Mount Usborne

Mount Usborne rises to 705 metres in the middle of East Falkland and is the highest point in the islands, a long quartzite ridge rather than a peak, with stone runs pouring down its flanks and small corries on the southern side holding the only ground in the Falklands that carries lasting snow. The walk up is not technical but it is long, exposed and entirely without shelter.

Background

The mountain takes its name from Alexander Burns Usborne, who served as master's assistant on HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's voyage. Darwin refers to it in Chapter 9 of his Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. The mountain stands some 33 miles west of Stanley and is 5 metres higher than Mount Adam, the top of West Falkland. The peak is thought to have seen some glaciation, and the remains of glacial cirques are visible. On the north-eastern slope lies Black Tarn, sounded at 13 metres deep in 1981 and at only 10 metres in 2014. Charcoal in cores from its edge may point to people in the area before Europeans.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mount Usborne"

What you'll find

• The summit ridge - 705 metres, the highest ground in the islands.
• The stone runs - rivers of quartzite boulders down the flanks.
• The corries - the small hollows on the southern side that hold snow.
• The view - much of East Falkland visible in clear weather.

When to go

November to March is the practical window. Cloud covers the ridge frequently in any season. Winter conditions on the top are genuinely dangerous.

What to expect

There is no marked path and navigation matters in cloud, which is common. The ground is boggy and the stone runs are hard going. Permission from the landowner is required and there is no rescue capability.

Nearby

Goose Green is south, and Stanley is east.

Key facts