The pair, following in the footsteps of 1890 mountaineers Marmaduke Dixon and George Mannering, faced freezing conditions and extreme terrain during Tuesday's push to the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
They returned to their base camp at the Hermitage Hotel late on Wednesday with a dramatic tale to tell and uncertainty about the next stage of the expedition.
While Gurney, a former Speight's Coast to Coast champion, was kitted out with the latest clothing, technology and equipment, Moffatt, a triathlon and endurance athlete, struggled on his ascent, suffering frostbite in his feet, frost-nipped fingers, hypothermia and spells of incoherent speech and dizziness.
That was mostly because of the old-fashioned sporting gear he wore, including leather hobnail boots, as he re-created the conditions his forebears would have faced.
Moffatt managed to reach Summit Rocks - the point Dixon and Mannering reached on their unsuccessful mission - while Gurney climbed to the summit.
Gurney will accompany Moffatt when he visits Timaru doctor and mountaineer Dick Price, who is a frostbite specialist, for treatment and to determine when the pair can continue their journey.
The next stage is a kayak trip to Oamaru.
