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Mount Darwin
West aspect, centred (Haeckel Peak to right)
Highest point
Elevation	2,952 m (9,685 ft)
Prominence	212 m (696 ft)
Parent peak	Haeckel Peak
Isolation	1.51 km (0.94 mi)
Listing	Mountains of New Zealand
Coordinates	43°31′37″S 170°20′23″E / 43.52694°S 170.33972°E / -43.52694; 170.33972
Naming
Etymology	Charles Darwin
Geography
Mount DarwinLocation in New Zealand
Interactive map of Mount Darwin
Location	South Island
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Protected area	Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
Parent range	Southern Alps Malte Brun Range
Topo map	NZMS260 I36
Climbing
First ascent	1894

Mount Darwin is a 2,952-metre-elevation (9,685-foot) mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.

Description

Mount Darwin is set in the Malte Brun Range of the Southern Alps and is situated in the Canterbury Region of South Island. This remote peak is located 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Aoraki / Mount Cook in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 850 metres (2,789 feet) above the Darwin Glacier in one kilometre, and over 750 metres (2,461 feet) above the Tasman Glacier in 0.7 kilometre. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to the Tasman River. The nearest higher peak is Haeckel Peak, 1.53 kilometres to the south-southeast. The first ascent of the summit was made in March 1894 by Jack Clarke, Tom Fyfe, and Franz Von Kronecker. The mountain's toponym was applied by Julius von Haast to honour Charles Darwin (1809–1882), the famous British naturalist who visited New Zealand in 1835.

Climbing

Climbing routes on Mount Darwin:

• West Ridge – Jack Clarke, Tom Fyfe, Franz Von Kronecker – (1894)
• North West Arête – Sydney King, Darby Thomson – (1914)
• Darwin Route – B. Carter, J. Cruse, R.H. Peate, J.M. Rowe – (1955)
• Annan-Darwin Ridge – D. Smyth, J.B. Waterhouse – (1966)
• Darwin Buttress – Geoff Wayatt, A. Cross, M. Douglas, T. Terry, R. Smith – (1967)
• Horn/McLean Rib – R. Horn, D. McLean – (1969)
• Lost Bolt Buttress – R. Aitken, S. Firth – (1973)
• South Face – R. Arbon, J.B. Waterhouse – (1979)
• Couloir Route – Andrew Lock, Luke Trehey – (1990)
• Natural Selection – Lee Mackintosh, Chris Elliott – (2014)

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Darwin is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone, with a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) 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), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snow. This climate supports the Darwin and Tasman glaciers surrounding the peak. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

See also

• List of mountains of New Zealand by height

References

1. Mount Darwin, Canterbury, NZTopoMap, Retrieved 25 December 2024.
2. ^ "Mount Darwin, New Zealand". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
3. "Mount Darwin, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 25 December 2024.
4. J. David Archibald, Charles Darwin: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works, Rowman & Littlefield, 2018, ISBN 9781538111642, p. 50.
5. ^ Mt Darwin, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 25 December 2024.
6. ^ Mount Darwin, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 25 December 2024.
7. Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 25 December 2024.
8. The Best Time to Visit the South Island, nzpocketguide.com, Retrieved 25 December 2024.

External links

• Weather: Mount Darwin
• Mount Darwin: New Zealand Alpine Club

v t e Places adjacent to Mount Darwin (New Zealand)
Tasman Glacier Hochstetter Dome Tasman Saddle Darwin Glacier Mount Darwin Mount Annan Malte Brun Mount Hamilton Haeckel Peak

• Mountains
• Geography
• Geology
• New Zealand

• Southern Alps
• Mountains of the Canterbury Region
• Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park