what is rappelling
A time-lapse panorama of a rock climber abseiling off a climb. An abseil (/ËÃ¦bseÉªl/ or /ËÉËpzaÉªl/; from German abseilen, meaning to rope down), also called a rappel after its French name, is a controlled descent of a vertical drop, such as a rock face, using a rope. Climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.