Mount Suckling
Encyclopedia
Mount Suckling or Goropi, is the highest peak of the Goropu Mountains, part of the Owen Stanley Range
in southeastern Papua New Guinea
. It lies about 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) east of Port Moresby
. Situated on a relatively narrow peninsula
, it lies only about 60 km (37.3 mi) from the sea to both the northeast (in the direction of Collingwood Bay
) and the south. While not the highest peak in the Owen Stanley Range (Mount Victoria
is the highest), it is the most topographically prominent
peak in the range, and it is in fact the third most prominent peak on the island of New Guinea
. The peak rises above the timberline, while its lower slopes are well-forested.
The Maisin people inhabit the area around Mount Suckling. As of 1972, Mount Suckling had been "very inadequately explored" by Westerners. Norman Cruttwell initiated an expedition to the peak, which eventually reached the summit after several unsuccessful attempts. They found the peak "so inaccessible that [they] had to be dropped by helicopter into a gorge at 1500m and find [their] way to the top." They climbed via the south spur of the mountain, named "Goe Dendeniwa"; the second word means "red" and refers to the uniformly red color of the rocks and vegetation on the spur.
Owen Stanley Range
Owen Stanley Range is the south-eastern part of the central mountain-chain in Papua New Guinea. It was seen in 1849 by Captain Owen Stanley while surveying the south coast of Papua and named after him. Strictly, the eastern extremity of the range is Mount Victoria , which was climbed by Sir William...
in southeastern Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It lies about 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) east of Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. Situated on a relatively narrow peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, it lies only about 60 km (37.3 mi) from the sea to both the northeast (in the direction of Collingwood Bay
Collingwood Bay (Papua New Guinea)
-References:*...
) and the south. While not the highest peak in the Owen Stanley Range (Mount Victoria
Mount Victoria, Papua New Guinea
Mount Victoria is the highest point in the Owen Stanley Ranges in Central Province, Papua New Guinea at 4,072 metres. It lies approximately 75 km north-north-west of Port Moresby and can be seen on a clear day from the city.-History:...
is the highest), it is the most topographically prominent
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
peak in the range, and it is in fact the third most prominent peak on the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. The peak rises above the timberline, while its lower slopes are well-forested.
The Maisin people inhabit the area around Mount Suckling. As of 1972, Mount Suckling had been "very inadequately explored" by Westerners. Norman Cruttwell initiated an expedition to the peak, which eventually reached the summit after several unsuccessful attempts. They found the peak "so inaccessible that [they] had to be dropped by helicopter into a gorge at 1500m and find [their] way to the top." They climbed via the south spur of the mountain, named "Goe Dendeniwa"; the second word means "red" and refers to the uniformly red color of the rocks and vegetation on the spur.