Mount Lyttle

Mount Lyttle is part of the Darran Mountains and is situated in the Southland Region of the South Island. It is set within Fiordland National Park which is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Hollyford River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises {{convert|1650.|m|ft|abbr=off}} above the Hollyford Valley in three kilometres, and {{convert|1200.|m|ft|abbr=off}} above Lake Marian in 1.5 kilometres. The nearest higher neighbour is the South Peak of Mount Gunn, 0.87 kilometres to the north.

Bert Lyttle was an early mountaineer who explored in the Fiordland area. He is credited with the first ascent of Mount Balloon in January 1911 with William Grave and Arthur Talbot. A December 1908 to January 1909 expedition that consisted of Bert Lyttle, William Grave, Algernon Charles Gifford, and Arthur Talbot searched for a route between Lake Wakatipu and Milford Sound via nearby Moraine Creek and Adelaide Saddle.[https://digitalnz.org/records/43600457 Searching for a route to the Adelaide Saddle], DigitalNZ, Retrieved 22 February 2025. The names of Mount Lyttle, Grave Mountain,[https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/place/1784 Grave Mountain], New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 22 February 2025. Mount Talbot, and Mount Gifford honour these four Fiordland pioneers.[https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/window-shopping-darran-mountains/?srsltid=AfmBOoobxjMJUEkULboa6moJ4fGWe6Loh-kmHE3HgKWlpHw-1Q9Kuvi0 Window Shopping in the Darran Mountains], Shaun Barnett, 11 June 2011, Wilderness Magazine, Retrieved 22 February 2025. The Mount Lyttle toponym was officially approved in 1936 by the New Zealand Geographic Board after unofficially being known as "Billy the B" before that.[https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/place/3755 Mount Lyttle], New Zealand Gazetteer, Retrieved 22 February 2025.

Climbing routes with first ascents:[https://climbnz.org.nz/nz/si/fiordland/darran-mountains/mt-lyttle Mt Lyttle], New Zealand Alpine Club, Climbnz.org, Retrieved 22 February 2025.

• Eastern Slopes – Bob Smith, Dick Ferris, Ivan O'Brien – (1934)
• Via Gunn Basin – Bruce Banwell, Dick Wood, Ron Webster – (1958)

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Lyttle is located in a marine west coast climate zone.[https://en.climate-data.org/oceania/new-zealand/southland/te-anau-281135/ Te Anau Climate (New Zealand)], climate-data.org, Retrieved 22 February 2025. Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upward 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.[https://nzpocketguide.com/the-best-time-to-visit-the-south-island/ The Best Time to Visit the South Island], nzpocketguide.com, Retrieved 22 February 2025.

• List of mountains of New Zealand by height

{{Reflist}}

• Mount Lyttle: [https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-6202166/New%20Zealand/Southland/Southland%20District/Mount%20Lyttle weather]
• Mount Lyttle: [https://climbnz.org.nz/nz/si/fiordland/darran-mountains/mt-lyttle New Zealand Alpine Club]
• Bert Lyttle (photo): [https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22819833?search%5Bi%5D%5Bplace_authority_id%5D=-319690&search%5Bpath%5D=items New Zealand National Library]
• Bert Lyttle (1971 photo): [https://www.canterburystories.nz/collections/archives/star/negatives/1971/ccl-cs-30711 canterburystories.nz]

{{Geographic Location 2

| Center = Mount Lyttle

| North = Mount Gunn

| Northeast = Hollyford Valley

| East = Hollyford River

| Southeast = Milford Road

| South = Lake Marian

| Southwest = Mount Christina

| West = Mount Crosscut

| Northwest = Sabre Peak

}}

{{Fiordland}}

{{Portal bar|Mountains|Geography|Geology|New Zealand}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyttle, Mount}}

Category:Fiordland National Park

Category:Mountains of Fiordland