Clove hitch
Clove hitch is an essential knot used in many occasions when adjustable reliable knot is needed and thus finds its place in most of the knotting operations during climbing such as anchor building, offsetting belay station for the second climber, or self-attaching of the lead climber with a rope to the anchor point.
| Clove hitch | |
|---|---|
| Use(s) | Anchor building, (self-)attaching climber to an anchor, belay station offsetting and more |
| Pros | Fast, simple, robust, easily adjustable |
| Cons | In usual applications none |
| Category | Hitch |
Tying
Easy method
This method is very robust and suitable for learning how to tie the hitch.
Steps description: start with making a two identical loops on a rope (1,2). Then place one loop over the other in a way that the end-ropes are surrounded by the rope between the loops (3). Pull a carabiner through the loops (4). Tighten the knot by sequentially pulling on the ends a few times and lock the gate (5,6,7). At the end, do not forget to inspect the hitch and the gate lock (8).
One-hand method
Non-crucial, but handy once you have only one hand free.
Steps description: Start with a rope through a carabiner. Grab the rope strand which runs from the back of the carabiner with your hand thumb pointing down and rotate the hand into a thumb-up position (1). Open the gate (2) and pull the rope through the gate from the front to back and seat the rope into the carabiner, the gate closes itself automatically (3). Sequentially pull the rope strands to tighten the knot (4,5) and screw the safety-lock (5). Inspect that the knot is tied properly and that the gate is locked (7).
Quick repositioning
One of the strongest points of the clove hitch is its quick repositioning without cancelling the setup or opening the carabiner.
Steps description: Pull the middle strand between the two loops (1). By this you loosen the knot and pull the rope from the both sides. Then pull one of the strands, re-tightening and repositioning the knot in the process (2).