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.
Description Mount D'Archiac is the highest peak in the Two Thumb Range which is a subrange of the Southern Alps. It is situated west of the city of Christchurch and is set on the eastern boundary of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in the Canterbury Region of South Island. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains east to the Havelock River and west to the Godley River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises in two kilometres. The first ascent of the summit was made in March 1910 by Jim Dennistoun, 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 to honour Vicomte d'Archiac (1802–1868), a French geologist and professor of palaeontology at the Paris Museum of Natural History.Alexander Wyclif Reed. Place Names of New Zealand, 1975, , p. 98. The Māori 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.A.W. Reed, Māori Place Names: Their Meanings and Origins, Oratia Media Ltd, .
Climbing Climbing routes on Mount D'Archiac:
East Ridge – First ascent 1910 by Jim Dennistoun, Laurence Earle, Jack ClarkeEast Ridge, Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. North Ridge – Neville Johnson, H.J. Newberry, Ian Powell – (1934)North Ridge, Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. Trident Glacier / West Ridge – W.H. Scott, P.F. Scully, A. Thompson, Betty Lorimer – (1935)Trident Glacier Route (then West Ridge), Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. FitzGerald Stream Route – Bob Unwin, Jack Stanton, Hallam Smith – (1940)FitzGerald Stream Route, Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. South East Ridge – Jack Pattle, Trevor James, Bernie McClelland, Stan Conway, John Sampson – (1951)South East Ridge, Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. South West Ridge – Graeme Fyfe, Alf and Hunter Dowell, Peter Berry, Margaret Jeffereys – (1953)South West Ridge, Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. The Bandaid Route (South Face) – Bill McLeod, Peter Dickson – (1992)The Bandaid Route (South Face), Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. Desire (South Face) – Ben Ellis, Josh Mitchell, Jack Grinsted – (2018)Desire (South Face), Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024. Lust (South Face) – Sooji Clarkson, George Loomes – (2020)Lust (South Face), Climbnz.org.nz, Retrieved 16 December 2024.
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount D'Archiac is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone, with a tundra climate at the summit.Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 16 December 2024. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (orographic lift), 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
See also List of mountains of New Zealand by height Torlesse Composite Terrane
References
External links Mount D'Archiac: weather Mount D'Archiac: Climbnz.org Mount D'Archiac photo: Flickr 2024 Fatality: thepress.co.nz