A Sydney couple in their 60s has survived a freezing night in the Snowy Mountains by huddling together under a large rock.
With the weather deteriorating, police had grave fears for the 62-year-old woman and 65-year-old man, who left Thredbo village on Tuesday morning to go bushwalking.
The woman called triple zero just before 3pm on Tuesday, saying they were lost.
Although overnight temperatures at the mountaintop plunged to -16C, the pair walked back to Thredbo village and arrived just before 9am on Wednesday.
"They were fit and well, remarkably, considering the weather they endured," Superintendent Rod Smith told AAP.
"Including windchill, it got down to -16C, winds up to 100km/h, heavy rain and snow on the peaks - it doesn't get much worse than that," he said.
The couple, from Sydney's inner west, were able to find shelter under a large rock among trees out of the weather.
They were resting in their lodge on Wednesday afternoon.
Bushwalkers have been reminded to take precautions at this time of year because the weather in alpine regions can turn quickly.
"We were here this time last year under similar circumstances, and unfortunately haven't found (the bushwalker) from last year," Supt Smith said.
Canadian student Prabhdeep Srawn, 25, went missing in the Snowy Mountains in May 2013.
He was last seen at Charlotte Pass village on May 13, 2013, before heading off on a bushwalk to Mt Kosciuszko.
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