The Thumbs is a mountain in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand.
Description The Thumbs is the second-highest peak of the Two Thumb Range which is a subrange of the Southern Alps. It is situated west of the city of Christchurch and is set within Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park in the Canterbury Region of South Island. The mountain is a double summit, with the south peak being higher. The first ascent of the true summit was made in February 1922 by Harold (Ned) Porter, Hugh Chambers, and Clive Barker.New Zealand Alpine Journal, Volume 15, New Zealand Alpine Club, 1953, p. 298. The Lower Thumb did not see a first ascent until 15 years later when a party of Canterbury mountaineers climbed both of the Thumbs.L. Rodney Hewitt, The Mountains of New Zealand, 1954, p. 75. The nearest higher peak is Mount Sibbald, 14 km to the west-northwest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's north and east slopes drains east to the Rangitata River via Black Birch Creek, whereas the west slope drains into Two Thumb Stream → North East Gorge Stream → Macaulay River → Godley River → Lake Tekapo. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above North East Gorge Stream in three kilometres.
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, The Thumbs is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone.Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 15 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. 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 15 December 2024.
See also List of mountains of New Zealand by height Torlesse Composite Terrane
References
External links The Thumbs (photo): Climbnz.org The Thumbs: weather