A climber suffered head injuries when he fell about 100m from Mt Awful in Mt Aspiring National Park this morning.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand said it received a personal locator beacon alert from a party of four climbers about 11am.
A rescue helicopter with a Department of Conservation alpine rescue team on board flew to the scene, near the Gillespie Pass, some 1300m up.
Mission co-ordinator Dave Wilson said the man, in his 60s, fell a considerable distance and required serious medical attention.
"This incident again shows the value of carrying a registered distress beacon. Because it was registered, we were quickly able to establish from the party's emergency contact the make-up of the party and their climbing intentions.
"It has enabled the injured person to get medical attention as quickly as possible.''
The man was stabilised and flown to Queenstown Hospital but the full extent of his injuries was not known.