The climbers were identified as Vincent Lapointe, 31, of Montgomery Center, Vermont, and Zephi Friel, 36, of Concord, New Hampshire. They were given a ride by snowmobile back to the awaiting Littleton Ambulance, arriving at 1:52 PM.

A man and a woman were at the base of the Black Dike route when the snow gave way Sunday morning, New Hampshire Fish and Game said.