Belay Devices For Rappelling & Lowering

At the end (and sometimes in the middle) of a climb is the inevitable need to get back down to the ground safely. In a gym, or on a single pitch climb outside, the climber will normally be lowered by the belayer.

Outside, and especially on multi-pitch climbs (with no walk-off option) the climber will likely rappel. In the US, the majority of the time this is done with one rope, through an anchor, producing two rope strands to rappel on.

Your belay device will work better/worse depending on the type of rappel, the size of the rope, the terrain you’re rappelling, and the distance of the rappel. And we talk about those nuances below.

The Double Rope Rappel

The most standard / usual / common way to rappel. Almost nobody says “double rope rappel” they just say “rappel” but they will be referring to the standard double rope rappel.

The most common form of rappelling involves two lines (thus the “double rope”) going through the belay device, and your device needs to be made to accommodate both ropes with 2 rope slots.

In the US this is less often two separate ropes and is usually a single rope that is doubled when it’s put through an anchor. Though on long multi-pitch routes or while ice climbing, it is not uncommon use two separate ropes.

At single pitch crags in the US, two bolted anchor points are often found at the top of routes. These anchors are usually equipped with chains or rings to pass a rope through when setting up a rappel. Standard tube style devices are perfect in this situation as they can accommodate two lines and are small and light so they can be easily carried while climbing.

Some single pitch climbers end up purchasing a double rope tube device solely for rappelling and they use a separate device to belay (like a single rope brake assist device). Multi-pitch climbers will likely purchase a tube style device that has the option for “guide mode.”

These devices can all handle a normal double rope rappel as they have TWO rope slots:

These devices CANNOT handle a normal double rope rappel because there is only ONE rope slot:

Multi-pitch Climbing

In the high world of multi-pitch or alpine climbing where you are often several rope lengths above the ground, tube devices are also well suited. A preferred multi-pitch tube style belay devices also includes a guide mode feature which is an attachment point so they can be used to belay from above at the anchor. The climbers will often need to rappel each pitch climbed to get back to the bottom of the route – and as we discussed before, the ability to handle 2 ropes here is essential.

Although most climbers today will use a tube style belay device with guide mode for multi-pitch climbing, there are some elder climbers and/or alpinist weight savers who prefer a plate belay device like the Kong Gigi seen in the 3rd example below. Typically we don’t recommend plates to newer climbers as the handling can be finicky to get used to.

Two common multi-pitch tube style belay devices and one uncommon plate style device:

Ski Mountaineering

Ski mountaineering is another situation that can require a double rope rappel in order to safely navigate unskiable terrain. Many ski mountaineers will be using a very thin and light rope, so having a belay device that has additional friction options is helpful. Things like teeth, arms, or a small small diameter range slow the movement of the rope through the device so they are especially ideal on the often wet or icy ropes carried by alpine ski and snowboarders.

Canyoneering

In the case of canyoneering, rappel ropes are often fed through bolted or glued rings or around boulders or spikes. The static ropes used in these cases are often stiffer, and can range larger or smaller in diameter compared to climbing orientated dynamic ropes. They are also more likely to get wet or muddy. A figure 8 style device is commonly recommended for rapping these lines because their large opening gives ample room for the stiff rope to feed through and are less affected by water and muck. Figure 8’s also accept a much larger range of rope diameters.

It is quite rare for climbers to use a Figure 8 style device for everyday climbing/belaying. Figure 8’s tend to twist the rope and it is commonly accepted that tube style devices provide superior handling.

Route Setting and Developing

A common example of a single rope rappel would be when routesetting at a gym or developing and cleaning a route outdoors. Repeatedly lowering to check a sequence of moves or scrubbing some moss on a new route is often best accomplished using more specialty devices called descenders, which are made to be used hands free by trained professionals, but many find the use of a mechanically brake-assisted belay device useful here.