Tuhawaiki Mountain, also known as Mount Tuhawaiki, is a mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
Description Tuhawaiki Mountain is part of the Darran Mountains. It is situated in the Southland Region of South Island, and set within Fiordland National Park which is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Hollyford River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Hollyford Valley in three kilometres.
History The first ascent of the summit was made in February 1937 by Alex Dickie and Jim Speden. The mountain was named by Alex Dickie to honour Tūhawaiki, a paramount chief of the Ngāi Tahu Māori iwi.Tuhawaiki Mountain, New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 10 January 2025. This mountain's toponym has been officially approved as Tuhawaiki Mountain by the New Zealand Geographic Board.
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, Tuhawaiki Mountain is located in a marine west coast climate zone, with a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) at the summit.Te Anau Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 10 January 2025. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upwards by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow. This climate supports the Korako Glacier on the peak's south slope. 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 10 January 2025.
Climbing Climbing routes with the first ascents:Mt Tuhawaiki, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 10 January 2025.
South East Ridge – Alex Dickie, Jim Speden – (1937) West Ridge – A. M. Green, Jim Milne, Richard Stewart – (1959) North Ridge – John Cocks, Richard Whinham, Al Smith, Pete Glasson – (1972) Walk-off Spur – John McCallum, Tom Riley, Dave Vass – (2013) Over the Rain Bro – Kester Brown, Greg Jack, Troy Mattingley – (2014) Weigh a Pie – Mike Buchanan, Kieran Parsons – (2015) South Face – Stephen Skelton, Ben Dare – (2016)Summary of New Routes (2016) New Zealand, Ben Dare, 2017, publications.americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved 10 January 2025.
See also List of mountains of New Zealand by height Fiordland
Gallery
References
External links Mount Tuhawaiki: weather Mount Tuhawaiki: New Zealand Alpine Club