What Is the Safest Way to Rappel?

About six years ago my then-girlfriend (now wife) rappelled (also called abseiling) down a rock face and fell 50 feet uncontrollably, breaking almost everything from her waist down. She had to re-learn how to walk and has only recently started climbing again. Ever since, I’ve understood that not all rappelling techniques carry the same risk, and it pushed me to figure out the safest way to rappel so nobody I climb with ends up in the same spot.

The safest way to rappel is to have someone belay the person down from the bottom of the route with an auto-locking belay device such as a Grigri, so the belayer controls the whole descent. For an even safer lower, the belayer should weigh the same as or more than the person coming down, though you can still safely belay someone heavier than you with good technique.

This is really “lowering” someone rather than rappelling, and it isn’t always the most popular method because there’s less freedom than other forms of rappelling. But if you’re reading this, you probably care more about safety than “fun,” so I’ll walk you through how it works. If you’re brand new to any of this, start with our beginners guide to rappelling first, then come back. 

Warning: Always get hands-on instruction from a certified guide or instructor before you rappel. This guide is only a recommendation and should be evaluated critically before use. Rappelling and lowering are dangerous, and by reading this guide you understand that Send Edition is not responsible for anything that may happen.

What you need for the safest way to rappel 

Though you can technically belay with just a rope and an anchor, here’s the full kit I’d want for this kind of lower.

1. Climbing or rappelling rope: Picking the right rope matters. Static ropes, usually 9.8mm to 10.5mm in diameter, are ideal for rappelling because they don’t stretch while you lower. If you’re not sure what to use, we break it down in static vs. dynamic rope for rappelling and in our roundup of the best rope for rappelling.
2. Harness: Get a reliable climbing harness that fits snugly and comfortably, one for the person being lowered and one for the belayer. It should spread your weight evenly and have secure attachment points. If you rappel a lot, a padded “big-wall” harness is worth it for comfort. We compare options in our guide to harnesses for rappelling.
3. Helmet: Protect your head, and the belayer’s, from falling debris with a sturdy climbing helmet. Safety comes first, and a helmet is a must-have.
4. Auto-locking belay device: Choose one based on your experience and preference. Not all auto-locking devices are equal. I like the Madrock Lifeguard for lowering lighter people and the newest Grigri for anyone over 150lbs.
5. Locking carabiners: Carry several locking and non-locking carabiners to connect your gear, build the anchor, and secure yourself during the descent.
6. Gloves: Protect your hands from friction and rope burns with durable gloves. Look for ones made for belaying and rappelling so you keep a secure grip.
7. Anchor system: See below.

What you need for an anchor system

Most people who want to rappel as safely as possible have two main options for an anchor. One needs bolts, and the other needs a solid boulder or tree you can wrap a sling around.

What you’ll need for making an anchor on a bolt

1. 1 sling
2. 5 locking carabiners 

Creating an anchor with bolts for rappelling

Before you build on bolts, make sure they’re in good shape and safe to use. Look each bolt over for wear, cracks, or rust. If they look okay, check that they’re seated tight by trying to twist or move them. If a bolt spins or wiggles, do not use it. If everything looks and feels solid, you’re good to build the following anchor.

1. Clip the sling into one bolt with a locking carabiner. The carabiner’s gate should face away from the other bolt.
2. Clip the other side of the sling to the second bolt with a locking carabiner. Like the first, the gate should face away from the other bolt and carabiner.
3. Tie a figure eight on a bight in the middle of the sling.
4. Take two more locking carabiners and clip them onto separate strands of the bight on the figure eight, with the gates facing away from each other. 
5. Thread the rope through those two carabiners on the bight.
6. Place a third carabiner between the two the rope runs through. This one is optional. It doesn’t add safety, but it helps your rope last longer.
7. Make sure every carabiner is oriented so the screw gate tightens downward toward the ground. Let gravity help keep the gates locked.

What you’ll need for an anchor on a tree or a large boulder

If bolts aren’t available, you’ll need a large boulder or tree you can wrap a sling around. Before you commit, make sure the boulder or tree is fixed in place and won’t move, shift, or uproot.

Wrapping a tree can hurt it, so use a boulder if you have the option.

1. 2 slings, one big enough to go all the way around the boulder or tree
2. 5 locking carabiners

How to build an anchor on a boulder or tree

1. Wrap the large sling around the boulder or tree. Make sure it can’t slip up, down, or off in any way.
2. Clip the second sling into one side of the large sling with a locking carabiner. The gate should face away from the other end of the sling.
3. Clip the other side of the second sling to the other end of the large sling with a locking carabiner. Like the first, the gate should face away from the other carabiner.
4. Tie a figure eight on a bight in the middle of the sling.
5. Take two more locking carabiners and clip them onto separate strands of the bight on the figure eight, with the gates facing away from each other. 
6. Thread the rope through those two carabiners on the bight.
7. Place a third carabiner between the two the rope runs through. This one is optional. It doesn’t add safety, but it helps your rope last longer.
8. Make sure every carabiner is oriented so the screw gate tightens downward toward the ground. Let gravity help keep the gates locked.

Preparing to rappel down

Once the person coming down is properly in their harness and helmet and the anchor is built, it’s time to tie the climber into the rope. 

How to tie the person being lowered in with a figure 8

The figure 8 follow-through is the best knot to tie a person’s harness into the rope. It cinches tighter under load but you can still untie it afterward instead of cutting someone off the rope. 

