Climbing Skills and Techniques

Climbing Skills and Techniques


Rock climbing requires a lot of different skills and techniques. Learn about top-rope climbing, sport climbing, traditional climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering. Learn here how to belay; how to face climb and jam cracks; how to place gear and set up safe anchors, all the right climbing commands to communicate, and how to rappel off cliffs.

Edging - Definition of a Climbing Word

Edging

The foot technique where either the inside or outside edge of a rock shoe stands on a sharp edge foothold (a narrow shelf) on a cliff face.

Rock Shoes - Definition of a Climbing Equipment Word

Rock Shoes

Rock shoes are specialized shoes for rock climbing with smooth soles made of secret rubbers that allow a climber’s foot to stick to footholds better.
Rock shoes, which come in a huge variety of styles and shapes, are essential to your climbing performance. For top-level elite climbers, speciality performance shoes are specifically made for crack climbing, big wall climbing, pocketed face climbing, slab climbing, and overhanging sport climbing. Most climbers, especially beginners and novices, just need a good all-around shoe that is comfortable, wears well, and is affordable.

 A La Sportiva climbing slipper offers maximum sensitivity to the rock.

3 Types of Rock Faces for Climbing - Slab, Vertical, and Overhanging Faces

You will find three basic types of rock faces when you’re climbing:


Keeping your weight over your feet is important when you're slab climbing.


  • Slab
  • Vertical
  • Overhanging

    Slabs are Less than 90 Degrees

    Slabs are rock faces that are angled at less than 90 degrees or less than vertical. Climbing a slab requires a good sense of your feet and how to use them as well as balance and rock shoes with lots of friction. When you climb a slab, the general rule is that you keep your weight on your feet. You usually smear your feet on tiny holds on the rock or simply rely on the shoe rubber to hold against smooth rock. This foot technique is called smearing and the holds you use are usually called friction holds or smears. Usually your hands and arms are used for balance rather than pulling because it’s your feet that keep you on the rock and moving upward.

    America’s Best Slab Climbing Areas

    Here are some of the best slab climbing areas and cliffs in the United States:
    • Tuolumne Meadows, California
    • Joshua Tree National Park, California
    • South Platte Area, Colorado
    • Whitehorse Ledge, New Hampshire
    • Looking Glass Mountain, North Carolina

    Vertical Faces are 90 Degrees

    Vertical faces are exactly that—rock faces that are angled at 90 degrees, which is more or less straight up. Usually climbers will consider faces that are slightly less than 90 degrees to be vertical since they are climbed by the same techniques. Like climbing slabs, footwork is very important when you climb vertical cliffs. You keep your weight over your feet as much as possible, which avoids taxing your arms too much, and getting pumped and falling off. Foot techniques include inside edging, outside edging, and smearing. You also need to find your center of gravity and sense of equilibrium, keep an upright body position, and use your hands and arms for pulling.

    America’s Best Vertical Climbing Areas

    Here are some of the many excellent climbing areas that offer vertical climbing:
    • Shelf Road, Colorado
    • Smith Rock, Oregon
    • Red River Gorge, Kentucky
    • New River Gorge, West Virginia
    • Shawngunks, New York

    Overhanging Faces are More than 90 Degrees

    Overhanging faces are those rock faces that are overhung or angled more than 90 degrees. Climbing overhanging faces requires, of course, lots of upper body strength, an apelike attitude, and excellent technique. If you don’t have a combination of these three factors, you might get off the ground but you’re not going to climb too high. Surprisingly, climbing overhanging faces also requires exacting footwork where the climber uses his feet in specialized techniques like heel hooks and toe cams, which help take the climber’s weight off his arms.

    America’s Best Overhanging Climbing Areas

    Lots of great American climbing areas offer overhanging climbing:
    • Rifle Mountain Park, Colorado
    • American Fork, Utah
    • Red River Gorge, Kentucky
    • Kaymoor at New River Gorge, West Virginia
    • Rumney, New Hampshire

10 Lightning Tips for Climbers - Stay Safe from Lightning While Climbing

If you’re out climbing on the rocks or in the mountains and a thunderstorm sweeps in, you're in a dangerous situation since you're probably in an open exposed place like a ridge, cliff-top, or summit. Follow these 10 tips for climbers to minimize your risk and stay safe from lightning when you're caught in the storm.
  1. Quickly descend to a lower elevation.
    Descend and find a less exposed place. It’s best if
    you’re away from the direction of the approaching
    thunderstorm.

  2. Don’t be the tallest object around.
    Don’t stand in open areas. Instead take shelter in a thick forest and avoid taking cover beneath isolated trees or a tree that is taller than nearby trees. If there are no trees around, hunker down in a depression and squat. Don’t lay down on the ground.

  3. Keep away from objects that conduct electricity.
    These include water, metal objects like climbing equipment, metal fences, and power lines. Take off any pack with an internal or external metal frame and hang all metal climbing gear well away from you.

  4. Wet ropes can carry current.
    A wet rope also makes a perfect electrical conductor. In a bad storm, consider untying any wet rope from you. If lightning strikes above, the current can pass down the rope and zap you.

  5. Squat or kneel down.
    It’s best if you use a sleeping pad, empty pack, climbing rope, or anything else that will insulate you from the ground. Put your feet close together so you will have less contact with the ground and reduce danger from ground currents. Do not lie flat on the ground because strike currents can easily travel through your vital organs.

  6. Spread your group out.
    Spread your group out (a minimum of 15 feet) so that if there is a strike there will be team members available to give first aid assistance.

  7. Don’t hide in small caves or under overhangs.
    Sitting under an overhang or in a small cave is asking for trouble since lightning will jump the gap from top to bottom by passing through you. I had a friend killed by lightning on Pikes Peak when he sat under a boulder overhang above timberline to wait out a storm.

  8. Move to either side of cracks.
    If you’re climbing and a lightning storm comes, move away from vertical crack systems whenever possible. Lightning currents travel down cracks.

  9. Avoid rappelling in lightning storms.
    Rappelling in lightning storms should be avoided if at all possible. Currents from a cliff-top strike can travel down your wet rope, zapping you. Sometimes, however, rappelling might be the fastest way to reach safety so you might need to take a calculated risk by rappelling…and keeping your fingers crossed!

  10. Don’t lie down on ledges
    If you’re on a cliff in a lightning storm, don’t lie down on a ledge or sit with your back against the vertical wall since current can pass through you. Instead try to sit or crouch, preferably on insulation like a rope, on the outside edge of the ledge. Also tie in crosswise so you don’t fall off if struck and keep the rope from under your armpits.

Camalots - Definition of Climbing Equipment Word

Camalots

A spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) made by Black Diamond Equipment. Many climbers like Camalots because of the variety of sizes and ease of use.

Carabiner - Definition of Climbing Equipment Word

Carabiner

A forged metal link, made of either aluminum or steel, with a spring-loaded gate that can be attached by a climber to a piece of gear like a cam or a bolt for climbing protection as well as to anchor the climber to a belay ledge. Carabiners are a common and basic piece of climbing safety equipment that are used in most climbing activities, including climbing, belaying, and rappelling. They come in two basic shapes—oval and D-shaped—as well as with non-locking gates and locking gates that can be locked shut by screwing a sleeve or an auto-lock gate. The three types of gates on non-locking carabiners are straight, bent, and wire. Sometimes called a biner or a crab. The original German word Karabinerhaken means “hook for a carbine rifle.”

