Climbing Knots

The clove hitch is a fast adjustable hitch that attaches a rope to a carabiner or post. Climbers use it to clip into anchors at belay stations.

The double overhand is an overhand knot with two wraps instead of one. The standard climbing backup knot — secure under cyclic loading.

The figure-8 follow-through is the climbing tie-in knot used by virtually every climbing gym and instructor in the world. Tied through both tie-in points of the harness.

The figure-8 is a simple stopper knot that creates a bulky knot in the rope. It is the foundation for the figure-8 follow-through, the standard climbing tie-in.

The overhand knot is the simplest knot — a single loop with the working end passed through. Used as a stopper, a backup, and the foundation for more complex knots.

The slip knot is a quick-release loop knot — a fixed loop that can be untied by pulling the working end, even under tension.

The square knot is a secure binding knot. The granny knot looks similar but is unstable and slips under load. The difference is the order of the two crossings.

The water knot (also called the "tape knot") is the standard knot for joining two ends of flat webbing — used to make slings and runners.

The alpine butterfly creates a strong fixed loop in the middle of a rope. Used for glacier travel, isolating damaged rope sections, and middle-of-rope clip-ins.

The bowline is a fixed-loop knot used to attach a rope to a hard point. It is famously strong, easy to inspect, and easy to untie after heavy load.

The double fisherman's knot is the climbing standard for joining two ropes. Two double-overhand knots tied around each other create a low-profile, bombproof join.

The fisherman's knot joins two ropes by tying an overhand knot in each rope around the other rope. Strong but harder to untie than the double fisherman's.

The Italian hitch is the European name for the Munter hitch. Same knot, same applications, same technique — the friction hitch used to belay or rappel without a device.

The Munter hitch (also called the Italian hitch) is a friction hitch on a carabiner that lets you belay or rappel without a belay device. The essential backup technique.

The Prusik knot is a friction hitch — a thin cord wrapped around a thicker rope that grips when loaded and slides when unloaded. Foundation of self-rescue and rope ascent.