Abseiling (German: abseilen, "to rope down"), rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rope in rock climbing, mountaineering, caving, and canyoning; the technique is used when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection. Abseiling is used chiefly in British English, while other Anglophone countries use different terms. Slang terms for the technique include: rapping or rap jumping (American slang), abbing (British slang for "abseiling"), jumping (Australian slang), roping down, roping, seiling (Australian slang), snapling (Israeli slang), rappling (Hindi slang).The origin of the abseil is attributed to Jean Estéril Charlet, a Chamonix guide who lived from 1840-1925. Charlet originally devised the technique of the abseil (or rappel) method of roping down during a failed solo attempt of Petit Dru in 1876. After many attempts, some of them solo, he managed to summit the Petit Dru in 1879 in the company of two other Chamonix guides, Prosper Payot and Frédéric Folliguet. During that ascent, Charlet perfected the abseil.