A skier is evacuated from a chair at Mt Hutt on Sunday.

Scores of people were trapped on the main chairlift at Mt Hutt Ski Area for up to two hours in cold, windy conditions after a mechanical fault.

The ski field's Summit 6 broke down about 11.45am on Sunday, meaning 172 people had to be lowered to the ground using ropes.

The lift evacuation, the first at Mt Hutt in more than two decades, took about two hours.

ROY HOOGMOED Skiiers had to be evacuated from the Summit 6 chairlift at Mt Hutt on Sunday.

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Ski area manager James McKenzie said staff focused on getting children and elderly people off the lifts first. There were no medical events or injuries.

"It was a text book lift evacuation considering it was a pretty [windy] day," McKenzie said.

SUPPLIED Joe Baker, 11, and friend Ollie Farrelly, 10, were two of the last skiers to be rescued down a rope from Mt Hutt's Summit 6 chairlift on Sunday.

Staff were "still looking into" what caused the break down, including whether the windy conditions were a factor. It was too early to say if the lift would be open on Monday.

Anyone who was stuck on the lift and paid for a ticket was able to ask for a refund.

McKenzie said the last lift evacuation on the mountain was in the early 1990s when a gearbox failed.

MIKE UNGER Just over 170 people had to be evacuated from Mt Hutt's Summit 6 chairlift after a mechanical fault on Sunday.

Katy Medlock said she was on the last chair to be cleared on the mountain. People essentially had to abseil down using ropes, she said.

"We're definitely a bit cold, hungry and ready for a nap but all in all the ski patrol handled it really well," Medlock said.

Joe Baker, 11, and his friend Ollie Farrelly, 10, both students at Waimairi School in Christchurch, said they were trapped on a chair near the top of the mountain for about two hours.

"It was really cold and windy," Joe said. "The wind was blowing pieces of ice into our faces and it hurt."

Joe said the ordeal was "scary" at times but "coming down [the rope] was fun".

The pair, and others stuck on the lift, were given hot chocolates once they were rescued.

McKenzie said about 1500 people were at Mt Hutt on Sunday.

MetService said gusts near the top of the mountain reached up to 100kmh at times on Sunday. The wind was scheduled to drop overnight.