Lauper Peak
Lauper Peak is a mountain in New Zealand.
Description
Lauper Peak is located west of Christchurch on the boundary shared by the Canterbury and West Coast Regions of the South Island. It is set on the crest or Main Divide of the Southern Alps, where it is the highest peak of the Butler Range. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's northeast slope drains into the headwaters of the Whitcombe River, whereas all other slopes drain to the Rakaia River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above Lauper Stream in two kilometres, and above the Rakaia Valley in five kilometres. The nearest higher peak is Mount Whitcombe, three kilometres to the west-northwest.Eponymy
Jakob Lauper was a Swiss mountain guide who accompanied Henry Whitcombe, a surveyor for the Canterbury Provincial Council. They were tasked with investigating a pass near the headwaters of the Rakaia River. During this expedition, for which they were ill-prepared, Whitcombe drowned in the Taramakau River when crossing it in May 1863. This event resulted in Julius von Haast naming the pass the pair had travelled Whitcombe Pass, as well as a mountain, Mount Whitcombe. When George John Roberts mapped the Rakaia headwaters during the 1880s, he named the peak west of Whitcombe Pass after Jakob Lauper. This mountain's toponym has been officially approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board.Climbing
The first ascent of the summit was made in January 1914 by Fred Kitchingham, Charles Ward, and Lawrence Gooch.Climbing routes with the first ascents:
- East Ridge – Fred Kitchingham, Charles Ward, Lawrence Gooch –
- North Ridge – Brian Olsen, Charlie Ledbrook –
- West Face – Hugh Fyson, Ray Molineux –
- South West Ridge
- South East Ridge