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Two Utah mountaineers rescued by helicopter from Grand Teton National Park

Two Utah mountaineers were rescued by helicopter from Grand Teton National Park on Tuesday after they became exhausted trying to complete the Grand Traverse, a multiday climbing challenge.

Salt Lake City resident Nick Marucci, 30, and Orem resident Laura Robertson, 23, had been in the mountains for five days as they worked to finish the 14-mile trek that travels over 10 of the Wyoming-area park’s main peaks, according to a Grand Teton news release.

They climbed Teewinot Mountain and Mount Owen on the first two days, then cooler, wet weather slowed their progress Sunday. On Monday, the duo tried to climb the Grand Teton despite poor conditions.

After climbing several hundred feet, they suffered minor injuries and began to lose dexterity in their hands due to the cold. Marucci and Robertson called for help late in the afternoon, park officials said.

A ranger rescue group told the climbers to descend to a small ledge and spend the night. The next morning, “it became clear that they were too exhausted” to get down on their own, and a helicopter rescue would be needed, a news release said.

The hikers were pulled off the mountain about noon Tuesday during a break in the weather.