Petzl Spirit Carabiner with a bent gate.

Cam - Definition of Climbing Equipment Word

Cam

A metal, mechanical spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) that fits in cracks and crevices to protect a lead climber by securing the climbing rope, which is clipped to the cam with a carabiner. The devices, with either three or four cams, come in varying sizes from a ½-inch to eight inches to fit different sized cracks. They are made by different manufacturers and are often referred to by the brand name such as Friends or Camalots or by the number of cams they have such as TCU for three-cam unit.

 Climbers carry various sized cams to protect routes.

6 Essential Rappelling Skills - Learn How to Rappel

You’ve climbed to the top of a cliff and now you have to get back down. Sometimes you can walk off the back side, which is usually the safest way to descend. But sometimes you have to rappel because it’s easier, safer, and faster to get back to flat earth. Rappelling is, on the surface, a relatively simple climbing skill but in that simplicity lie its dangers.
Rappelling is not just the process of sliding down the rope, but also incorporates a lot of other climbing skills including creating anchors, tying knots, rope management, rigging the rappel device, using safety back-up systems, and retrieving the rope. If you use good judgment, pay attention to all the details, and always double-check your rappel systems then you’ll stay safe and alive.
Safe rappelling is totally dependent on your equipment and your skills. If you’re a novice climber then it can be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you rappel. It’s best if you learn and practice all the rappel skills, preferably on a small cliff, before you try to rappel off a big cliff, in a lightning storm, or off a mountain.


Here are the 6 basic climbing skills you need to learn and know to safely rappel:
  1. Anchors
    At least two bomber anchors are needed, although three are preferable. Anchors can be bolts, cams, nuts, pitons, trees, or tied-off boulders. Rappel ropes are always threaded through metal—carabiners, quick links, and descending rings—rather than nylon, which can melt, break, and fail if it’s in contact with rope.
  2. Ropes
    When rappelling, you use either one or two climbing ropes, which are threaded through the anchors. It’s preferable to use a doubled single rope so you don’t have to worry about knot failure or the rope getting jammed in the anchors when you pull it.
  3. Knots
    Tie your two ropes together with one of these four rappel rope knots. Tie stopper knots in the ends of each rappel rope so you don’t rappel off the end. Also use an autoblock knot as a safety back-up.
  4. Rappel Device
    It’s best to thread the rappel ropes through a rappel device, like an ATC or figure-8 descender. In a pinch you can use the old-style Dulfersitz, a Munter hitch, or a carabiner brake rig.
  5. Autoblock Knot
    Use an autoblock knot or a Prusik knot as a safety back-up on the rappel ropes to let you stay in control, especially on long steep rappels.
  6. Pulling Ropes
    Pulling rappel ropes is not as easy as it sounds. Lots of problems can occur when you pull your ropes, including getting the knot jammed, the rope catching in cracks or behind flakes, or too much friction. If any of these problems occur you’re going to have a whole new set of problems retrieving your ropes and they’re not going to be fun.

Bomber - Definition of Climbing Slang Word

Bomber

Definition: A climbing slang term that means totally solid, fail-safe gear, and so secure that even a bomb couldn’t dislodge it. It usually refers to an anchor or piece of gear. Bombproof is a variation.
Usage: A climber says, “It’s okay to fall. I have a bomber anchor up here.”

Bolt Definition of Climbing Equipment Word

Bolt

An artificial anchor placed in a hole drilled into rock to protect either a lead climber or as a belay and rappel anchor. Most bolts used for climbing purposes are construction anchors, either wedge or sleeve bolts in either 3/8-inch or ½-inch diameter. A bolt hanger is attached to the bolt so a carabiner can be clipped to it. The use of bolts and drills in climbing is very controversial because it permanently alters and mars the rock surface. The placement of any bolt or the drilling of any hole should only be made by expert climbers that are well aware of both the legal and ethical ramifications of bolting. The placement of a bolt in rock should only be a last resort, and bolts should never be placed next to cracks where other removable protection can be used, which don’t damage the rock.


A climber places a bolt at Shelf Road.

Pitons - Definition of Climbing Equipment Word

Pitons

A piton is a forged piece of metal, formed in various shapes, thicknesses, and lengths, which is pounded with a hammer into cracks in the rock for climbing protection and anchors. Although pitons were the main form of climbing protection until about 1970, they are rarely used by climbers now since their repeated insertion and removal creates scarring and damage to cliff faces, which can lead to cliffs being closed to climbing. Most pitons are used on aid climbs and only as a last resort. Types of pitons including angles, knifeblades, Lost Arrows, and bongs. Piton is a French word.

Anchor - Definition of a Climbing Word

Anchor

A point or points where a climber is secured to a cliff face or a ledge by using gear, permanent fixed bolts or pitons, and natural objects like trees, flakes, or boulders. These anchor points either protect the climber from the consequences of a long fall or tie the climber into the face on a ledge or stance for belaying.

Building a Safe Top-Rope Anchor -The 3 Basic Skills to Build a Top-Rope Anchor

you've done some top-rope climbing in the gym and on your buddy's rope out at Carderock along the Potomac River. You've bought the basic top-rope climbing equipment you need to get out on the rocks. Now you want to learn how to safely create your own anchors out at the cliff.


 A top-rope belayer is safely anchored at the edge of Otter Cliff in Acadia National Park, Maine.

Learn With an Experienced Guide

I recommend, however, that you read the information here and then if possible go out to the cliff with an experienced climber or with a knowledgeable climbing guide and learn how to establish top-rope anchors under their watchful eyes. Creating anchors as an apprentice makes a world of difference and is a heck of a lot easier and safer than by trying to doing it by yourself.

3 Basic Skills to Create an Anchor

You need to know 3 basic skills to be able to set up a safe top-rope anchor.
  1. Choosing the best site for your top-rope anchor. Deciding the best site to set up your anchor is crucial. You need to evaluate the cliff and the types of climbing it offers; the experience of the climbers that are with you; and finally the cliff-top where you will establish your top-rope anchor. Also consider the hazards and risks to reach the cliff-top and try to minimize and mitigate all the risks. One way is to fix a rope and tie into it to avoid falling off the cliff while setting up the anchor. Don’t laugh. It happens and is a leading cause of climbing accidents and injuries.
  2. Building a safe and redundant anchor using bolts, gear, trees, and boulders. Once you’ve evaluated the site, build your anchor using both primary and secondary anchors. Then equalize them all above the master point, the point where the rope is attached to the anchor system, to distribute the load or weight of a falling climber over the entire system. Remember that all anchors must be bombproof, backed up, and equalized.
  3. Evaluating the safety of your anchor by using SECURE and then making necessary safety corrections. SECURE is an acronym used to evaluate the strength and reliability of your anchor. SECURE means Strong, Extended, Centered, Unbroken, Run, Edge. If the anchor meets all these criteria, it’s safe and ready to rock and roll.

Climb Fast Climb More - Speed Climbing Makes You a Better Climber

Climb fast. Climb more.

Climb fast. Climb more. It’s a good personal climbing mantra to have. I like to get a lot of pitches in. I’m usually a pretty busy guy. I’ve written and photographed 18 books. I guide climbing clients once or twice a week. I help my elderly parents out with yard work and trips to the store. I work on this climbing website for About.com. So when I go climbing, I want to climb. I want to move. I want to get up a lot of pitches and routes.


“You guys are fast.”

