Dülfersitz

thumb|Switzerland|Swiss soldiers abseiling using the Dülfersitz thumb|Abseiling by means of the Dülfersitz (not free-hanging)

The Dülfersitz (named after mountaineer Hans Dülfer who had developed a different but related technique), also known as body rappel, is a classical, or non-mechanical abseiling technique, used in rock climbing and mountaineering. It is not used frequently any more, since the introduction of belay devices. In the Dülfersitz, the rope is wound around the body, and the speed of descent is controlled using the friction of the rope against the body.