A rope gripping apparatus and methods for its use. The rope gripper has a spring acting on a cam which causes the cam to rotate about a fixed point from an open position to a closed position. When a rope is present in the apparatus the cam will contact and grip the rope when pulled in one direction, yet let the rope slide freely when pushed in the opposite direction. The cam can easily be opened for loading the rope by pressing the cam's thumb lever or by simply sliding the apparatus' channel opening and the cam against a taut rope. The cam can have two separate gripping profiles (teeth) on the peripheral edges to effectively grip a variety of rope diameters. The cam also has a retaining ridge built in which acts as a retaining wall to keep the rope retained inside of the channel during operation.