Two climbers — one badly injured — spent a night in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park as rescuers embarked on a complicated mission to get them to safety.
The climbers were caught by a rock slide in steep terrain on Wednesday evening and weather conditions hampered rescue efforts, but a break in the clouds early on Thursday morning allowed a helicopter crew to winch down an alpine cliff rescue team.
The Greymouth Rescue Helicopter then flew the pair — a man and woman in their 50s — to Greymouth Hospital.
The man had an arm badly broken in two places, concussion and a badly gashed leg. The woman was relatively unharmed, and she had roped the injured climber on to the steep slope to prevent him from falling and suffering further injuries.
![The two climbers before their rescue. One had a badly broken arm and was roped to the side of the mountain. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/DXWQJ4S3YCP6FYQMVAJTIS4OIM.jpg?auth=08c1d0a5f8a5657ac57e4f8bb5e4648c048207f399d9f3823cb881913566eabf&width=16&height=22&quality=70&smart=true)