Rob Roy Glacier

Rob Roy Glacier
Rob Roy Glacier from below in the Rob Roy Valley
TypeHanging
LocationMount Aspiring National Park
Coordinates44°28′0″S 168°43′0″E / 44.46667°S 168.71667°E / -44.46667; 168.71667
Highest elevation2,644 metres (8,675 ft)
Lowest elevation1,500 metres (4,900 ft)

The Rob Roy Glacier is a small hanging glacier in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island. It is located within the Mount Aspiring National Park, 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of Mount Aspiring / Tititea.

The glacier covers the steep slopes of the mountains surrounding the head of the Rob Roy Valley. The most prominent part of the glacier is on the northwestern side of the valley on the slopes below the 2,644 metres (8,675 ft) tall Rob Roy Peak.[1] This part of the glacier extends from just below Rob Roy Peak down to a bench high on the valley's side where it abruptly breaks over the cliff's edge at around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).

The glacier covers most of the headwalls encircling the valley, except the eastern side where the bordering peaks are all just below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The spring melt causes frequent small avalanches, and seracs breaking off the glacier's terminal face on the northwestern side of the valley. Bigger blocks of ice can tumble and crash all the way to the valley floor.[2]

  1. ^ "Rob Roy Peak, Otago - NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  2. ^ Information panel at the lookout at the end of the Rob Roy Valley Track, Department of Conservation NZ