Asheville NC: Christmas season nightmare for climbers on Looking Glass Rock

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Climbers rescued after freezing night on Looking Glass Rock cliff

George Fabe Russell

Hendersonville Times-News

Dec. 24, 2025, 5:07 a.m. ET

Two rock climbers stranded on a cliff face overnight in freezing temperatures were rescued Dec. 22 in Pisgah National Forest.

The rescue, on the Sunwall area of Looking Glass Rock was a collaboration among the Connestee Fire Rescue, the Transylvania County Rescue Squad and the Henderson County Rescue Squad, according to a Dec. 23 Transylvania County Rescue Squad Facebook post.

 

The Transylvania and Henderson County rescue squads are nonprofit groups, specializing in wilderness, swift water and technical search and rescue, which collaborate with local EMS agencies.

The climbers made a distress call at around 1 a.m. Dec. 22 and reported being stranded around 200 feet above the ground on Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest, northwest of Brevard, the post said.

The rescue squads arrived around 8 a.m., it said.

After a drone search failed to find the climbers, a team went to the top of Looking Glass Rock, prepared to rappel down the face of it, while other teams searched from below, according to the post.

A team began climbing up the rock face using the “trad,” or traditional method, placing removable anchors in the rock while others controlled their ascent with ropes from below.

Rescuers made contact with the climbers shortly after 10 a.m. in an area where the cliff came up against trees.

The climbers were uninjured and had stuffed their clothes with leaves to insulate themselves during the night they spent on the cliff face in freezing temperatures.

After being lowered to the ground on ropes, the climbers were medically evaluated and taken back to their vehicle and the operation was complete by noon, the post said.

Though the climbers were otherwise well equipped for their outing, they started late in the day and didn’t have an adequate light source, it said.

“They made the great decision to stay put once night fell and avoided turning an unfortunate situation tragic,” it said.

“This rescue required the specialized expertise of TCRS & HCRS's rock climbers including several professional guides representing an immense amount of training and regional teamwork. A heartfelt thank you to all of the agencies that responded to support this effort, the families of those responders, and all of those in this community that put their trust in us,” the Transylvania County Rescue Squad said in its post.

 

“This continues a 64-year partnership between the two rescue squads that becomes more dynamic and specialized every year!” the Henderson County Rescue Squad said, reposting the Transylvania County Rescue Squad’s post.

More: Brevard man sentenced to maximum of 29 years for child sex crimesMore: Who filed to run in Henderson County's 2026 primary elections?

 

George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRu...@gannett.com.