1. Take a bight of rope about an arm’s length from the end, with the short end facing your body.
2. Take the short end, wrap it around the back of your hand, and bring it back to the starting position by your body.
3. Thread the end of the rope through the hole made by the bight.
4. Pull the end through until you have a loose single-rope figure eight.
5. Thread the end of the rope through both harness tie-in points, exactly the way your belay loop sits.
6. Follow the original figure eight back through with the end of the rope, tracing the other strand the whole way.
7. Once it’s threaded through, dress it and pull it tight.
8. Do the visual check. A finished figure 8 follow-through shows five pairs of parallel strands with no crosses: two at the bottom, two at the start of the knot, two in the middle, two near the top, and the two coming out above the knot.
9. Make sure there’s at least a fist-width of tail from the top of the knot to the end of the rope.
10. If there’s a lot of excess tail, back it up with a stopper knot such as a double overhand.

With the person tied into one end of the rope, it’s time for the belayer to set up their side.

How to set up the belay for the rappel

Before you set up the belayer, put a stopper knot in the loose end of the rope. This closes the system, so if the rope turns out to be too short, it can’t slip through the belay device and drop the person coming down.

How to tie a stopper knot on the other end of the rope

1. Take a small bight of rope about an elbow’s distance from the end.
2. Wrap the loose end around the bight 1 to 2 times.
3. Fold the loop of the bight back toward the wraps you just made.
4. Thread the end of the rope through each of the loops, including the folded bight.
5. Pull it tight. You should end up with a chunky knot at the end that’s big enough to stop the rope from slipping through any belay device.

Once the stopper knot is in, it’s time to load the rope into the auto-locking belay device.

How to set up the Grigri

1. Open the Grigri by sliding the metal side plate out.
2. Using the icons molded into the device as your guide, lay the rope in so the climber’s end runs to the side nearest the carabiner hole, then feed it around through to the brake side, following the channel in the Grigri.
3. Slide the Grigri’s side plate back into place and check it’s fully closed.
4. Clip a locking carabiner through the Grigri and through the belay loop on your harness, then lock the gate.
5. To check you loaded it right, make sure the climber’s end of the rope comes off the side closest to your body and the brake end comes off the side away from you, matching the icons.
6. Have the person being lowered pull on their end. The device should lock up and stop the rope from running through.

Once everyone’s checked and ready, it’s time to lower.

How to lower the person with a Grigri

Before you lower anyone, talk it through so the person coming down is ready and wants to be lowered. Once that’s clear, run through these steps and keep your brake hand on the rope the whole time.

1. Double-check the rope is loaded in the Grigri correctly and the carabiner is locked.
2. Have the person lean back so their feet are flat against the wall. This keeps them from swinging into the wall face-first while you lower.
3. Keep your right hand on the brake end of the rope and place your left hand on the Grigri’s handle.
4. Gently pull the handle back until the cam eases off the rope and it starts to feed slowly through the device.
5. The further you pull the handle, the faster the rope runs. Feather it. Slow and smooth beats fast and jerky.
6. In an emergency, let go of the handle and grip the brake line with both hands, pulling the brake end back toward your hip or below your seat to lock it off.

Once you’ve tried lowering this way, you’ll probably get more comfortable on the rope and start wondering about self-rappelling, which can be safe when it’s done right with a backup. If that’s you, read “How to self rappel using a Grigri” next. And when you’re back on flat ground, here’s how to retrieve your rope after rappelling without leaving it stuck up top.

Keep practicing safely

Rappelling and lowering are skills you build with reps, ideally under the eye of someone who already knows what good looks like. If you want a low-stakes way to drill the movements before you’re hanging off a real anchor, check out 5 ways to practice rappelling. The more automatic your checks and knots become on the ground, the safer you’ll be when it counts.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the safest way to rappel?

The safest way to rappel is to have a trained partner lower you from the bottom using an auto-locking belay device like a Grigri, on a solid anchor, with stopper knots in the rope ends and a brake hand on at all times. Because the belayer controls the whole descent, there’s far less that can go wrong than in a standard self-rappel. Ideally the belayer weighs the same as or more than you.

Do I need a backup and knots in the ends of the rope?

Yes. Always close the system by tying a stopper knot in the end of the rope, or both ends on a doubled rope, so nothing can slip through the device. When you self-rappel, add a friction-hitch backup such as an autoblock or prusik below your device so it catches you if you let go. When someone lowers you off a Grigri, the auto-locking device and their brake hand act as your backup.

Should I use a static or dynamic rope?

Static ropes around 9.8mm to 10.5mm are ideal for rappelling and lowering because they don’t stretch under load, which makes the descent smoother and easier to control. Dynamic ropes are built to catch lead falls and stretch more, so the choice depends on what else you’re doing that day. We cover the trade-offs in our guide to static vs. dynamic rope for rappelling.

Can I belay someone heavier than me?

You can, with good technique and full attention on your brake hand, but a bigger weight difference is harder to control. For the safest lower, aim to have the belayer weigh the same as or more than the person coming down. If there’s a large gap, use a ground anchor or a heavier backup belayer.

Can I learn to rappel just from an article?

No. An article like this one is a reference, not a substitute for hands-on teaching. Rappelling and lowering have zero margin for error, so learn from a certified guide or instructor in person before you ever trust your life to the system, and keep practicing under supervision until your checks are second nature.

Sara Climbing Coach, Climbing Trainer, Writer

Sara is the founder of Send Edition, author of '77 Drills to Help You Climb Better,' the creator of 'Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker,' and climbing coach.

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