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How To Tie Figure 8 Knot Climbing

5 min read

The Double Loop Figure 8 Knot is a loop knot. It is a stronger improved version of the Figure 8 Loop Knot. Then pass the tail end through the higher tie in point in your harness. The Figure 8 Knot should be pulled in close to the lower tie in point.

With the end of the loop created by the bend of where the rope was doubled over, go around the new loop and through it. Throughout this tutorial, I will be discussing different parts of the rope. To make these instructions as clear as possible, I will define a few terms that I will use throughout the tutorial. The “Anchor End” of the rope will generally be at the top of the images. This is the end that would be anchored to the wall or rock, and does not move.

Many variations on the prusik exist, including the autoblock and klemheist, but for simplicity we’ll stick with the prusik. You can learn the other hitches down the road. The most common use for the prusik is to back up your rappel device by tying a prusik on the rope below the device, or above it depending on your preference.

Guide The Tail Through The Loop

Using the Trace Eight to connect the rope to the climbing harness. Pull on the loop and the two strands to tighten the knot. The Figure 8 Directional Loop Knot is a loop knot. You can tie several Directional FIgure 8 Knot along the rope and use them as handholds. The double loops provide a very secure anchor point in the middle of a rope for belaying.

1.Clip into the carabiner like you would when leading, with your side of the rope on top—coming up through the biner and away from the wall. Easy to untie after it has held weight, even in wet ropes. Drop your belay/rappel device and you will be glad you know how to tie a Munter Hitch. Easy to visually inspect—just looks wrong when you don’t tie it correctly. Trace the original figure 8, entering from the tail end side of the first rope. The 2 loops can also be used to hook into 2 separate anchor points.

The knot is also used when a heavy load needs to be secured to the middle of a rope. Hold the 2 strands of rope together just below the bight. This knot forms the basis for all the other Figure 8 knot variations. Step 4.Pull the ears to tighten the bottom loop up to the base of the knot. We are here to inspire you and to give you guidance; from your first moves on rock to your first lead climb or international climbing adventure. We offer climbing courses from taster days, through to Bouldering courses and Learn to Lead Climb courses through to instructor qualifications.

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I think the rope had to be already in a top rope setup to work. Feed the rope back through the knot, making sure to trace the original knot as you go. You want the working end to run parallel to the standing part of the original knot. Work the end all the way through, and ensure your strands are neat and run parallel. Every climber should be able to quickly tie a Munter; you can use it to belay or rappel if you drop your belay device. Plus, it’s good for de-icing the rope in frozen conditions.

If you don’t have that much left, undo the knot and start over farther from the end of the rope. Properly dress the knot by making sure each strand is tightly nested against each other and there are no crossed strands. Then tighten the knot by separately pulling on all four strands that are coming out of the finished knot, two on top and two on bottom. Your tying into the gear loop, is not correct. Climbing harness has a tie in part that is engineered so is you fall your not upside down when ties properly.

First, check out what harness you are using. A rental has only one loop to put your rope through while your own harness usually has two. Below is the step-by-step procedure on how to tie into the figure 8 knot. The Figure 8 Knot provides a quick and convenient stopper knot to prevent a line sliding out of sight, e.g., up inside the mast.

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(You can buy sewn prusik loops.) Thinner cord grips better than thick cord, and shoelaces will work in an emergency. Wrap the loop three or more times around the rope until it bites well enough not to slip. Webbing works in an emergency, but requires more wraps to grip, and is more difficult to loosen and slide. The next step is going to be to then tie yourself into this knot.

Reverse the direction of the top part of the S so that it hangs below the bottom part, forming a small loop on the right. Both tails should now be facing your left as you look at the cord. The Figure Eight is similar to the Overhand Knot, but is often preferred because it does not share the Overhand’s tendency to jam. This ensures that it can be untied easily and without placing extra strain on cords.

Simply trace the rope of the existing figure 8 knotNow come around the back and go over. At each step, simply trace the rope that’s already forming a figure eight knot. All you have to do is basically trace the figure eight knot, that you’ve just tied, with the other end of the rope.

Complete the knot by passing the tail down through the loop. There are a few distinct advantages of the Figure Eight Knot. Most significant is its high success rate, which means that it is a secure knot that is not likely to slip.

There are hundreds of types of knots you can use for climbing—entire books have been written on knots—so taking the step to learn them can be daunting. Still, don’t tie yourself in knots with worry. When I started climbing in 1973 climbers used four basic knots, the Double Bowline, Ring Bend, Prusik, and Clove Hitch, and those got me by for over a decade.

So using this type of harness, I want to make sure that I’m threading the tail end of the rope through both my leg loops and also through the waist belt. I like to come from the bottom up because it’s easier for me to identify that I’ve properly gotten both loops. If I were to go from the top down, it’s a little bit easier to miss that leg loop spot, so I like to go from the bottom up.

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