Hochstetter Dome is a mountain in New Zealand.
Description
Hochstetter Dome is set on the crest or Main Divide of the
Southern Alps and is situated on the boundary shared by the West Coast and Canterbury Regions of
South Island. This remote peak is located northeast of Aoraki / Mount Cook on the boundary of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. It has a High Peak (2,827 m) and a Low Peak (2,810 m) which are set approximately 200 metres apart.
[ Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Whymper Glacier in two kilometres. The head of the Tasman Glacier is on Hochstetter Dome. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains south to the Tasman River and north into the headwaters of the Whataroa River. The nearest higher peak is Mount Walter, 2.57 kilometres to the west-northwest.][
]
History
This mountain's toponym has been officially approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board.[ The toponym was applied by Dr. Robert von Lendenfeld, who made the first ascent on 27 March 1883 with his wife Anna, and New Zealander Harry Dew. The peak is named after Ferdinand von Hochstetter (1829–1884), a German-Austrian geologist, who was appointed geologist on the Austrian Novara Expedition of 1857–1859 to New Zealand which produced the first geological map of New Zealand.][ Hochstetter Dome, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 25 December 2024.] The 1883 ascent of Hochstetter Dome represented the first successful alpine ascent to the summit of any major peak in New Zealand's central Southern Alps.[ Lendenfeld, Anna von, active 1883, National Library of New Zealand, Retrieved 25 December 2024.][ Story: Mountaineering, Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Retrieved 25 December 2024.]
Climbing
Climbing routes on Hochstetter Dome:[ Hochstetter Dome, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 25 December 2024.]
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Hochstetter Dome is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone, with a Oceanic climate (Cfc) at the summit.[ Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 25 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 Whymper and Tasman glaciers surrounding the peak. 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 25 December 2024.]
See also
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List of mountains of New Zealand by height
External links