For instance, a few weeks ago I went over to Red Rock Canyon, a Colorado Spring’s open space park with 90 bolted sport routes on sandstone slabs. A few hundred yards ahead on the trail, I saw a fellow I know named Bill and his climbing partner. They sauntered along, their bulging climbing packs swayed on their backs. Brian and I fast-walked up the trail and quickly overtook them. “Where ya headed, Bill?” I asked. “Up to Dreamtime,” he replied. “You don’t mind if we jump on it quick, do you?” I asked. “Nah, that’s okay. You guys are fast,” he said.

Being Ready to Climb Saves Time

We raced past the Solar Slab and up the access gully to a sloping slab below The Whale, a half-mile-long cliff lined with routes. We were going to start on the south side with Dreamtime, a fun 5.5, and then work north. Our goal was a dozen pitches in an hour. I dumped my pack, pulled the rope out of the rope bag, and tied my usual figure-8 follow-through knot into my harness. I had already put my harness on back at the parking lot, and racked ten quickdraws and a belay device on it. All I had to do was exchange my Nike sandals for La Sportiva rock shoes and I was ready to rock. I dragged the rope across the low-angle slab and stacked it below the first route. I looked down. Bill was just starting up the gully.

One Hour. 14 Pitches. A Lot of Fun

By the time Bill was taking off his pack on the slab, I was already at the anchors and yelling down to Brian, “Take. Lower me.” By the time Bill had geared up, uncoiled his rope, set up a belay, and reached the anchors on Dreamtime, Brian and I had already climbed five pitches—between the two of us, that’s ten pitches of climbing. Almost 50 minutes later we finished our dozen pitches. “Hey,” I said, “we still have ten minutes left. Why don’t we finish with those two 5.10s at the end?” Twenty minutes later we were back at the parking lot with 14 pitches each and I still had plenty of time to get home and write an article about lightning safety.

Climbing Fast Makes You Climb Better

Climbing fast makes you a better climber. You learn to be more efficient as you climb and you use less energy. You do more pitches so you get stronger and have better climbing endurance. It’s also good for your climbing head because you’re getting more mileage on the rock so you’re less scared and have less time to think about exposure and scary moves since you’re usually cruising through them. You get more efficient at setting up and breaking down belay anchors.

Always Be Safe!

There are a lot of benefits to fast climbing but there is one important commandment: Never sacrifice safety for speed. Whenever you climb fast, you must never compromise your basic chain of safety or do risky maneuvers to save time. You always remember that the rock will always be there to come back to another time, but doing stupid stuff jeopardizes you and your partner’s health, life, and welfare. That said, climb fast and climb more.

“Belay Off” A Climbing Command for Going Off Belay

“Belay off” is a climbing command that means “I no longer have you on belay because you have told me ‘Off belay’ and you are safe.” The command is said by the belayer to the climber after the climber says “Off belay,” which means the climber is in a safe place, is attached to anchors, and doesn’t need to be belayed anymore.


“ Belay Off” Said by Belayer

It’s important for the lead climber to communicate when he reaches a belay ledge after leading a pitch. If you’re leading, when you reach a belay ledge 150 feet up, it’s important that you let your belayer know when you’re safely tied into your anchors by yelling down “Off belay.” Then, after you have put your partner on belay with the climbing rope, you say to the climber below, “On belay.” Then the climber below knows that he’s safe and can take apart his anchor and begin climbing. The usual response after hearing the leader say, “Off belay” is for the belayer below to shout up to the climber above, “Belay off.”

Chain of Commands

Lead Climber: “Off belay.” Said when leader is secure and safe.
Belayer: “Belay off.” Takes leader off belay and gets ready to climb.
Lead Climber: “On belay.” This signals to second climber below that the leader is ready for him to climb.
Belayer now Climber: “Ready to climb.”
Lead Climber now Belayer: “Climb!”
Climber: “Climbing!”

“Off Belay” Voice Command - A Climbing Command for Being Safe

“Off belay” is a climbing command that means “I am safe and you can take me off belay.” The command is said by the climber to his belayer after he is in a safe place, anchored to belay anchors, and no longer needs to be belayed from below.

“Off Belay” Used by the Lead Climber

It’s important for the lead climber to communicate when he reaches a belay ledge after leading a pitch. When you reach a belay ledge 150 feet up, it’s important that you let your belayer know when you’re safely tied into your anchors by yelling down “Off belay.” Then, after you have put your partner on belay with the climbing rope, you say to the climber below, “On belay.” When the climber below knows that he’s safe, he can take apart his anchor and begin climbing. The usual response after hearing the leader say “Off belay” is for the belayer below to shout up to the climber above: “Belay off.”


Keep The Lead Climber on Belay—Don’t Make Assumptions

It’s very important that the belayer always keeps the lead climber on belay until he is totally sure of the climber’s intentions. If wind or a rushing creek drowns out sounds, the belayer may not understand the commands or words the climber above is shouting down. In this situation, it’s best to be prudent and keep the climber on belay until you, the belayer, are absolutely sure that the leader is safe and “Off belay.” Accidents happen because of assumptions about what is happening out of sight and sound. Communicate with the right commands and stay safe.

“On Belay” Voice Command - The Basic Command Before Climbing

“On belay” is the first climbing command used by a climbing team at the base of a route as well as at both the beginning and end of a pitch higher up the cliff.


”On Belay” Means the Belayer is Ready

Your belayer, who is probably standing next to you at the base of your route’s first pitch, lets you know that he is on belay and that it is safe for you to climb by saying, “On belay.” This means that the belayer has uncoiled the rope at the cliff base; tied himself to an anchor like a tree or cams; and has the rope, which is tied to you with a figure-8 follow-through knot, threaded through his belay device.

Don’t Pester the Belayer

Remember that it’s up to the belayer to tell you, the leader, when he’s ready and on belay. I often see impatient leaders asking their belayer, “Are you on belay?” or “On belay?” Don’t be an impatient pest—let your belayer get ready and tell you when he’s on belay and it’s safe for you to climb.

When to Use “On Belay”

Below is the usual group of commands used by a climbing team either when they’re starting from the base of the cliff, from a belay ledge partway up, or by a leader who is has put a seconding climber on belay from above. You will use this series of commands whether you’re big wall climbing, sport climbing, or top-rope climbing. Just remember that when you tell the other climber that he is on belay that you’re now on duty and must be an attentive belayer.

The Voice Commands

Here are the voice commands before you start climbing:
Belayer: “On Belay.”
Climber: “Ready to Climb.”
Belayer: “Climb” or “Climb on.”
Climber: “Climbing.”

Belay - Definition of a Climbing Word

Belay

The process of securing and safeguarding a climber by using a rope to hold the climber’s weight if he falls. The ascending climber and the belayer, or the person holding the rope through a belay device, are a team that is linked together by the rope. Belaying is an important part of the climbing chain of safety and one of the most important skills that any novice climber must master to become a safe climber.

Using Climbing Commands - Climbing Voice Commands Keep You Safe

Climbing commands are standard phrases or single words that allow a climbing team to function smoothly and safely. Communication between climbers is very important, especially between the lead climber and the belayer. The leader needs to clearly communicate with his belayer, and likewise the belayer needs to communicate with the leader.

 It's important for the climber and belayer to communicate with climbing voice commands.

