Two Queenstown men were flown off Mt Tasman yesterday after becoming stranded 50m from the summit.
The men, aged 28 and 30, became stuck high on the 3497m mountain because of avalanche risk.
The pair were uninjured and are understood to have returned to the area following their rescue.
The two experienced climbers set off about 3am yesterday to climb the north shoulder of Mt Tasman, the second-highest peak in New Zealand, police said.
Snow, warm weather and avalanche risk prevented them from reaching the summit or from descending safely, a Canterbury district police spokeswoman said.
The men used their cellphones to call emergency services and activated a personal locator beacon as the weather deteriorated about 2.30pm.
The men were long-lined off the mountain by The Helicopter Line, the Aoraki Mt Cook Rescue Team and Alpine Guides to a safe area at Plateau Hut, before being flown to the emergency services building at Mt Cook Village, the spokeswoman said.
The pair had been facing the propect of spending a night on the mountain, as worsening weather made rescue precarious.
Mt Cook Alpine Guides chief guide Dave McKinley said Mt Tasman was known as ''the mountaineers' peak''.
''It's a long and involved climb on mostly snow and ice,'' he said.
The usual route was via the West Coast side from Pioneer Hut.
''You would expect the round trip to take up to 15 or 20 hours.''
The north ridge was the standard route from the western side, and it had been the scene of several rescues in previous years.
Police said the rescue provided a timely reminder to those taking to the mountains during the coming long weekend.
''Police urge anyone who is heading to the high country or Southern Alps over the long weekend to ensure they check the weather forecast, tell someone of their intentions and carry appropriate equipment for all kinds of weather,'' the spokeswoman said.
''In the remote areas of the Southern Alps, a personal locator beacon is invaluable if you need to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency.''
