Mount Cook Range
Mountain range in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mount Cook Range (Māori: Kirikirikatata; officially gazetted as Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range) is an offshoot range of the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The range forks from the Southern Alps at the Green Saddle[3] and descends towards Lake Pukaki, encompassing Aoraki / Mount Cook[4] and standing adjacent to the Tasman Glacier.[5]
| Mount Cook Range | |
|---|---|
Mount Cook Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Aoraki / Mount Cook |
| Elevation | 3,724 m (12,218 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 43°35′42″S 170°08′31″E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | After Kirikirikatata, Aoraki's grandfather according to legend[2] |
| Native name | Kirikirikatata (Māori) |
| Geography | |
.png)  Mount Cook Range Location in New Zealand | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Range coordinates | 43°40′S 170°08′E |
| Parent range | Southern Alps |
In 1889, the highest point of the range was 3,763 metres (12,346 feet),[6] but this has since been reduced by avalanches and erosion.[7]
Naming
In 2013, the range was officially renamed Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range as part of a number of name changes within the Mount Cook region, following a 2012 proposal. According to Māori creation myths, Kirikirikatata was the grandfather of Aoraki, both of whom turned into mountains; Kirikirikatata into the Mount Cook Range, and Aoraki into Mount Cook.[8][9]