Review Commands Before Climbing

It’s important to communicate with each other before you start climbing. Make sure you’re using the same commands, especially if your climbing partner is from a foreign country where they use different commands or a beginner who doesn’t know the proper verbal commands. Review basic commands and get on the same page before you leave the ground—it will save you lots of trouble later.

Use Clear Commands Outside

Many climbers, especially those who have learned to climb at indoor gyms, don’t value the necessity of using the same clear, sharp commands all the time. When you’re indoors, it’s easy to communicate since the only interference might be that the gym’s music is too loud. Outside, though, you run into a whole different set of circumstances. Your voice might be swallowed up by winds or the cliff’s geometry doesn’t allow easy communication.

Good Communication Keeps You Safe

Bad communication when you’re out rock climbing is a recipe for disaster. Good communication keeps your climbing partner and yourself safe on the rocks. Learn the basic commands and use them.

Basic Climbing Voice Commands

Here is a list of basic climbing voice commands. Listed first is the command; second who says the command; and third what the command means.
  • “On belay” Belayer to climber: I have you on belay and safe.
  • “Off belay” Climber to belayer: I am safe and you can take me off belay.
  • ”Belay off” Belayer to climber: I understand that you’re safe and am taking you off belay.
  • “Climbing” Climber to belayer: I am climbing up now.
  • “Climb on” Belayer to climber: Okay, I’m ready. Go ahead and climb.
  • “Slack” Climber to belayer: Give me some slack or loose rope and don’t hold the rope so tight.
  • “Up rope” Climber (with a top-rope) to belayer: Pull any slack in the rope up tight.
  • “Tension," “Tight rope,” and "Take" Climber to belayer: Pull the rope very tight and hold me.
  • “Watch me!” Climber to belayer: Pay attention, get off your cell phone, this is hard and I might fall.
  • “Falling!” Climber to belayer: I’m falling off and you need to hold me with your belay.
  • ”Ready to lower” Climber to belayer: I’m at the anchors on this sport route and ready to come down.
  • “Lowering” Belayer to climber: Okay, I’m going to lower you down now.
  • “Clipping” Climber to belayer: I’m getting ready to clip the rope into a carabiner, you’ll need to give me some slack rope.
  • “On Rappel” Climber to anyone below: I’m getting ready to rappel down now.
  • “Off Rappel” Climber to partner above: I am totally disengaged from the rope and you can rappel now.
  • “Rock!” Climber to anyone below: Watch out! A chunk of rock is falling and might hit you.
  • ”Rope!” Climber to anyone below: Watch out! I am pulling down or tossing down a rope and it might hit you.

Aid Climbing - Definition of a Climbing Word

Aid Climbing

Aid climbing is technical rock climbing that requires the use or aid of climbing gear, including cams, pitons, bolts, nuts, and hooks, which holds the lead climber’s weight as he moves upward. Aid climbing is used when the rock is featureless and the climber is unable to use hand and footholds for upward progress. Sometimes climbers make only a few moves of aid on a free route, which is called French free climbing.

Free Climbing - Definition of a Climbing Word

Free Climbing

Free climbing is when a climber ascends a rock face using only his hands and feet, as opposed to aid climbing where he places gear and either grabs it or stands in aiders to make upward progress. When free climbing, climbers use ropes and equipment to protect themselves only and don’t rely on it except for safety. Free climbing is perhaps the highest and most aesthetic expression of the climbing game since it requires strength, ingenuity, skill, and experience to be successful on the most difficult routes.

Free Climbing and Aid Climbing - The 2 Faces of Rock Climbing

Rock climbing has two distinct and different disciplines:

Most Climbers are Free Climbers

Most rock climbers are free climbers, using only their hands, feet, balance, and wits to climb a rock face. Occasionally, however, every free climber will use an aid move or two, like grabbing a quickdraw or a couple pieces of gear, to climb past a difficult rock section. When you climb like this, using occasional aid moves to speed up your climb or enable you to pass the hard parts, it’s called French freeing or French free. This type of climbing not only allows you to climb long routes more quickly, but it also allows you to climb routes that are at a higher difficulty level than what you usually climb. French freeing originated at the Verdon Gorge in southern France in the 1960s and 1970s when climbers pushed long routes up steep limestone walls but were unable to make all the moves so they grabbed gear or placed hooks in pockets to bypass hard sections.

Free Climbing Uses Hands and Feet

For most climbers, rock climbing is free climbing. Free climbing is simply using only your hands, feet, strength, and balance to move upward. Equipment is used only to protect the climber from the effects of a fall, not to aid his movements up a rock face. The free climber avoids using any gear to advance upward, using only his physical skills to climb.

Aid Climbing Uses Equipment

Aid climbing is the other aspect of rock climbing, which is when a climber relies on his equipment to make vertical progress. Aid climbing is when a climber grabs a quickdraw clipped onto a bolt to pull past a hard move on a sport route or when he works his way up a featureless overhanging wall by placing cams and nuts in cracks and stands in aiders suspended from that gear to ascend. Aid climbing is how most big walls, like those in Yosemite Valley, are climbed.

All About Rappelling - Learn How to Rappel

Rappelling is a specialized climbing technique that is used to descend from mountains and cliffs by making a controlled slide down a fixed rope. The climbing rope is anchored to a cliff with artificial anchors like cams, pitons, and bolts or natural anchors like trees and boulders. Usually the rope is either doubled with the midpoint at the anchors or tied to another climbing rope. The climber then uses a rappel device which utilizes the friction of the rope through the device to control his descent as he literally slides down the fixed rope to a ledge or the cliff-base.

Meaning of Rappel

After the climber slides to the bottom of the rope, he then retrieves the rope by pulling it through the anchor. The French word rappel, meaning “to recall,” comes from this retrieval. In Europe the technique is usually called abseiling, which comes from the German word abseilen, meaning “to rope down.” In England this is usually shortened to “ab,” as in “We’re going to ab off now.” In the United States, climbers shorten the words rappel and rappelling to “rap” and “rapping;” for example, “How long is the rap?”

Rappelling is Skill-Based

Rappelling, while one of the most dangerous techniques used in climbing and the cause of many climbing accidents, is skill-based. Most rappelling accidents occur as a result of climber error rather than as an act of God. If you learn all the essential skills of rappelling, then you’ll be safe on all your rappels. You mess up though—Splat! you’re dead mea

All About Bouldering - Defining the Art of Bouldering

Bouldering, the discipline of ropeless climbing on small cliffs and boulders, celebrates the joy of movement over stone. Bouldering is all about movement, of climbing with purity and simplicity and usually without a rope and other protective gear. Bouldering is simply you and the rock. Nothing else gets in the way of the climbing and the movements of your hands and feet.

Bouldering is Challenging

Bouldering is about challenge, of busting hard moves just off the ground with minimal risk of injury. When you’re bouldering you often work on difficult boulder problems, a series of extreme moves, which you can seldom do on your first or even your fifth try, or you can climb easier problems, teaching your body and mind to work together as one. Bouldering makes you a smarter and more confident climber and better at analyzing sequences of moves and how to do them.

Bouldering Makes You Strong

Bouldering makes you stronger on the rock. While a climbing pursuit in itself, bouldering is also a way to practice new techniques, skills, and moves as well as to make you stronger for climbing roped routes. Bouldering, when used as a training tool, helps you build power which translates to more success on longer routes.

