Blair Peak is a mountain on the shared border of the West Coast and Canterbury Regions of New Zealand.
Description Blair Peak is a summit situated on the crest of the Southern Alps in the South Island. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north to the Lord River, and south into the headwaters of the Rakaia River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Radiant Glacier in one kilometre and above the Cockayne Glacier in one kilometre. The nearest higher neighbour is Malcolm Peak, 3.66 kilometres to the southwest. The mountain's toponym has appeared in publications since 1911.Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, Volume 43, J. Hughes Printer, 1911, p. 329.
Climbing Established climbing routes with first ascents:Blair Pk, New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 1 September 2025.
South Ridge – H.W. (Sandy) Cormack, Lloyd Wilson, Sidney (Archie) Wiren – (1932) North Ridge – Paul Richardson, Roger Redmayne, Trevor Bissell, Tony Gazely – (1986) Via the Radiant Glacier (descent) – Paul Richardson, Roger Redmayne, Trevor Bissell, Tony Gazely – (1986) West Ridge
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, Blair Peak is located in a marine west coast (Cfb) climate zone.Christchurch Climate (New Zealand), climate-data.org, Retrieved 1 September 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 fall in the form of rain or snow. This climate supports the Radiant Glacier on the northern slope of the peak, Cockayne Glacier on the southeast slope, and the Heim Plateau on the southwest 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 1 September 2025.
Gallery
See also List of mountains of New Zealand by height William Newsham Blair
References
External links Weather: Blair Peak Blair Peak: New Zealand Alpine Club William Newsham Blair: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand