The Copland Pass (el. ) is an alpine pass in the

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

of New Zealand. Known as Noti Hinetamatea by the indigenous

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Poi ...

, the pass follows the route of the Makaawhio ancestor Hinetamatea and her sons Tātāwhākā and Marupeka. The Copland Pass is on a traditional

tramping Tramping may refer to: Travel * Hiking * Trekking * Tramping in New Zealand, a style of backpacking or hiking *Czech tramping, a Czech outdoors pastime Places *Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380, Saskatchewan, Canada ** Tramping Lake, Sa ...

route connecting

Mount Cook Village Aoraki / Mount Cook, often referred to as Mount Cook Village, 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 ...

with the West Coast of New Zealand, south of

Fox Glacier Fox Glacier (; officially Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe) is a temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Like nearby Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier is one of ...

. The Copland Pass is located on the Main Divide and is thus located on the boundary of

Aoraki / Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as . It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ...

and

Westland Tai Poutini National Park Westland Tai Poutini National Park is a national park located on the western coast of New Zealand's South Island. Established in 1960 as Westland National Park to commemorate the centenary of the European settlement of Westland District, it ...

s. The

Copland River The Copland River is a river on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It flows for from its headwaters in the Southern Alps to its confluence with the Karangarua River. The headwaters of the Copland lie only northwest of Aoraki / ...

on the western side of the Main Divide may have been named by the surveyor J. G. Roberts for Dr James Copland, an early settler in

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

. Edward FitzGerald and

Matthias Zurbriggen Matthias Zurbriggen (15 May 1856 in Saas-Fee – 21 June 1917 in Geneva) was a Swiss mountaineer. He climbed throughout the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas and New Zealand. Ascents He made many first ascents, the best known of which is Aconcag ...

crossed the Main Divide just further south in February 1895 and that pass, with an elevation of , has been named FitzGerald Pass. A month later, the mountaineer

Arthur Paul Harper Arthur Paul Harper (27 June 1865 – 30 May 1955) was a New Zealand lawyer, mountaineer, explorer, businessman and conservationist. He was simply known as AP or APH. He was born at his parents' house in Armagh Street, Christchurch, New Zeala ...

was the first non-

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

man to cross the slightly higher Copland Pass () and he named it for the main river draining its western side. Jane Thomson was the first non-

woman to cross the pass in 1903. Since the mid-1990s, the eastern climb towards the pass has experienced heavy erosion, and the Copland Pass has become extremely difficult to climb. The

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

advises that only parties with a "high level of mountaineering experience and appropriate mountaineering equipment" should attempt the crossing, and that numerous fatalities have occurred over the years. Furthermore, crossings should only be attempted from east to west. The Hooker Hut on the eastern side of the pass, which was on the traditional route for the crossing, is no longer accessible, but is stranded on an eroding

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

Climate

The climate of Copland Pass is considered as a tundra climate (ET under the Köppen-Geiger climate classification), due to its high altitude. The average high temperature in February is 13.5 °C (56.3 °F), while the average low temperature in July is -11.8 °C (10.8 °F). Most days in winter often fail to get above freezing point, and the average overnight summer temperatures are slightly below 0 °C (32 °F). Due to the high altitude of Copland Pass, warmth from daylight hours can rapidly dissipate, contributing to the diurnal temperature variation. The average annual temperature at Copland Shelter is 0.3 °C (32.5 °F).

References

{{Westland landforms Mountain passes of the Southern Alps Westland Tai Poutini National Park Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Geography of Canterbury, New Zealand Geography of the West Coast, New Zealand