Bouldering is Done Everywhere

Bouldering can be done anywhere there is rock. Climbers in rock-hungry places like the Midwest often find boulder problems on exposed rock in road cuts. Climber find problems on small exposed cliffs and blocks in big cities like the famous Rat Rock in New York City’s Central Park or on laid-stone walls and bridge trestles in cities like Boston and Philadelphia. Bouldering can also be done indoors in climbing gyms, which often have bouldering walls or caves that are usually overhanging.

Bouldering is Safe

Bouldering is usually safe. Most boulder problems ascend blocks of rock that are usually less than 15 feet high. Sometimes boulderers will do problems, usually called highballs, on taller boulders. A fall off these problems could result in a broken leg or other injuries but good boulderers will assume this risk and then mitigate it by stacking a couple crash pads below the problem or making sure they have a clear landing zone. Others will use a top-rope to protect themselves if they do fall off to avoid injury. In bouldering, as in other climbing disciplines, the risks are the ones you choose to take.

Bouldering is Playful and Fun

Bouldering is also about play. It’s fun to go bouldering with a bunch of pals and push each other on the boulders. You can be competitive with each other and also get stronger and better by eliminating which holds you use; by using a sitting-down start rather than a standing-up one; by seeing who can do a problem the fastest way; by doing circuits of various problems; or by doing problems one-handed. There are lots of ways to play when you’re bouldering and keep the fun in climbing—which is what it’s all about.

Let's Go Sport Climbing - Skills to Be a Sport Climber

Sport climbing is simply ascending rock faces using only your hands and feet (free climbing) with all of your protection being fixed bolts that are preplaced on a rock face. Sport climbing, like top-rope climbing, is all about the rewards of rock climbing with minimal risks. Sport climbing is about pushing the limits of your climbing ability in a generally safe setting, working on difficult moves, and then finally succeeding on hard routes. Sport climbing makes you a better climber. It’s a heck of a lot of fun too!

Sport Climbing Protection

Sport climbing offers a different challenge than traditional climbing where the lead climber places nuts and cams in cracks for protection when falling. In sport climbing all the protection already exists, placed on the rock face by the first ascent party who drilled holes in the rock, hammered bolts into the holes, and then attached a bolt hanger so a climber could hang a quickdraw and clip a rope into it for protection. This security allows climbers to ascend routes without having to carry and place removable gear. Instead sport climbers can attempt routes harder than their limits, pushing the envelope of the possible.

Needed Skills

After you’ve learned climbing and belaying basics in the gym and then gone outdoors and top-roped a lot of routes, you’re probably ready to try your hand at sport climbing. Out on bolted sport cliffs, you can learn about lead climbing and concentrate on practicing new techniques.
Besides being safe, sport climbing is also very practical.
  • Many bolted crags are close to cities and easily accessed.
  • Hiking approaches to the cliffs tend to be short and quick.
  • The bolt protection is already in place so you don’t have to carry a heavy pack laden with lots of gear.
  • You don’t need to spend a lot of money on gear since all you need is a rope, quickdraws, and your personal climbing gear—rock shoes, harness, belay device, and chalk bag.

Top-Rope Climbing Basics

Top-rope climbing is all about having fun and being outside. Top-roping offers the rock climbing experience with all the rewards but minimal risks. Top-roping, simply put, is climbing a rock face with the rope always anchored above you. If you fall, you usually only fall a few feet until the rope catches you, minimizing the risk of injury.
Top-roping, the first introduction to climbing for most folks in a gym or outside, is a great way to learn the basics of climbing movement, how to set up an anchor, how to belay, and how to have fun climbing. Top-roping is ideal for beginners since they can concentrate on climbing techniques rather than worry about the dire effects of gravity. Advanced climbers can work on new techniques or just do laps on routes to build strength and endurance. You can top-rope climb just about anywhere and you don’t need lots of equipment. To find out what basic equipment you need for a fun and safe top-roping experience, go to Top-Rope Climbing Equipment.

Necessary Top-Rope Skills

Top-rope climbing, like all other types of climbing, uses basic climbing skills to keep you safe. It’s easy to think that top-roping is safe and secure, but remember that top-roping, like all types of climbing, is dangerous and there is always the potential for accident, injury, and death. Learn basic climbing skills to keep your partners and yourself safe on the rocks. These are best learned in the safer climbing gym environment or from an experienced guide before going outside on your own.
These skills include:
  • Anchors You need the ability to set up a safe anchoring system at the top of the route for the rope and climber.
  • Belaying and Lowering You need to know how to create a belay anchor and safely belay a climber as she ascends. When she reaches the top, you need to know how to lower her back to the ground.
  • Rope Management You need to know how to tie into the rope with a Figure-8 Follow-Through knot, then how to handle the rope while belaying and lowering.
  • Safety You need to create a safe climbing environment by managing and mitigating the dangers of climbing.

4 Friction Knots for Climbers - Knots for Ascending Ropes and Self-Rescue


The Kleimheist knot (top), Prusik knot, and Bachmann knot are used to ascend a climbing rope in an emergency.


All climbers need to know these four basic friction knots used in climbing:
Every climber needs to know at least one of these friction knots so that he can ascend a fixed rope, particularly in an emergency situation; escape a belay for self-rescue; ascend a rope after falling into a crevasse on a glacier; and as a safety back-up or autoblock when rappelling. The fourknots are easy to learn, fast to tie, and do not damage the rope like a mechanical ascender, which uses teeth to grab the rope. When climbers use the knots to ascend the rope, the technique is called “Prusiking.”

Friction Knots Grab the Rope When Loaded

All four friction knots are basically just a loop of thin cord, usually called “Prusik slings,” attached to a climbing rope. After the knot is attached, the climber ascends the fixed rope by sliding the knot up it. The knot, using friction created when the knot is loaded with the climber’s weight, constricts and grips the rope, allowing the climber to ascend. Friction knots should not be used on icy ropes since the knot won’t grab the rope. If you’re using friction knots to ascend, it is important to use two slings tied into two knots and to make sure you’re tied into the rope—never trust your life to a single friction knot.

Tie Friction Knots with Thin Cord

Friction knots are best tied with a length of either 5mm or 6mm cord, with the ends tied together with a double fisherman’s knot or double figure-eight fisherman’s knot (both knots used for tying rappel ropes together) to form a loop of cord. The thicker the knot cord in relation to the climbing rope’s diameter, the less friction or holding power the knot will have on the rope. This results in the knot slipping on the rope rather than firmly gripping it. It’s always preferable to use cord rather than webbing for a friction knot, although webbing such as a sling will work if necessary.

How Long Should Your Cords Be?

The length of the loop of cord for a friction knot is a personal decision. I prefer using 24-inch loops, the same length as a sewn sling, rather than a longer loop. The shorter loops are easier to carry on your harness and can easily be made longer by clipping another sling onto it. A 5-foot length of cord is required to make a 24-inch loop. Some climbers prefer to carry a 24-inch loop and a 48-inch loop, clipping the short one to their harness belay loop and the longer one for use as a foot sling.

The 4 Friction Knots

Here are the four friction knots, their uses, and their advantages and disadvantages.

Prusik Knot

The Prusik knot is the most commonly used friction knot for ascending a rope. It’s easy to tie and very secure when it’s loaded. The disadvantages of the Prusik knot are that it is difficult to dress well and that it tightens up, making it difficult to release and slide up the rope.

