French
DeutschRed Peak (New Zealand)
| Red Peak | |
|---|---|
 North aspect centred in frame | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,637 m (8,652 ft)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 307 m (1,007 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 2.62 km (1.63 mi)[2] |
| Listing | New Zealand #34 |
| Coordinates | 43°18′52″S 170°59′22″E / 43.31444°S 170.98944°E[2] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Red |
| Geography | |
.png)  Red Peak Location in New Zealand | |
 | |
| Interactive map of Red Peak | |
| Location | South Island |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Parent range | Southern Alps |
| Topo map(s) | NZMS260 J35[3] Topo50 BW18[4] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | January 1933 |
Red Peak is a 2,637-metre-elevation (8,652-foot) mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.
Description
[edit]Red Peak is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) west of Christchurch in the Southern Alps on the South Island. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's north slope drains to the Rakaia River via Reischek Stream, whereas the south slope drains into the headwaters of the Lawrence River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,137 metres (3,730 feet) above the Lawrence River in 1.5 kilometre, and 737 metres (2,418 feet) above the Reischek Glacier in one kilometre. The nearest higher neighbour is Jagged Peak, 2.7 kilometres to the southeast.[2] This mountain was originally named Mount Gould by Julius von Haast to honour John Gould, however the first ascent party of Lloyd Wilson and H.W. Cormack renamed it on account that the rock in this area is an especially red colour.[3] This mountain's descriptive toponym has been officially approved as Red Peak by the New Zealand Geographic Board.[3] The Mount Gould toponym was transferred to the 2,406-metre peak that is one kilometre immediately to the west.[5]
Climbing
[edit]Climbing routes with the first ascents:[4]
- North Arête – Lloyd Wilson, H.W. (Sandy) Cormack – (1933)
- North Spur (descent) – Lloyd Wilson, H.W. (Sandy) Cormack – (1933)
- West Ridge – Jack Pattle, Warren Jones, Alan Morgan, Bob Watson – (1952)
- East Ridge – Mike Nelson, Robin Johnson – (1954)
- Lawrence Face – Alan Foot, Brian Stickle, W. Ellery – (1956)
Climate
[edit]Based on the Köppen climate classification, Red Peak is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone, with a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) at the summit.[6] 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 Reischek and Lawrence glaciers surrounding the peak. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.[7]
| Climate data for Upper Rakaia, elevation 1,752 m (5,748 ft), (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 10.0 (50.0) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 3.3 (37.9) | 2.2 (36.0) | 2.8 (37.0) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 6.6 (43.9) | 9.0 (48.2) | 6.5 (43.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.0 (39.2) | 2.0 (35.6) | −0.1 (31.8) | −1.3 (29.7) | −0.9 (30.4) | 0.0 (32.0) | 1.5 (34.7) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.6 (42.1) | 3.0 (37.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) | 4.4 (39.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | 0.5 (32.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | −3.5 (25.7) | −4.8 (23.4) | −4.6 (23.7) | −3.7 (25.3) | −2.1 (28.2) | −0.5 (31.1) | 2.1 (35.8) | −0.5 (31.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 285.4 (11.24) | 183.9 (7.24) | 177.2 (6.98) | 215.1 (8.47) | 218.8 (8.61) | 131.3 (5.17) | 87.0 (3.43) | 91.1 (3.59) | 143.4 (5.65) | 206.6 (8.13) | 216.9 (8.54) | 244.3 (9.62) | 2,201 (86.67) |
| Source: CliFlo[8] | |||||||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Red Peak, Canterbury, NZTopoMap, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Red Peak, New Zealand". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Red Peak, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ a b Red Pk, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ Mount Gould, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ The Best Time to Visit the South Island, nzpocketguide.com, Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Upper Rakaia Ews". NIWA. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
External links
[edit]- Red Peak: New Zealand Alpine Club
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