Mount Forbes is located at the northern end of the Sibbald Range which is a subrange of the Southern Alps.

[4] It is situated 180 kilometres (112 mi) west of the city of Christchurch and is set on the northeastern boundary of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in the Canterbury Region of South Island.

[6] The mountain was named in 1861 by Julius von Haast to honour James David Forbes (1809–1868), a Scottish physicist, glaciologist, and professor at the University of Edinburgh.

[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.