Mount Sibbald is a mountain in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Description Mount Sibbald is the highest point of the Sibbald Range which is a small subrange of the Southern Alps. It is located west of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region of the South Island. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west into the Godley River and east to the Macaulay River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Macaulay Valley in three kilometres, and above the Godley Valley in four kilometres. The nearest higher neighbour is Mount D'Archiac, nine kilometres to the north. The mountain's toponym honours Sea Captain William Sibbald, the first runholder at nearby Lilybank Station in 1868. The first ascent of the summit was made in 1917 by Edgar Williams and William Kennedy.Mt Sibbald, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 14 January 2025.
Climbing Climbing routes and the first ascents:
Via Lucifer Flat – Edgar Williams, William Kennedy – (1917) Unnamed – Neville Johnson, H.J. Newberry, Ian Powell – (1934) South East Ridge – G.D.T. Hall, A.H. Hines, L. Whitworth – (1936) South West Ridge (descent) – Duncan Hall, Albert Hines, L. Whitworth – (1936) North Ridge – J. Howie, R. Wills – (1948) North West Ridge – Eric Duggan, Dan Donaldson, Don French, Peter Lawenson – (2015) Bohemoth's Corridor – Tom Torok, Keeley Rhynd – (2018)
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Sibbald is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone, with a tundra climate at the summit.Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 14 January 2025. 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 small unnamed glaciers on this mountain's slopes. 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 14 January 2025.
See also List of mountains of New Zealand by height
Gallery
References
External links Mount Sibbald: weather Mount Sibbald: Climbnz.org William Sibbald (photo): South Canterbury Museum