Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi |
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"Mount Earnslaw" by John Turnbull Thomson (1883)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,819 m (9,249 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,359 m (4,459 ft) |
| Isolation | 36.3 km (22.6 mi) |
| Listing | New Zealand #15 |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Pikirakatahi (Māori) |
| Geography | |
 Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi
Location in New Zealand
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| Parent range | Forbes Range, Southern Alps |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Harry Birley 1890. |
Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi is a huge mountain in New Zealand. It stands 2819 meters (9249 feet) tall. You can find it on the country's South Island. The mountain gets its name from a village in Scotland called Earnslaw. This was the hometown of the father of John Turnbull Thomson, a famous surveyor.
Mount Earnslaw is located inside Mount Aspiring National Park. It is part of the Forbes Range, which is a section of New Zealand's Southern Alps. The mountain is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of Glenorchy. This small town sits at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu.
Did you know that Mount Earnslaw and the areas around it were used for filming? They appeared in the live-action movies of The Lord of the Rings.
Climbing Mount Earnslaw
Climbing Mount Earnslaw has a long history. Many people have tried to reach its peaks.
Early Attempts
In March 1882, a man named Reverend W.S. Green tried to climb Earnslaw. He had two guides, Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann. However, they faced problems with transport and bad weather. They had to turn back after climbing about 1,500 meters (5,000 feet).
First Successful Climbs
After several tries over many years, a guide from Glenorchy finally made it to the top. His name was Harry Birley. In 1890, he successfully climbed the eastern peak of Earnslaw. To prove he reached the very top, he left a bent shilling coin inside an old Irish Moss bottle. He placed it within a pile of stones called a cairn.
Mount Earnslaw has two main peaks. The western peak is about 10 meters (33 feet) lower than the eastern one. However, it is much harder to climb. It is also about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) to the west-south-west. A deep pass, about 200 meters (656 feet) deep, separates the two peaks. The challenging West Peak was finally climbed in 1914 by H.F. Wright and J. Robertson.
Images for kids
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"Mount Earnslaw" by John Turnbull Thomson (1883)
