Knots

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7 Common Knots used in rock climbing and mountaineering

Many knots are used in mountaineering but these seven are perhaps the most common and most useful to know. All knots remove a percentage of strength from a rope and this can vary from 20% up to 50%. The cause of this loss of strength is due to the rope being bent round a sharp curve in the knot, thus causing some internal fibers to become over stretched on the outer curve, while some on the inner curve are not contributing to the strength at the point. Knots, therefore, that causes very tight curves such as a Bowline, take more strength away than a Figure 8 knot.

The Figure 8 knot

This is perhaps the most commonly used knot in rock climbing. It can be made up in two different ways. Either in what is called a re-threaded Figure 8 way, or as a Figure 8 on the bite. Both forms look the same when completed, but are made up differently.

The re-threaded way is used mainly for tying into a harness when leading or seconding a climb. It can also be used when tying onto certain anchors, such as trees or large rocks.

When made on the bite, it is used to clip into karabiners or similar linkages.

The Figure 8 is a very strong knot and produces less loss of strength in a rope compared to other knots such as a Bowline or Overhand knot. It is also not prone to coming undone while in use and does not need a stopper or safety knot placed after it. The drawback is it can get very tight after a fall has occurred or in wet and icy conditions.

The Overhand knot

This is a very similar looking knot to the Figure 8, but is used in different situations. Its main drawback is that it becomes too tight when weighted or fallen on. In a climber’s context, it is used mainly when tied on the bite when four or more rope strands are tied off together, such as when tying off a cordlette. The advantage here is that it is smaller and easier to tie than a Figure 8 when dealing with lots of rope. The many strands make it not as susceptible to becoming too tight.

Overhand knot with 4 strands

Overhand knot with 2 strands

The Bowline

This is a common knot for climbers to use when tying into a harness for lead climbing. Its main advantage is that after heavy loading, it remains easy to untie, thus it is a popular knot with sport-climbers who are working a route. The drawback is that it is susceptible to unraveling itself and so it must be tied off with a safety knot. The other danger is that Bowlines must never be loaded anywhere other than via the live rope end. i.e. it must not to be loaded on the loop of rope that forms. Loading the loop can easily cause the knot to flip over and fall apart. Several serious and fatal accidents have occurred due to this phenomenon.

Bowline knot with safety tie-off

The Clove Hitch

This is a simple hitch, which is usually used on karabiners when building belays for climbers or when abseiling (rappelling). The main advantage is the easy adjustability.

The Double Fisherman’s Knot

This knot is used to join ropes and accessory cords together. It can also be safely used to join ropes of different diameters. It is extremely strong and not susceptible to coming undone. The disadvantages are it can become very tight, especially in wet or icy conditions. The large knot system can also get jammed in cracks when used to join ropes during abseils. For these two reasons, the Overhand in line or so-called European death knot is often used during abseiling.

The Overhand in line knot

This knot has become fairly common when joining ropes of same diameter on abseils. It is easy to take apart after loading and slides over edges well, causing fewer jammed ropes. It must, however, be dressed neatly and each individual strand be separately tightened. Note that joining ropes with an inline Figure 8 knot is very dangerous as the knot can roll out under low loads.