Mount Dechen is a mountain in the

West Coast Region The West Coast () is a region of New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island. It is administered by the West Coast Regional Council, and is known co-officially as Te Tai Poutini. It comprises the territorial authorities of Buller Distri ...

of New Zealand.

Description

Mount Dechen is located in 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 ...

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 ...

. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains east into the Landsborough River, southwest into the headwaters of the

Ōtoko River The Ōtoko River is a river of the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island. It flows generally northwest from the northern slopes of Mount Hooker, reaching the Paringa River 20 kilometres south of Bruce Bay. The New Zealand Ministry ...

, and north into the headwaters of the Edison River.

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 the Ōtoko Valley in four kilometres, and above the Landsborough Valley in four kilometres. The nearest higher peak is Mount Ward, nine kilometres to the southeast. The mountain's toponym was applied by

Julius von Haast Sir Johann Franz Julius von Haast (1 May 1822 – 16 August 1887) was a German-born New Zealand explorer, geologist, and founder of the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. Early life Johann Franz Julius Haast was born on 1 May 1822 in Bo ...

to honour his geology teacher, Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen (1800–1889).''Mount Dechen''
New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 22 January 2025.

Climbing

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 1935 by Marjorie Edgar-Jones, Gladys Acton-Adams, Frank Alack, and Tom Christie.''Mt Dechen''
New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 22 January 2025. Climbing routes with the first ascents: * South Ridge – Marjorie Edgar-Jones, Gladys Acton-Adams, Frank Alack, Tom Christie – (1935) * East Face – Norman Hardie, Jim McFarlane – (1947) * North East Ridge – Trevor McCann, Maurie Bishop – (1952) * Ōtoko Couloir – Dick Tornquist, Vic McGregor, Alex Parton, John Luxton, Tim Barfoot, George Hunter – (1961)

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 Dechen 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 fall in the form of rain or snow. This climate supports the Dechen and McCardell glaciers on the slopes of the peak. 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 22 January 2025.

References

External links

* Mount Dechen
weather
* Mount Dechen
New Zealand Alpine Club
* Mount Dechen (photo)
Flickr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dechen, Mount Southern Alps Mountains of the West Coast Region

Description

Climbing

Climate

See also

References

External links