A 25-year-old man trapped for nearly 24 hours on a remote cliff ledge in far northern Western Australia has thanked rescuers after his ordeal.

Alex Farrelly-Deas, who was on a holiday from Sydney, became stuck 150 metres up a rock face near Lake Argyle on the WA/Northern Territory border late on Wednesday.

It took a team of 17 personnel to get him to safety late on Thursday evening.

"They were all really supportive — they all clearly really cared that I was in this situation and wanted to get me down," Mr Farrelly-Deas said.

The 25-year-old climbed the rock face to take photographs and did not expect that part of it would collapse during his descent.

"I was hanging on with my hands above my head — it was a bit of a stretch to get down to the next ledge and the rock just came away," Mr Farrelly-Deas said.

"I just skidded down a bit, but just that experience — in that moment I realised how high up I was … I was like, 'Oh my god, this is actually a lot more dangerous than I initially thought.'

"I think I was just in shock — my body wasn't moving."

He contacted emergency services at 5pm on Wednesday, but emergency crews could not carry out a rescue operation during the night.

"I think that was the moment where I realised how scared I was … sitting out there for a couple hours before they arrived," Mr Farrelly-Deas said.

"Then watching them as they were trying to use their torches to see me on the cliff.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Kimberley Superintendent Leon Gardiner said nightfall and the terrain meant the rescue had to be carried out in the morning.

"It took crews well over an hour to hike into that area and find a safe path in," he said.

"The terrain and the location is incredibly challenging and complex."

Emergency rescue crews supplied Mr Farrelly-Deas with blankets, food and a way to communicate with crews.

"Having the food that was a literal lifesaver — especially the blankets, because up there that high that night it got really windy," Mr Farrelly-Deas said.

Emergency crews were back on the ground early Thursday morning attempting to rescue him.

"it took the team a number of times to develop an appropriate plan that would work through what is the most safe and effective way, not only to rescue the individual, but to keep our responders as safe as possible in such a challenging and complex location," Superintendent Gardiner said.

Mr Farrelly-Deas was winched out by helicopter at approximately 4pm on Thursday.

"It was this massive helicopter – the noise, the wind – and they just put a harness on and essentially pulled [me] off the cliff … and I was literally just clinging on to this rope for dear life," he said.

"But getting pulled up and doors closed and properly being safe, I don't even know how to describe the relief, and then I got this beautiful helicopter ride."

Mr Farrelly-Deas says he does not plan to stop hiking, but will be more cautious on future excursions.

"I definitely will learn my lesson for, you know, pushing beyond the limit of my actual abilities, and [what is] actually, like, safe to do," he said.