Rappelling, by definition, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope. What it is not is the out of control and upside down (fascinatingly slow) descent down a rock face using a rope. I don't have a lot of rappelling experience under my belt, but as a general fan of the outdoors, I have enough experience with the activity to watch this video and wonder how, exactly, this kind of accident happens to begin with.

An upcoming caving/rappelling trip to Belize got me searching YouTube for videos. When this came up, I'll admit, I had to watch it a few times.

Have you been rappelling? Have you had an accident doing it? Do you have any tips for avoiding accidents? Tell us. Tell us everything you know in the comments.

Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, Learning, Belize, Video, Ecotourism, Central America