It is located 185 kilometres (115 mi) west of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region of the South Island.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,400 metres (4,593 feet) above the Macaulay Valley in less than three kilometres.

[4] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1934 by Bill Cullens, Stan Forbes, and Frank Gillett.

[5] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountains, where the air is forced upwards 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.