A stopping arrangement for long drawing elements such as ropes exhibiting essentially two parallel, opposing clamping surfaces. The clamping surfaces are so arranged as to pull against one another, so that a pressure is exerted on the drawing element when it is moved in a particular direction, and as to move apart, causing the pressure to reduce, when the drawing element is moved in the opposite direction. The aforementioned clamping surfaces extend essentially in a straight line in their principal sense and are so arranged as to move towards and away from one another in a parallel movement. In this way the drawing element will have imparted to it essentially rectilinear clamping over a certain distance at a uniform clamping force, with one of its clamping surfaces being arranged on an element which is so arranged as to move along an oblique path in relation to the second clamping surface, which is situated on a support component connected to the last-mentioned second clamping surface.