The descender is the piece of gear that lets you use the rope to rappel down. Several models exist, but the simplest and most versatile remains the Petzl Pirana.
Our advice
It should be connected to the belay loop or the harness’s fuse point with a large-opening HMS carabiner, keylock (no-snag) gate, and above all a screw-lock. Avoid twist-lock (auto-lock) carabiners, which can prove dangerous if you need to free yourself quickly under a waterfall.
To go further into rappelling techniques, check out our articles on the foolproof descender position and on how to stop safely on a figure-eight.
