(Also spelt: Rappeling and Reppelling.) Climbing term meaning decending down a rock face
with a rope. Sometimes called abseiling. Repelling is one
of the main ways climbers get down once they've gotten
up, other ways include down climbing (climbing back down),
walking down, base jumping, or catching a lift on a
helicopter.
Repelling is done with anything from a simple
belay device like an ATC or Figure 8 through to
the GriGri. Of course,
you can even repel using a munter hitch or even
just by threading the rope around your body.
Since repelling is usually done at the end of a climb
it is a source of many climbing accidents, as by the
end of the climb the climber(s) are usually rather tired.
Like rock climbing itself, there are a few styles
of repelling including the infamous Free Solo repel.
(aka Repelling without the rope).
A quote about repelling: Fly like a butterfly,
land like a tomato.