Klemheist Knot

The Klemheist knot is a friction knot that is used for ascending a rope and for self-rescue when a climber needs to escape a belay. Like a Prusik knot, it slides easily on a rope. The advantages of a Klemheist knot over a Prusik knot is that it is easier to release its grip on the rope after being loaded, works in one direction, is faster to tie than a Prusik knot, is easily untied after being loaded, and can be tied with webbing.

Bachmann Knot

The Bachmann knot is a friction knot that utilizes a carabiner as a handle and is used to ascend a fixed rope. While the carabiner makes it easy to slide the knot up the rope, it’s smooth surface doesn’t grip the rope so accidents can happen. The Bachmann knot is ideal for rescue situations and as a safety back-up since it releases when it’s not loaded, but automatically grips the rope when it is loaded.

Autoblock Knot

The autoblock knot, also called a French Prusik knot, is an easy-to-tie and versatile friction knot that is used as a safety back-up knot on a rappel rope. The knot is tied on the rope below the rappel device and then attached to the climber’s harness through a carabiner on a leg loop or the belay loop. The knot adds friction to the rappel and allows the climber to safely stop mid-rappel to rearrange the rope or do another task. The knot should never be used to ascend a rope since it slips rather than grips. Nor should it be used as a lowering device since the climber could lose control and burn through the nylon cord.

The Best Knots to Tie Rappel Ropes Together

If you’re out climbing and need to rappel, either from the top of the route you just climbed or to bail off before a thunderstorm moves in, then you often need to tie two ropes together to get down. Double-rope rappels get you down faster and farther, especially if you are using two 200-foot (60-meter) ropes, so you can get out of danger from lightning and also so you leave less gear for rappel anchors at each stance or ledge if there are no fixed anchors.

 The double figure-8 fishermans knot is the best knot to tie two ropes together for rappelling.

Rappelling is Dangerous

Rappelling is one of the most dangerous aspects of climbing. More accidents occur rappelling than any other climbing activity except lead climbing. When you’re rappelling off a cliff, you’re relying solely on your equipment—on your rope, on your rappel device, on your harness, and on the anchors that your rope is threaded through. Besides having perfect bombproof anchors, you need to tie your ropes together with a strong knot that will support your weight while rappelling and won’t come untied.

4 Best Knots for Rappel Ropes

The following four best knots are the best ones for tying your rappel ropes together:
  1. Double Figure-8 Fisherman’s Knot This knot, the usual way to tie rappel ropes together, is the strongest of the bunch and, if properly tied, will not come undone. It’s also easy to visually check to make sure it is properly tied. It’s usually not difficult to untie after being weighted. This is the best knot to tie ropes of unequal diameters, that is a thin rope and thick rope, together. The knot’s biggest disadvantage is its bulk, so the chances that it might jam in a crack while you’re pulling the rappel ropes are increased.

  2. Square Fisherman’s Knot A lot of climbers like this knot because it’s easy to tie and the easiest of these four knots to untie. It’s basically just a square knot backed up with double fisherman’s knots on either side. If you use this knot, always use the backup knots or risk it coming untied. A square knot alone is never a good knot for rappelling or any other climbing purpose.

  3. Double Overhand Knot This knot, sometimes called the “European Death Knot,” has gained popularity and is often used to tie ropes together. It is the fastest and easiest of these four knots to tie and has the least bulk, which makes it less likely to snag and stick your rope. Do not use this knot with ropes of varying diameters, since at least one fatal accident has occurred from it coming untied. Alternatively you can tie a double figure-8 knot instead of the overhand knot, although testing at Black Diamond’s lab in Salt Lake City indicates that the double overhand is stronger than the double figure-8.

  4. Double Fisherman’s Knot This is the traditional knot to tie two ropes together but has generally fallen out of favor for the above knots. It can be difficult to check visually and is often difficult to untie after being weighted, particularly if the ropes are wet. This knot is best used for tying thin pieces of accessory cord like Spectra together for anchors or slinging nuts like Hexentrics.

Know the Knots Before Using Them

These four knots are all strong and safe, but they must, of course, be tied correctly. Learn to tie these knots on the ground or at home and know them backwards and forwards before you attempt to tie them on a climb at the rappel anchors—your life depends on the knot being properly tied. All these knots, except the double overhand knot, are backed up with fisherman’s knots for safety on either side.

Use a Stopper Knot

Also when you’re rappelling, always tie a stopper knot, which is a double fisherman’s knot, overhand knot, or figure-8 knot, at the ends of both ropes so that you or your partner won’t rappel off the loose ends of the rope.

Pick One Knot and Use It

It’s best to pick one knot that you like and just use it every time you tie rappel ropes together. If you use one knot for rappelling, you become intimately familiar with that knot—you know how to tie it; you know how to untie it; you know how much of a tail to leave at each end to tie the fisherman’s backup knots. I have always used the Double Figure-8 Fisherman’s Knot because it feels like the safest knot to me. I like to feel totally secure when I’m rappelling, particularly if it’s a scary rappel off a slender desert spire or down a big wall. Experiment at a small crag and decide which rappel knot is right for you.

Use Stopper Knots

It’s always instructive to read accident reports in the annual Accidents in North American Mountaineering book, published by The American Alpine Club, which analyzes many climbing accidents from the previous year. Every year there are many accidents and fatalities attributed to rappelling off the ends of ropes, anchor failure, and incorrectly loading the rope in the rappel device. One of the accidents detailed in the 1997 book offers reasons why it’s a good idea to always tie stopper knots in your rappel ropes.

 Always tie stopper knots to keep from rappelling off the ends of your ropes.

Woman Rappels in Torrential Storm

On May 23, 1997 a man and woman, climbing on Pywiak Dome at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park, were caught in a lightning storm at the top of their second pitch. The woman, who had been climbing for 13 years, went first, rappelling on two ropes tied together and whose ends were uneven in length and did not have stopper knots tied in them. She ended up a little short of the next rappel station, a ledge at the end of Dike Route’s first pitch that is 200 feet off the ground. So she reached down to grab the next rap slings but the rope tails slipped through her brake hand and then her rappel device. She tumbled eight feet onto the ledge and rolled off toward certain death.

Miracle Saves Falling Climber

“Miraculously,” the report reads, “the woman managed to throw an arm onto the ledge to check an inevitable grounder, a move she later attributed to thoughts of her children.” Then her partner evened the ropes, rappelled to her, fixed the ropes to the ground, and both rappelled in pouring rain to the cliff base.

Bad Weather Leads to Bad Judgment

Besides being unprepared for storms and keeping an eye on the weather so they could retreat before the thunderstorm moved in, the climbers “neglected to locate the rope’s center, to knot the ends, and/or to use a ‘hands free’ backup, with almost tragic results.” The couple, dressed in shorts and t-shirts, were ill-prepared for the violent weather. The accident analysis concludes: “Even on a short route, sodden ropes, violent wind, cold rain, and haste induced by mild hypothermia can be dangerous factors working against the retreating climber.”

Lessons Learned from the Accident

The lessons learned from this incident are:
  • Tie stopper knots in the ends of both rope strands.
  • Make sure the rappel ropes are even by finding the middle of the rope.
  • Use an autoblock knot as a safety back-up.
  • Come prepared for bad weather.
  • Begin your retreat and rappel before a storm moves in.

Stopper Knot

A stopper knot is a knot that is tied into both ends of a rappel rope so that a climber doesn’t rappel off the ends of the rope, which is a common cause of rappelling accidents and fatalities.


A stopper knot is an important climbing knot tied in the ends of a rappel rope. 

