Criffel Range

The Criffel Range is a range of mountains in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.

The range lies parallel and to the east of the Crown Range, from which it is separated by the valley of the Cardrona River, and by the route of the Crown Range Road, New Zealand's highest paved highway. To the west of the Criffel Range lies another parallel ridge, the Pisa Range. Between them, the Criffel and Pisa Ranges form a massif which is notable as being part of the alluvial gold field which was at the heart of the Otago Gold Rush of 1861–63. The Criffel Range forms part of the greater Pisa Range fault-block mountain which separates the Cardrona Valley from the Upper Clutha Valley. The Pisa and Criffel Ranges are separated by a strath, a broad, generally gently undulating valley.

A tortuous road runs into the Criffel Range from Cardrona, leading to the Snow Farm ski field and lodge, the main current human activity within the range.

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