A 40-year-old man is in a critical condition in Palmerston North hospital after skiing off a cliff on Mt Ruapehu.
The man and three others were rescued last night, after police were alerted the four needed assistance on the Mangaehuehu Glacier.
The man had skied off the cliff while a woman was stuck on the cliff face.
The two other people in the group made their way to the 40-year-old man and called emergency services.
The woman suffered no serious injuries.
Senior Constable Conrad Smith said Ruapehu Alpine Lifts went to huge lengths to keep people out of the area, which is outside the ski field boundary.
He said it was very disappointing and frustrating that these warnings were ignored.
Yesterday four people were also taken to hospital after being hit by falling ice and snow from a roof at Turoa skifield on Mt Ruapehu yesterday afternoon.
Those include the sister and extended family of a New Zealand First list MP, Jenny Marcroft, who said it was a chaotic scene.