The rescuers have spoken with the climbers by telephone and are preparing a rescue effort.

“Now we’re going to do all we can to get to these guys and to help them,” said Johan Af Ekenstam to Sveriges Radio (SR).

According to the Västerbotten police, the rescue team is currently ascertaining whether to climb up to the men or whether to be lowered down to them from a helicopter.

The weather remains troublesome in the area, with the climbers having experienced temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celcius over Thursday night.

The men reported that they were stranded on Thursday.

“The missing men placed a call from a mobile phone on Thursday morning and said they didn’t know where they had climbed. Then the battery in the telephone died,” Västerbotten County police spokesperson Christina Neidebro told the TT news agency.

Rescue teams searched all day Thursday for the two men, both of whom are in their twenties and aren’t experienced climbers, but to no avail.

As darkness fell around 8pm, a helicopter involved in the search returned to base, while alpine rescue teams continued to look for the missing men, who were reportedly equipped with a tent and appropriate clothing for an alpine hike.

Overnight temperatures in the area dropped to around 0 degrees Celsius and with light snowfall.

The North Syter Peak has an elevation of 1,768 metres above sea level, making it the highest point in Västerbotten County.

South Syter Peak has an elevation of 1,685 metres.

TT/The Local/og