| Queen Mary's Peak | |
|---|---|
| Tristan da Cunha | |
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Queen Mary's Peak
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| Elevation | 2,062 m (6,765 ft) |
| Prominence | 2,062 m (6,765 ft) |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Location | |
| Geology | |
| Type | Shield volcano |
| Last eruption | 1961 |
Queen Mary's Peak is the summit of the island of Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean. It has an elevation of 2,062 metres (6,765 ft) above sea level. It is named after Mary of Teck, the Queen consort of King George V. It is the highest point of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
The mountain is the peak of the massive shield volcano which forms the island. A 300 m (1,000 ft) wide summit crater caps the peak, and it contains a heart-shaped crater lake. This lake is normally frozen during the winter, and the upper slopes of the volcano are covered in snow.
The only recorded historical eruption occurred in 1961 from a vent on the north shore of the island. The island community had to be evacuated.[1]
Queen Mary's Peak was used by sailors on the route from Europe to the Indian Ocean and beyond as a navigational aid. In the 17th century the East India Company instructed captains to sail via Tristan. In 2004, Ellen MacArthur sighted the Peak on her record-breaking circumnavigation of the world.
The first known attempt to climb the Peak was in 1793 by the French naturalist Aubert Dupetit-Thouars but this was without success. However from this expedition hundreds of plants were collected and catalogued. In January 1817 the first successful climb was made to the Peak. Today, Queen Mary's Peak makes a wonderful but steep climb and can take about 5 to 10 hours depending on the capability of the walker. The walk & climb is only allowed when accompanied by a local guide.
Queen Mary's Peak is the brand name for Tristan da Cunha island knitwear that is exported to New Zealand.