Climbing Knots

Mountain and Rock Climbing Knots

Rock climbing, rappelling and mountaineering require you to have a sound knowledge of basic climbing knots since you need to work with ropes extensively. They can be life-saving in critical situations and are instrumental in your ascent and descent. You will find that almost all of them are very secure.

Climbing Knots

To Secure Yourself To an Anchor, Carabiner or a Climbing Harness

• Munter hitch
• Clove hitch
• Bowline on a bight

Other useful knots

• Trucker’s hitch
• Tensionless hitch
• Buntline hitch
• Double bowline knot
• Yosemite bowline
• Alpine butterfly knot
• Figure 8 follow through
• Figure 8 on a bight

For Joining Ropes or Webbing

• Fisherman’s knot
• Water knot
• Double fisherman’s knot
• Figure 8 bend

Other useful knots

• Double overhand knot
• Zeppelin bend

For Rappeling

• Barrel knot
• Clove hitch
• Tensionless hitch
• Figure 9 loop knot

Other useful knots

• Munter Mule
• Double overhand knot

For Belaying

• Munter hitch
• Munter Mule
• Barrel knot
• Clove hitch
• Double figure 8 knot
• Figure 9 loop knot

Other useful knots

• Figure 8 on a bight

For Building Climbing Anchors

• Overhand knot
• Figure 8 on a bight
• Double figure 8 knot

Other useful knots

• Clove hitch
• Munter Mule
• Girth hitch

For Climbing Ropes By Friction or Sliding

• Prusik knot
• Blake’s hitch
• Bachmann Knot
• Taut line hitch

As Stopper Knots For Backing Up Other Knots To Make Them Fail-Safe

• Overhand knot
• Monkey’s fist
• Figure 8 knot

Other useful knots

• Double overhand knot

For Creating Handholds And Footholds In A Rope

• Bowline on a bight
• Directional figure 8

For Rescue And Rigging

• Prusik knot
• Figure 9 loop knot
• Munter hitch
• Munter Mule
• Figure 8 knot
• Double bowline knot

Other useful knots

• Barrel knot
• Clove hitch
• Tensionless hitch
• Double fisherman’s knot
• Bowline on a bight

Tree Climbing (Arborist) Knots

Arborists need knots to secure their climbing ropes to carabiners, arborist rigging pulleys and other equipment. The tying method should be perfect to ensure a hassle-free, quick and safe climb. You will find that the knots used here to be mostly similar to the carabiner and friction rock climbing ones with minor differences owing to the lesser duration and altitude that tree climbing requires.

Climbing (Arborist) Knots

To Slide Up A Long Rope Hanging from A Tree by Friction

• Blake’s hitch
• Prusik knot
• Bachhman knot

For Using Carabiners

• Clove hitch
• Taut line hitch
• Figure 8 on a bight
• Figure 8 follow through
• Distel hitch

Other useful knots

• Girth hitch

For Use with Arborist Rigging Pulleys

• Cow hitch