Clove Hitch

How to Tie the Clove Hitch

1. 1

   Step 1

   Hold the carabiner with the gate facing you and open.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Make a loop in the rope with the working end behind the standing part.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Make a second loop the same way, in front of the first loop.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Place both loops onto the open carabiner gate, with the second loop in front of the first. The rope should cross itself inside the carabiner.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Close and lock the carabiner gate.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Pull both ends of the rope to dress the hitch. It should sit cleanly with the two wraps locked against each other.

Tips for Tying It Well

• Practice tying a clove hitch one-handed with both hands. Climbing often demands this skill.
• Make sure the rope crosses itself INSIDE the carabiner. A clove hitch with the cross outside the carabiner is wrong and can slip.
• After loading, dress the hitch by pulling both ends snug. Loose clove hitches can shift.
• For belay stations on long pitches, back up the clove hitch with an overhand on a bight if you will be hanging there for extended periods.

Common Mistakes

• Tying the second loop the wrong way. Both loops should go the same direction around the carabiner; mirrored loops give you a different (less secure) hitch.
• Letting the cross of the rope sit OUTSIDE the carabiner instead of inside. Outside cross can slip.
• Not dressing the hitch after loading. A loose clove hitch shifts under cyclic load.