Abstract: A descent apparatus (13) for loads and/or persons. The apparatus includes a cable or rope (17) adapted to be fixed at an elevated location with the remainder of the cable or rope being wound around a pulley (12) rotatably mounted within a housing (11) via an axle shaft (13). The housing (11) is adapted to be attached to the load and/or person and the relative rotation between the pulley (12) and the axle shaft (13) is controlled by a closed circuit gear pump (14) the gears (25, 26) of which form transmission means between the pulley (12) and the axle shaft (13). The closed gear pump forms part of an hydraulic circuit which contains a speed control mechanism (33) provided by an orifice (30) in the hydraulic circuit which forms a constriction to control the speed of the pump and thus the seed of rotation of the pulley about the axle shaft and as a consequence the speed of the descent of the descent apparatus (10) as the cable or rope unwinds from the pulley.