Mount Cran is a mountain in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, New Zealand.

Description

Mount Cran is set in the

Ben Ohau Range Ben Ohau Range is a mountain range in Canterbury, New Zealand, Canterbury Region, South Island, New Zealand. It lies west of Lake Pukaki, at and east of the Dobson River (New Zealand), Dobson river and Lake Ōhau. The Ben Ohau range is domin ...

of the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...

and is situated in the

Canterbury Region Canterbury () is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current form was estab ...

of the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

. This peak is located south of

Mount Cook Village Mount Cook Village, officially Aoraki / Mount Cook, is located within New Zealand's Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park at the end of , only south of the summit of the country's highest mountain, also called Aoraki / Mount Cook, in the Souther ...

. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's northwest slope drains to the headwaters of the Dobson River, whereas all other slopes drain east to the Tasman River via Freds and Birch Hill streams.

Topographic relief Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

is significant as the summit rises above Birch Hill Stream in two kilometres. The nearest higher peak is

Mount Sealy Mount Sealy is a mountain in Canterbury Region of New Zealand. Description Mount Sealy is located in the Southern Alps and the Canterbury Region of South Island. This peak is situated southwest of Mount Cook Village and set within Aoraki / M ...

, four kilometres to the north. The

first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

of the summit was made in March 1916 by Harold Sloman and

Conrad Kain Conrad Kain (10 August 1883, Schwarzau im Gebirge, Nasswald – 2 February 1934, Cranbrook, British Columbia) was an Austrian mountain guide who guided extensively in Europe, Canada, and New Zealand, and was responsible for the first ascents of mo ...

Eponymy

The mountain's toponym honours Charles George Cran (1899–1985), who was well-known in the farming community, managed several high-country stations, and was an original member of the Land Settlement Board.''Mount Cran''
New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 8 January 2025. This mountain's toponym has been officially approved by the

New Zealand Geographic Board The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) is the authority over geographical and hydrographic names within New Zealand and its territorial waters. This includes the naming of small urban settlements, localities, mounta ...

Climbing

Climbing routes with first ascents:''Mt Cran''
New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 8 January 2025. * East Ridge – Harold Sloman,

– (1916) * North Ridge – Mike Andrews, Mal Clarborough, Jim Jolly – (1972) * East Face – Ross Cullen, Peter Fowler – (1990) * ''Deep Purple'' – Bill McLeod – (1994) * ''Feared By The Bad'' – Bill McLeod – (1995) * ''Monkey Puzzle'' – Bill McLeod – (1995) * ''Delirium'' – Jonathon Baird, Bill McLeod – (1996) * Central Couloir – Steve Fortune, Jaap Overtoom, Duncan Sherratt – (2005) * West Ridge – FA unknown

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Mount Cran is located in a

marine west coast An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...

(Cfb) climate zone, with a

subpolar oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...

(Cfc) at the summit. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (

orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snow. This climate supports a small unnamed glacier on the peak's northwest 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 8 January 2025.

Gallery

References

External links

* Weather
Mount Cran
* Mount Cran
New Zealand Alpine Club
* Northwest aspect of Cran
Flickr (photo)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cran, Mount Southern Alps Mountains of the Canterbury Region