Mount Unapproachable facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Unapproachable |
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 Mount Unapproachable
Location in Northern Territory
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 505 m (1,657 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Northern Territory, Australia |
Mount Unapproachable is a mountain located in the southwest part of the Northern Territory, Australia. It sits on the northern side of Lake Neale. This mountain is about 505 meters (1,657 feet) above sea level. It's in a very remote area, far from big towns. The closest towns are Kaltukatjara (about 116 km away), Kintore (135 km away), and Yulara (138 km away). Mount Unapproachable is mostly made of sandstone.
How Mount Unapproachable Got Its Name
The mountain was given its name by an explorer named Ernest Giles in 1872. Giles was on a long journey, called an expedition, trying to find a way to cross the desert from east to west. He had just discovered and named Lake Amadeus.
As he looked west, he saw this mountain rising up. He hoped to find water there, which was very important for his journey. However, he couldn't reach the mountain. His path was blocked by the large lake. Giles actually thought Lake Amadeus was bigger than it was. He didn't realize there was a strip of land between Lake Amadeus and Lake Neale. Because he couldn't get to it, he called it "Mount Unapproachable."
Exploring the Area: W. H. Tietkins' Journey
Years later, in 1889, William Harry Tietkins, who had been Giles's second-in-command, returned to the area. This time, he led his own expedition to survey (map and measure) the land.
Tietkins traveled to the Bloods Range, which is south of Lakes Amadeus and Neale. He named two high peaks there Mount Harris and Mount Carruthers. From the top of Mount Harris, he could see famous landmarks like Kata Tjuta, the Petermann Ranges, and the Tomkinson Ranges.
Tietkins then journeyed east for three days until he reached Lake Amadeus. At the western end of the lake, on its northern shore, he found a sandstone range. He named this "Long's Range" after his brother-in-law. He climbed some nearby hills and realized that Mount Unapproachable was the westernmost peak of this Long's Range. Tietkins and his team reached Mount Unapproachable in mid-June. They spent several days exploring the western edge of Lake Amadeus. He corrected Giles's earlier mistake and successfully mapped the lake's western shore.
Later Discoveries: Donald Mackay and Herbert Basedow
Another team of surveyors visited the area in 1926. This group was led by Donald George Mackay and Herbet Basedow. On July 1st, they climbed a hill. Basedow believed this hill was both Mount Unapproachable and Mount Harris.
He compared his own observations with the notes from Giles and Tietkins. Basedow concluded that this hill was indeed the Mount Unapproachable that Giles had first described. He thought that Tietkins had mistakenly renamed it Mount Harris. However, on maps today, Mount Harris and Mount Carruthers are the names given to two different peaks located in the Bloods Range.
