A synonym for abseil is rappel - and you'll find this word is the one used most by the people that do it.

To climb up a rope with the aid of a friction device is to prussick. Couldn't find this at the above URL.

I did a fair bit of both in my younger days - but mainly into old mines. As I recall there were a lot of european terms - not surprising considering the origins of climbing as a sport. Words such as carabiner (snap clip for tethered or free running ropes) and piton would be known to most. Considering lives are involved, the huge amount of technology behind the development and manufacture of climbing gear (and hence its cost) are also not surprising.

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