Climber rescued after being injured in fall down cliff in the Blue Mountains

A rescue crew have winched a badly injured climber to safety after the man spent more than 21 hours stuck on a ledge in the Blue Mountains.

A man has been rescued after spending a perilous night in icy conditions clinging onto a one metre wide rock ledge, after falling 40 metres while rock climbing with friends in the Blue Mountains yesterday.

The man, in his 50s, who’d been climbing in the National Park in a group of three friends, fell at about 4pm on Sunday and became stranded on the ledge.

He has since been successfully winched to safety and flown to Westmead hospital to be treated for his injuries.

NSW Police Acting Inspector Cynthia Walden told The Daily Telegraph the man suffered injuries to his ankles and wrists.

“It was approximately 20 metres down when the man came into difficulty, and as a result he suffered injuries to both his ankles and his wrist,” she said.

“Luckily there was phone reception down there, so one of his friends was able to alert emergency services.”

Earlier, NSW Police told news.com.au they attempted to rescue the man yesterday after he fell but were hampered by poor vision. The man spent the night sheltering in a cave on the cliff face with rescuers and one of his companions.

The stranded climber clings to a one metre wide ledge.

Police attempted to rescue the man last night but were hampered by conditions. Picture: 7 News

Rescuers sheltered overnight with the injured man in a cave on a cliff face. Picture: 7 News

Rescue efforts have continued today. After 12pm rescuers on abseiling ropes began the difficult task of moving the badly injured man, who is attached to a stretcher, down the 150m cliff face.

The man had been stuck on the small ledge for more than 21 hours before the difficult task of moving him began.

Last night ambulance crews waited for the man above at Point Pilcher Lookout in Medlow Bath as police helicopters tried to winch him to safety, but the rescue was deemed to dangerous and had to be abandoned until first light on Monday.

Police told news.com.au today they were working to try and rescue the man again this morning.

Overnight, the rescue personnel and one of the man’s companions sheltered with him in a cave on the cliff face. Today rescuers said they’d try to lower the injured climber on a stretcher to the valley floor, before a helicopter could winch him to safety.

Crews began the difficult task of lowering the man down the cliff face after midday. Picture: 9 News

Rescue crews were earlier seen abseiling down the 150m cliff face searching for safe spots to lower the climber.

"He's in a precarious situation on one of the ledges, and he's currently with two police rescue operators and two critical care paramedics, all four of whom have been with the patient since yesterday evening," Acting Superintendent Greg Marshall from NSW Ambulance told 9 News.

The climber has suffered multiple injuries to his lower legs and one of his arms.