A system for descending a rope regardless of the tension on the working end of the rope. The system comprises a frame having first, second, third and fourth sides, the first and third sides being relatively positioned at a first angle and the second and fourth sides being relatively positioned at a second angle. In some embodiments, the sum of the first angle and the second angle equals 180 degrees. The system also includes a plurality of friction nodes associated with the first side for: (1) receiving a rope, (2) enabling the frame to selectively move up or down relative to the rope, and (3) applying a select amount of friction to the rope according to the relative position of the frame to the rope.