The 22-year-old men, one a skier and the other a snowboarder, were suffering from mild hypothermia as they endured overnight temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius.
Both had set off from the resort of Savognin, in south east Switzerland, on Friday, but could not find their way back.
They were able to alert the authorities using a mobile phone, but it when it ran out of battery power all they had left was an MP3 player, which the snowboarder had been using to listen to music.
Airborne rescuers were eventually able to reach the pair high on a wooded slope after being guided by the light of the digital music player.
Gery Baumann, spokesman for mountain rescue service Rega, said: "The two winter sports enthusiasts were found by the crew of the Rega helicopter shortly after midnight – thanks to the faint light of their MP3 player.
"Apart from mild hypothermia, they were safe and well."
The rescued pair, who have not been named, were both French.
Now that's dam lucky if you ask me. Always carry an mp3 player, you never know what it may come in handy for.
