Hochstetter Dome is set on the crest or Main Divide of the Southern Alps and is situated on the boundary shared by the West Coast and Canterbury Regions of South Island.

[1] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,627 metres (5,338 feet) above the Whymper Glacier in two kilometres.

[3] The toponym was applied by Dr. Robert von Lendenfeld, who made the first ascent on 27 March 1883 with his wife Anna, and New Zealander Harry Dew.

[8] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snow.

The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.