An abseiling device for braking a load (16) that is suspended on a rope (14) and may be fastened to the abseiling device (10), with which the rope (14) passes through the abseiling device (10) and is frictionally guided along a section (22), at least one portion of the section (22) being guided by a part (25) of the abseiling device (10) that is movable out of an unloaded starting position relative to a housing (12) of the abseiling device; when a load is suspended, the part (25) generates a frictional force that is a function of the weight of the load (16).