Double Fisherman’s Knot Best

The best stopper knot is a double fisherman’s knot tied in each rope end.

Bulky Stopper Knots

Some climbers prefer to tie a more bulky knot like a figure-8-on-a-bight, clipping a carabiner into each loop so it doesn’t come untied. The bulky knot is essential if you’re rappelling with a figure-8 descender so the knot and end of the rope won’t slip through the rappel device. The knots are either tied into the end of each separate strand of rope or into both strands together.

Double Overhand Knot

The Double Overhand Knot is a popular and easy-to-tie knot used to tie two ropes together for rappelling. It has less bulk than other rappel knots like the double figure-8 fisherman’s knot so it is less likely to get stuck in cracks when you pull your rappel ropes. Never use this knot with ropes of different diameters since at least one fatal accident has occurred when the thinner rope worked out of the knot. Alternatively you can tie a double figure-8 knot instead of the overhand knot, although testing at Black Diamond’s Salt Lake City lab, after an accident in Zion National Park in 2003 when a climber fell 200+ feet after his double figure-8 came untied, indicates that the double overhand is stronger than the double figure-8 knot.

Square Fisherman’s Knot

The Square Fisherman’s Knot is used to tie two ropes together for rappelling. It’s basically a square knot backed up with double fisherman’s knots on either side. If you use this knot, always use the backup knots or risk it coming untied. A square knot alone is never a good knot for rappelling or any other climbing purpose.
 A square fisherman's knot is used to tie two ropes together for rappelling.

Double Figure-8 Fisherman’s Knot

The Double Figure-8 Fisherman’s Knot is one of the best knots to use to tie to ropes together for top-roping and rappelling. It’s a very strong knot and, if properly tied, won’t come undone. It’s also a good knot to use if you are tying ropes of unequal diameters together.

 The double figure-8 fishermans knot is the best knot to tie 2 ropes together for rappelling and rock climbing.

Use a Prusik Knot - 5

Besides ascending a rope, a Prusik knot is also useful as a rappel back-up knot and for self-rescue and escaping a belay.

Prusik Knot as Rappel Back-Up Knot

Prusik knots are sometimes used as a rappel back-up knot either below or above your rappel device. It is better, however, to use the Autoblock knot for a back-up since it is easier to tie and untie and runs more smoothly as you rappel. The Prusik knot can snag and tighten while you’re rappelling, making it difficult to loosen and slide down the rope.

Use a Prusik Knot for Self-Rescue

Prusik knots are ideal for self-rescue situations where you need to escape from your belay anchors in an emergency situation. For example, Joe and you are climbing a big route in Yosemite Valley. He falls and becomes incapacitated due to a head injury. You can’t lower him to the ground since you’re 600 feet off the ground. What do you do?
  • The first thing you have to do is to escape from the belay so you can render assistance.
  • You hold Joe’s rope in your belay device with one hand.
  • You tie a Prusik knot on Joe’s rope with your free hand.
  • You attach the free end of the Prusik knot to your anchors with a locking carabiner.
  • Now you are able to transfer Joe’s weight onto the Prusik knot and the fixed anchors rather than have it on your harness and belay device.
  • You are now free to Prusik up to Joe and give first aid or go for help.

Use a Prusik Knot - 4

The Problem With Prusik Knots

The big problem with Prusik knots is that they can grip the rope so tightly that they are difficult to release and slide up the rope, whereas the Klemheist knot and Bachmann knot are easier to release. If your Prusik knot is too tight to push, loosen it by pushing the center loop or tongue into the knot.

 A climber uses a Bachmann knot (top) and Prusik knot (bottom) for ascending a fixed rope.

Ascending a Fixed Rope

Most of the time climbers will use mechanical ascenders to climb ropes, especially on big walls. But two Prusik knots, used in tandem with one for the right hand and one for the left, are the best way to ascend a fixed rope in an emergency. Many climbers will use another friction knot like a Klemheist knot or Bachmann knot in tandem with a single Prusik knot since the Prusik, as noted above, can tighten up. The top Prusik cord is attached to the belay loop on the front of your harness while the other cord is attached to a longer sling for one of your feet. Some climbers prefer to attach both Prusik slings to the harnesses as well as have foot slings for each foot. Either way you need to remember to always tie into the end of the rope. Never trust your life to a Prusik knot.

Basic Prusikking Technique

The basic technique of Prusikking is to weight the bottom Prusik knot by standing up in your foot sling. Now slide the barrel of the top Prusik knot up the climbing rope until it’s tight against your harness. Sit down in your harness, tightening the knot and allowing it to bite into the rope. Next, hang from the top knot and slide the lower Prusik knot up the rope until its cord is tight against you. Repeat the process and you’re on your way up the rock. It is not, however, as easy as it sounds. Practice using it first at a small local cliff. Learn how long the cords to your waist and for your foot sling should be.

Use a Prusik Knot - 3

Third Step to Tie a Prusik Knot

The third step to tie a Prusik knot is to bring the loop of cord back through the girth hitch on the climbing rope two to three more times, forming a barrel with the tail of the cord hanging out from the middle. This is simply done by wrapping the loop of cord through the inside of each previous wrap. After you’re done wrapping the rope, tighten the knot and dress it by carefully arranging all the wraps of cord so they’re next to each other and not crossed.
How many wraps of cord you put on the knot is up to you. Usually three is sufficient. The more wraps you put on, the more the Prusik knot will cinch onto the climbing rope. It’s best, especially if you haven’t used a Prusik knot much, to test the knot by weighting it. If it slips, add another wrap. If it’s too hard to push up the rope, take away a wrap. If you leave the knot a bit loose, it is easier to slide up the rope.


you wrap the loop of cord around the rope two or three more times.

Use a Prusik Knot - 2

Second Step to Tie a Prusik Knot

The second step to tie a Prusik knot is to take the loop of cord behind the climbing rope and bring half of the loop through the other half of the loop and form a girth hitch. A girth hitch is a basic knot for attaching a sling or cord to any object, including a tree, piece of climbing gear, or, in this case, the climbing rope. Note that the knot in the small cord is on the outside of the hitch.

 The second step is the make a girth hitch with the thin cord on the climbing rope.

Use a Prusik Knot - 1

The Prusik knot is a friction knot or hitch that is tied around a climbing rope with a thin length of cord. When a climber’s weight is loaded onto the knot, it tightens and cinches onto the rope. Prusik knots, commonly used in pairs or with another friction knot like a Klemheist knot or Bachmann knot, allows the climber to ascend a fixed rope by sliding the knot up the rope.
 Put the loop of thin cord behind the fixed climbing rope.

When to Use a Prusik Knot

Prusik knots are primarily used by climbers in emergency situations when it is necessary to ascend a fixed rope. These situations include lending aid to an injured climber above, ascending up an overhanging face after falling, or extricating oneself after falling into a glacial crevasse. Every climber needs to know how to tie a Prusik knot. With practice it can be easily tied with one hand, a good skill for emergencies.

Make 2 Loops of Cord

To tie a Prusik knot you need what climbers call “Prusik slings,” which are two lengths of thin cord (preferably 5mm or 6mm in diameter). The thinner the cord is in relation to the thickness of the climbing rope, the greater the ability of the knot to cinch onto the rope. It’s best to make the Prusik slings about two feet long, although some climbers like having one of the slings longer. Buy a five-foot length of thin nylon cord that is specifically made for climbing. Avoid buying spectra cord since it can melt if the knot slips. Tie the ends together with a double-fisherman’s knot, forming a closed loop.

