The climber initially thought he had broken his leg as a result of a 10m fall, while roped, on steep terrain on the eastern face of Double Cone - the two highest peaks of the range.
The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter, based in Queenstown, was called about 5.30pm on Saturday but could not winch the climber from where he had fallen because of clouds and wind.
So a team of eight from Queenstown and Wanaka alpine cliff rescue teams were dropped lower down by the helicopter and trekked and climbed up to the site.
"The guys who went to the site determined the leg was not broken. It was mainly soft tissue injury," Queenstown mountain guide Chris Prudden said.
"So they were able to strap his leg up and get him mobile.
"And then it was just a long, and for the individual involved, painful walk to where we could get the heli involved.
"It was a long rescue because we had to do it all on foot and on the ground. We were blessed the weather didn't get any worse.
"We were on the mountain from about an hour before dark until 3am."
The injured man, who was climbing with a friend, was picked up by helicopter from Lake Alta at The Remarkables skifield and taken to Lakes District Hospital in nearby Frankton.
"It can be difficult for helicopter. And it shows how blessed we are by, and expectant of, the helicopter being able to get in there quickly and do the job, which is what happens normally," Mr Prudden said.
"But you know when it's later in the day, and you've got weather change and darkness coming on, things aren't going to be as straightforward.
"If the guy had a broken leg and couldn't have been mobilised it would have been a very different story. We'd probably have been there until the morning.
"It was very steep there and required guys with good skills to get him off."
