Knots & Hitches

A loop tied in the middle of a rope without using either end, commonly used to clip in a middle climber on a glacier travel team.

A friction hitch rigged below a rappel device as a hands-free backup, locking up if the rappeller lets go of the brake strand.

A bulky stopper knot tied at the working end of a rope, the last line of defense against rappelling or lowering off the end. Should always be tied before starting a rappel or a long lower, any time the rope's far end isn't anchored or held.

An adjustable loop knot, occasionally used as a tie-in alternative to the figure-eight. Easier to untie after loading, but requires a backup knot since it can work loose.

A hitch that grips a carabiner under load but slides to adjust, making it the standard way to tie in to an anchor point while still being able to fine-tune your position.

Two interlocking knots that join the ends of two ropes or cord, most often used to tie a cordelette loop or extend a rappel rope.

The standard knot for tying a climber into the end of a rope: a figure-eight shape retraced through a harness, easy to inspect at a glance and resistant to slipping under load.

A single overhand knot joining two rope ends side by side, used to connect two ropes for a rappel. Flatter and easier to pull through anchors than other joining knots, despite the nickname.

A quick hitch made by passing one end of a sling or cord through itself around an object, commonly used to attach a sling to a harness or piece of gear.

A friction hitch similar to a Prusik but tied with a flat loop of webbing or cord, releasing more easily after being loaded.

A friction hitch tied directly around a carabiner, letting it serve as a belay or rappel device when the real thing is lost, dropped, or never carried.

The simplest stopper knot, tied by passing the working end through a single loop. Rarely used alone in climbing, but the building block for the flat overhand and other more specialized knots.

A friction hitch tied with a loop of cord around the main rope, gripping under load but sliding freely when unweighted. Used for ascending a fixed rope or backing up a rappel.

Two overhand knots threaded back through each other, used to join the ends of webbing into a loop. Should be retired once the tails shorten, since it can slowly slip under repeated loading.