Woman injured in rockfall on Mt Taranaki

The woman was descending Mt Taranaki when she was injured in a rockfall. File photo/Mark Mitchell

Rescuers are trying to reach a woman injured in a rockfall on Mt Taranaki this afternoon.

It's hoped the four rescuers - two teams of two - will reach the woman and her climbing companion sometime between 10 and 11pm, at which point they would shelter at a nearby hut until morning.

Police were alerted at 2.30pm that the 39-year-old woman suffered injuries to her arm while descending the mountain.

She was injured near Symes Hut.

Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue secretary Scott Chamberlain said the pair had also lost their way on the mountain - they had been on a poled route and could no longer find the poles.

"We're in contact with them," he said.

The rescuers don't know exactly where the pair are but have a rough idea of their location, on the south side of the mountain.

A helicopter was earlier sent out to help search, but there was too much cloud in the area, Chamberlain said.

There is a south easterly wind gusting about 30-40km/h which was "not too terrible".

Chamberlain said there are two other rescuers on standby.