Two climbers have been airlifted from Aoraki/Mt Cook in the South Island after being hit by an ice fall during a night summit of the mountain on Friday.
A Department of Conservation spokesperson, Shirley Slatter, says the men, both visiting from Australia, managed to make it back to Plateau Hut where the alarm was raised at 5am on Saturday.
Mrs Slatter says they were incredibly lucky, given that they fell about 200 metres at Zurbriggen Ridge.
The pair, aged 35 and 34, are being treated at Timaru Hospital.
One received facial injuries and the other chest injuries.
Mountain Safety Council chief executive Darryl Carpenter, says climbing in the Mount Cook area is technically challenging at any time of the year.
He says warmer temperatures over summer lead to ice on the mountain thawing, creating an additional risk.
