Mount Alarm is set on the boundary shared by the Marlborough and Canterbury Regions of the South Island.

Topographic relief is significant as the south face rises 700 metres (2,297 feet) in less than one kilometre.

[3] This mountain's toponym has been officially approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board.

[6][7] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upwards by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow.

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