| Ngarutjaranya | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,435 m (4,708 ft)AHD |
| Prominence | South Australia's highest mountain |
| Coordinates | 26°19′13″S131°44′38″E / 26.320329°S 131.743936°E /-26.320329; 131.743936[1] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara South Australia,Australia |
| Parent range | Musgrave Ranges |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Ngarutjaranya, also known asMount Woodroffe (officially Ngarutjaranya/Mount Woodroffe), is a mountain in theAustralian state ofSouth Australia, located in theAnangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in the state's northwest.[1] It isSouth Australia's highest peak, at 1,435 metres (4,708 ft).
The name of the mountain comes from thePitjantjatjara language.[2]InPitjantjatjara mythology, the mountain embodies the mythological creatureNgintaka.
Ngarutjaranya is located in the far northwest ofSouth Australia, in theMusgrave Ranges. The mountain range rises some 700–800 metres from the surrounding plains and comprises massifs ofgranite andgneiss.
William Ernest Giles was the first European man to pass through the area and camped to the south of Woodroffe on September 7, 1873.William Christie Gosse had previously named it Mt Woodroffe on July 20 that same year.[3] Woodroffe was named afterGeorge Woodroffe Goyder, Surveyor-General of South Australia and an early Australian explorer.[4]
In the 1960s, Ngarutjaranya was considered as a potential site for the proposedAnglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). It lost out due to its remoteness compared toSiding Spring inNew South Wales, where the AAT sits today amongst other astronomical observatories.[5]
Access is limited as a permit is required to enter theAnanguPitjantjatjara lands.[6]As of October 2024, it is confirmed Ngarutjaranya cannot be climbed anymore as no more permits to climb it are issued by the APY lands (Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara).
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