Got called out for my old climbing hitch setup at a job in Austin

Honestly, I was using a Blake's hitch for years and thought it was fine. Another climber on site said it was too slow to adjust and could slip if I got tired. He showed me how to tie a VT with a pulley, which is way faster to move. I switched over about six months ago and my work speed is better. Anyone else have a knot they changed their mind on?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethg181mo ago

That point about a bowline coming undone is so real, but it's not just the tail length. @hayden709, the real trick is that final dressing step after you tie it. You have to load it hard, like put your weight on it or give it a real strong pull, before you trust it. I've seen people tie a perfect looking bowline, clip in, and then it just loosens up on them during a climb because they never set it under load. It's a solid knot but it needs that extra step to be safe.

hayden7091mo ago

My buddy had the same thing happen with his bowline.

julia_carter701mo ago

Yeah, that knot can be sneaky if you don't dress it right. I've seen a bowline come undone when the tail gets pulled back through the loop. Always gotta leave a long enough tail and really tighten it up.