4 hikers are currently stranded on Mount Rainier amid fierce winds

• Four hikers have been stranded on Washington's Mount Rainier since Monday.
• High winds have made the rescue mission difficult to execute.
• The group of hikers began their hike on Friday, but weather conditions destroyed their camping equipment, including tents.
• The group was found signaling for help at 13,500 feet on the North Side of the mountain below Liberty Cap.
• The route, which is considered dangerous, will remain closed until the rescue mission is completed.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Rangers are working to rescue a group of four hikers stranded on Washington state's Mount Rainier, the National Park Service said in a press release.

The group has encountered complications on their trek, as strong winds blew away their tents and other hiking equipment, leaving them effectively stranded on the mountain's Liberty Ridge route on Monday, the Park Service said.

Rangers first attempted to rescue the group on Monday afternoon, spotting them signaling for help at about 13,500 feet on the North Side of the mountain below Liberty Cap. However, due to 30 mile per hour winds, the rangers were unable to execute an aerial helicopter rescue.

They were also unable to drop supplies to the climbers at that level due to the high winds. Instead, rescuers dropped supplies about 1,500 feet below where weather conditions were less severe in hopes that the group would be able to reach them.

Read more: One stunning picture shows why climbers are dying on Mount Everest

On Tuesday rangers again attempted to rescue the climbers or drop supplies, but inclement weather prevented them from doing so.

The daily rescue efforts have been made by about 25 rangers from Mount Rainier National Park with additional assistance from the military, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and the Washington State SAR Planning Unit.

"Unstable weather forecasted for the next several days is expected to continue to limit air operations," the press release said. "The safety of rescue personnel is our highest priority."

The group began their climb on Friday from White River Campground. The climbers have been identified by the Parks Service as Yevgeniy Krasnitskiy of Portland, Oregon; Ruslan Khasbulatov, of Jersey City, New Jersey; Vasily Aushev, of New York, New York; and Kostya "Constantine" Toporov, of New York, New York. At least two of the four have been described as "experienced climbers" by family members.

According to the press release from the Parks Service, Liberty Ridge is "more technical and dangerous routes" but "it is attractive to expert climbers because of its spectacular wilderness scenery and the unique challenges it presents."

On Friday, a separate party encountered danger on the route. One person was killed and two others were injured by a rock fall on the trail, according to the press release.

Officials have called for an emergency closure of the Liberty Ridge route. It will remain closed until the rescue is completed.

• Read more:
• Crowds, costs, and corpses: 16 misconceptions about what it's like to climb Everest
• Mount Everest is so crowded that climbers are dying after being forced to queue in the 'death zone' while waiting to reach the summit, expedition companies say
• 3 professional climbers have been confirmed dead after an avalanche in Banff National Park
• People are paying up to $130,000 to climb Mount Everest with personal photographers and private bars at base camp

FOLLOW US: INSIDER IS ON FACEBOOK

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You'd be surprised how complicated it is to go to the bathroom on Mount Everest