First Step to Tie a Prusik Knot

The first step to tie a Prusik knot is to take the loop of cord and place it behind the main climbing rope.

Use an Autoblock Knot - 5

You’ve threaded the rappel ropes through your device, tied the autoblock knot and attached it to a carabiner on your leg loop. You’re now ready to rappel with the autoblock as a safety back-up.

2 Ways to Hold the Knot

Before you rappel, make sure the autoblock is loose on the ropes so that it slides easily. Put your brake hand, the one that keeps you in control, below the autoblock knot and grasping the rappel ropes. Put your guide hand on top of the knot below the rappel device and begin rappelling. Or place your brake hand on the knot and use your guide hand above the device. Either way works fine. Try it both ways and decide which you prefer.

Let the Knot Slide on the Ropes

As you rappel, let the knot slide with your hand keeping it loose. If you want to stop, simply let go of the knot and let it cinch onto the ropes. Make sure you let go of the knot if you need to stop. Novices have died by gripping the knot, which slips on the rope and melts. Let go and let the knot lock.

Avoid Having Your Knot Jam

Make sure that the cord or sling that forms the autoblock knot is not too long. If it is too long, the knot can jam in your rappel device when you stop, which will cause you all kinds of headaches as you work to free it from the device. Avoid problems by making sure the sling is short enough before rappelling. If it’s too long, tie a knot in the end of the sling to shorten it or extend the rappel device from your harness by attaching it to a sling.

 Here's how your autoblock knot and rappel device should look when you're ready to rappel.

Get in the Habit of Using the Autoblock

Get in the habit of always using the autoblock whenever you rappel. When I've climbed in Norway, every climber used an autoblock when they rappelled. In France, the Chamonix guides use the knot when they rappel. But in the US it’s rare that I see climbers use it. Pretty dumb, since it takes 30 seconds to tie, is easy to use, and it can save your life.

Use an Autoblock Knot - 4

The second step to tie an autoblock knot, after wrapping the cord around the rappel ropes, is to clip both ends of the cord into the locking carabiner on your harness leg loop. Then lock the carabiner so the cord can’t come undone from it. Finally, dress the knot by arranging all the wraps so they’re neat and not crossed. Make sure the knot is not tightened or cinched down on the ropes so that it slides easily as you rappel.
 Finish tying the autoblock knot by clipping both ends into a locking carabiner.

Make Sure The Knot Won’t Jam

It’s very important to check the knot before you use it by making sure that the length of cord or sling is not too long after being tied to the rappel ropes. First, check that your autoblock knot cinches onto the rope when it’s weighted. Next, check that the sling is not so long that it will jam in the rappel device when it’s weighted. If you’re using a short sling that is no longer than two feet then it shouldn’t be a problem if your rappel device is attached to your belay loop and the knot is attached to your leg loop. Double check to make sure though. If the sling or cord is too long and it jams in the rappel device then it will lead to all kinds of problems when you’re rappelling. If it is too long, then use a sling on your belay loop to extend the distance that the rappel device is from your harness and the knot.

Use an Autoblock Knot - 3

The first step to tie an autoblock knot is to clip a carabiner, preferably a locking one, onto the leg loop of your harness. Clip it on the side where your brake hand will be.
 First, wrap the cord or sling several times around the rappel rope.

Wrap the Cord Around the Rope

Next wrap your autoblock cord four or five times around the rappel ropes.

More Wraps Equal More Friction

Use up most of the cord on the wraps. How many wraps you put on is up to you, but the more wraps, the more friction. If you don’t use enough wraps, the autoblock will slip on the ropes, particularly if they are new and slippery. If you use too many wraps, the knot won’t slide easily. Make sure that the cord’s knot or the sewn overlap on the sling are not in the knot itself on the rope, but rather on the outside of the knot as in the photograph above.

Use an Autoblock Knot - 2

Use a Sling for Your Autoblock

Autoblock knots are easy and fast to tie. To tie an autoblock knot, you need either a short length of thin cord or a nylon sling. The knot can, however, be tied in an emergency situation with any piece of cord or webbing you might have on you. I’ve even seen it tied with the cord threaded on a Hexentric nut. Many climbers use a two-foot, shoulder-length, 9/16-inch-wide sling for their autoblock since it’s a common piece of gear that is always carried when climbing. It’s best to use a nylon rather than a Spectra sling. Also use narrow webbing rather than one-inch-wide webbing.

Use Cord for Your Autoblock

Other climbers, like myself, use a piece of cord attached to a carabiner that is carried specifically for tying the autoblock. Use a thin cord (best if its 5mm or 6mm in diameter) that, after the ends are tied together with a double fisherman’s knot forming a closed loop, is 18 inches long. You’ll need a 48-inch length of cord to make this loop. Remember that the thinner the cord, the greater the bite it will have on the rappel rope but the faster it will wear out. Also remember that since this cord is meant to be loaded, it is possible for the double fisherman's knot to lose its tails, that is the tail can slip into the knot and it can come undone. Always make sure you have two-inch tails on the knot. Tape the tails to the cord and you will see if slippage occurs.

 You need either a thin cord or nylon sling to tie your autoblock knot.

Check the Cord for Wear

It’s very important that you regularly check your autoblock sling or cord for wear and tear. I always look at mine after every long rappel to make sure it’s not getting too worn. Look for stitching starting to unravel on sewn slings and for wear from sliding down the rope. When it’s looking worn, retire it and use a new one.

Use an Autoblock Knot - 1

The autoblock knot, an easy-to-tie friction knot or hitch that is tied around a climbing rope with a thin length of cord, is used as a safety back-up knot when you’re rappelling. The knot is the best back-up simply because it does two jobs exceedingly well: It locks under load and, unlike all other friction knots, it releases while still under load.
 The autoblock knot is an essential safety knot that you should use as a safety back-up knot every time you rappel.

An Essential Safety Knot for Rappelling

The knot, tied below the rappel device, slides down the rope as you rappel. If you stop, the knot tightens and cinches onto the rappel rope. When it cinches, the autoblock knot stops you from rappelling if you let go of the rappel ropes. The autoblock knot is an essential climbing safety knot—one that every climber should know how to tie and use. In Europe it's called a French Prusik knot.

Use an Autoblock When Rappelling

Rappelling is one of the most dangerous aspects of climbing since you’re relying solely on your equipment, your anchors, and your climbing smarts. It’s important to take every possible safety measure to minimize the risks of rappelling. You double check your rappel device. You double check the anchors your rope is threaded through. And you use an autoblock knot on the rope as a safety backup.

The Autoblock Keeps You in Control

The autoblock knot allows you to safely stop and hang to clear rope snags; toss the rope farther down the cliff; free twists and knots from the rope; keeps you from losing control, especially on free rappels; and stops you if you get hit by a falling rock. The autoblock also allows you to rappel slowly and stay in control, especially on free or overhanging rappels where you are not able to touch the rock.

Autoblock Knot

The autoblock knot is an easy-to-tie friction knot that is used as a safety back-up knot on a rappel rope. The knot is tied onto the rope below the rappel device and then attached to the rappeller’s harness with a carabiner clipped into a leg loop or the belay loop. The knot, an essential safety knot that every climber should know, adds friction to the rappel descent, allowing the climber to safely stop mid-rappel to rearrange the rope or to keep from rappelling too fast and losing control.
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