Essential knots for climbers

Middle person in a rope team, tying out a core shot of rope, a couple of tricky pro placements.

fig 8, EKD, Clove hitch. extra credit for some form of advanced bowline for tying in.

Spri wrote: Just because you don't know how to escape a belay doesn't mean it's not necessary to know a friction knot.

Spri - all you need to learn is a Prussick knot to excape any belay, jug, etc. which takes maybe an entire 5-10 mins to learn how to tie and use. SIMPLE!

I would add the becketts bend to the list incase you have to tie togather two different rope diameters. Also bowline on a bite for various anchoring scenerios and also a swiss seat

NYClimber wrote: Spri - all you need to learn is a Prussick knot to excape any belay, jug, etc. which takes maybe an entire 5-10 mins to learn how to tie and use. SIMPLE!

Totally, which is why it shocks me that people are only listing an 8 and a clove hitch. That is a recipe for trouble. Learn a friction knot too!

Just lowering your partner onto a prussik secured to the anchor will get you out of the belay, sure, but you'll potentially get your partner stuck, you now can't lower him out later if you need to. You should know to secure the prussik to your anchor with a load releasable knot, like a munter-mule, so you get your partner back on belay later if you need to.

Edit - He asked for "Essential knots for climbers" that covers a pretty broad spectrum of things depending on what you're doing, and I think we're taking it to mean different things. If you're a beginner and doing sport/single pitch with easy anchors the lists are much shorter, and figure 8 and clove going to be the bulk of what you need, maybe add in an Autoblock for the occasional rappel and water-knot for tying webbing and grapevine for tying cord.

97% of climbing:

Overhand
Eight
Clove

2%:

Munter
Butterfly
Girth Hitch or Basket Hitch
Bowline

Less than 1%:

Munter Mule
Friction hitch
Releasable friction hitch

Knots 3D


Alpine Butterfly


Bunny Ears


Prusik


Figure 8


Flat Overhand Bend (EDK)

If anyone needs to learn how to use all these knots and hitches - not just tie them, it is a beginner on multi-pitch.

Because they are likely not the one doing most of the leading and so more likely to have to aid a seriously injured partner.

Unless the beginner climbs with more than one knowledgable person on a given day ... or hires a guide.

Great thread. Good replies.

Seems like the #1 most used knot is the clove hitch. Every climber should become proficient in this. Simply an amazing knot.

Greg D wrote:97% of climbing: Overhand Eight Clove 2%: Munter Butterfly Girth Hitch or Basket Hitch Bowline Less than 1%: Munter Mule Friction hitch Releasable friction hitch

I guess you don't climb somewhere that requires rapping off 2 ropes...

ViperScale wrote: I guess you don't climb somewhere that requires rapping off 2 ropes...

Umm? Strange guess since I mention the over hand. Hello?

Greg D wrote: Umm? Strange guess since I mention the over hand. Hello?

Alot braver than me if you rappel off 2 ropes tied together with an overhand, maybe it is just my experience with an overhand I only use it for something with less than a 1% chance of being weighted. I don't like overhands and don't trust them at all.

ViperScale wrote: Alot braver than me if you rappel off 2 ropes tied together with an overhand.

The EDK? Best knot for 2x rope rapping, look into it. Fast tie, flat profile, and best, totally safe. It takes only one fat knot stuck in a crack in the dark to change your mind.
As with any knot, just check it every rap. If you are sketched, tie 2!
my $.02

Muscrat wrote: The EDK? Best knot for 2x rope rapping, look into it. Fast tie, flat profile, and best, totally safe. It takes only one fat knot stuck in a crack in the dark to change your mind. As with any knot, just check it every rap. If you are sketched, tie 2! my $.02

Given It shouldn't untie if it is weighted but having doing long multi pitch rappels I much prefer a knot that I can weight and unweight without worry of it untying itself. I guess maybe I have seen overhands untie themself to many times for my likes. I prefer fisher because I know it doesn't matter what happens outside the rope being cut or me rappelling of the end there is no way it will untie.

Overhand variants
-fishermans
-Zeppelin bend
-tape/water knot
-competition knot
-overhand bight
-stopper
-triple t fishermans
-double t fishermans

And on and on. Overhand=most versatile knot

Every knot deserves an inspection each rappel. The over hand is not unique in that way. It doesn't untie itself even weighted and unweighted either. It might possibly the safest knot for joining ropes all things considered, ease to tie, ease to untie, ease to inspect, least likely to snag, etc. Some may still debate it though. But, it has probably become the most common way to join ropes for rappel.

Blood knot.

Greg D wrote:Every knot deserves an inspection each rappel. The over hand is not unique in that way. It doesn't untie itself even weighted and unweighted either. It might possibly the safest knot for joining ropes all things considered, ease to tie, ease to untie, ease to inspect, least likely to snag, etc. Some may still debate it though. But, it has probably become the most common way to join ropes for rappel.

That is why I don't like overhand because it will untie itself unless it is weighted. Until you have something like body weight on it it can untie itself I have seen a well dressed overhand as a backup knot at the bottom of a rappel untie itself.

You can tie 2 ropes togheter with a double blood knot or double clinch knot.