An Overview of Climbing Hitches - SherrillTreenational.sherrilltree.com/site/Climbing_Hitches.pdfular climbing hitch, practice low and slow. As with all knots, climbing hitches need

©2004 International Society of Arboriculture. Used with permission. Originally published in Arborist News magazine, October 2004.

A rborists’ climbing hitches haveseen tremendous changes andimprovements in the past ten

years. Techniques have been adapted andborrowed from various high-angle disci-plines, and now there are numerous knots,a variety of ways to tie them, and an assort-ment of accessory cords that alter how theknot responds when in use. Because of thewide range of resources available, some ofthe climbing hitches are well known andillustrated; some are known but have beenpublished in only a few different sources;and some are known only by word of mouth.In many cases, the terminology is confused,and discrepancies exist about the names ofand how to tie some of the climbing hitches.

One purpose of this article is to compileinformation and present standard terminol-ogy with the hope that we can achieve someuniformity in the nomenclature used for ourvarious climbing hitches. This article also isintended to help people learn some of thesimilarities and differences between the vari-ous climbing hitches, but it is not intendedto teach all of the details of how to use a knot.Descriptions of knots are to clarify the discus-sion, and photographs are for illustrative,not teaching, purposes. If you are not thor-oughly familiar with any of these climbinghitches, then you should attend an industryseminar or training session before trying toclimb with them. When you learn a partic-ular climbing hitch, practice low and slow.

As with all knots, climbing hitches needto be properly tied, dressed, and set. “Tie”means to form the knot, “dress” means toalign all of the parts of the knot, and “set”means to tighten or load the knot beforeactually using it.

For the purposes of this article, climbinghitches will be assessed by three main criteria:

• how well the climbing hitch holds theclimber in place for work positioning

• how easily the climbing hitch releasesto allow the climber to descend andthen grips once the climber hasreached the next (usually lower) workstation

• how easily the hitch breaks andadvances when pushed by a slacktender or the climber’s hand and thengrips once the climber has reached thenext (usually higher) work station

How well the knot holds refers to howsecurely and reliably the hitch stays in placeas the climber works in a particular location.Ideally, the hitch should not slide at all. Releaserefers to when the climber pulls down onthe knot to descend to a new work station.The hitch should release with minimal effortyet should grip and hold consistently andsecurely when the climber lets go of the hitchon arrival at the next work station. Breakand advance refer to when the climber slidesor pushes the knot up the climbing line withhis or her hand or with a slack tender. Thehitch should break easily and advance withminimal effort yet should grip and hold con-sistently and securely whenever the climberpauses in the ascent or reaches the next workstation. Note that, when ascending, theclimber’s hands are often above or below,and not necessarily on, the climbing hitch.

Open HitchesTautlineThe version of the tautline that is most com-monly known by tree climbers is “two under,two over” (Figure 1). Two counterclockwiseturns are formed down the line below thebridge, then two counterclockwise turnsare formed down the line above the bridge.(Note that the legs of the hitch exit the knotin opposite directions. It creates a goodmnemonic because the legs look like a Tfor “tautline.”)

The tautline holds the climber securelyin place for working, but it tends to tightenunder the load of the weight of the climber.The tautline can become difficult to releaseafter some use and often requires a great dealof manipulation for the climber to descend.Advancing the tautline can be a struggle,and usually the knot has to be loosened or“cracked” to move it up the rope. The taut-line grips fairly well, but if it has been loos-ened to advance it up the line, it must beset again when the climber needs to stopand work. The tautline also has a tendencyto roll—the bridge gradually gets longer,the tail gets shorter, and the knot eventuallyworks its way to the end of the tail andcompletely unties itself. To prevent rolling,it is necessary to put a stopper knot in thetail of the tautline.

Many people have also used a “two under,one over” version. Two counterclockwiseturns are formed down the line below thebridge, then one counterclockwise turn isformed above the bridge. The two-under,one-over releases and advances a little moreeasily than the two-under, two-over, but it

CLIMBERS’CORNER

An Overview of Climbing HitchesBy Mark Adams

Figure 1.Tautline—two

under, two over.

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does not grip as reliably when the climberreaches a new work station and often needsto be set by tugging up on the tail of thehitch for it to hold securely. There are othervariations in the number of turns, devisedto accommodate climbers with differentstyles and body weights. When manila ropewas used for climbing, both the number ofturns and the direction of the turns relative tothe lay of the climbing line were important.

PrusikIn the standard version of the Prusik, twocounterclockwise turns are formed downthe line below the bridge, then two clock-wise turns are formed down the line abovethe bridge. Note that the tail changes direc-tion when the turns are taken above thebridge. This change causes the legs of theknot to exit the hitch in the same direction(Figure 2), whereas the legs of the tautlineexit the knot in opposite directions.

the loop makes a turn through the bight, itcreates two coils (sometimes called “fingers”)on the climbing line. If two turns are taken,then four coils are created, and the Prusik looksexactly like the first Prusik that was formedusing a single length of rope (Figure 3). Thishitch is called a two-wrap, four-coil Prusik.

The tail is then dropped over/in front of thebridge, passed behind the climbing line, andthen up through the bottom two of the fourturns (Figure 4). It is critical that, after beingdropped over the bridge, the tail is passedbehind—not in front of—the climbing line.

Blake’s hitch has several advantages overthe traditional tautline and Prusik hitches. Itis not a rolling hitch. Thus, it does not needa stopper knot on the tail, although it is stillrecommended that one be used. Blake’s hitchholds securely, but it does not tighten andjam as much as the tautline and Prusik whenthe climber is working. It releases and advancesmore easily yet grips reliably when the climberarrives at a new work station.

Figure 2.Prusik.

The Prusik has many of the same character-istics as the tautline. It holds the climberfirmly in place but often binds so that it maybe difficult to release and difficult to advance.Although it is not considered a rolling hitch,it is recommended that a stopper knot beplaced in the tail of the knot.

Many arborists are familiar with the Prusikas a friction hitch for use in the secured foot-lock. In this technique, the Prusik is tiedwith a loop of rope rather than with a lengthof rope. A bight of the loop is placed on theclimbing line, and the other end of the loopis passed through the bight, creating a wrap,or turn, around the climbing line. Each time

Figure 3.Prusik with a cord—four coils.

When used for the secured footlock, thePrusik is formed around both legs of theclimbing line, and it is necessary to form athree-wrap, six-coil Prusik. The cord that isused for the Prusik should be smaller indiameter than the host line. Because the Prusikcord is doubled, both legs of the loop sharethe weight of the climber, and the breakingstrength of the loop needs to be the same asthat required for an arborist’s climbing line(as stated in sections 3.23 and 8.7.4 of theZ133.1-2000 safety standards).

When used in this configuration, thePrusik should be used only for ascending.A climber should never attempt to descendwith the Prusik that is used for the securedfootlock. Although the single line and theloop Prusik look exactly the same, they per-form differently. Some authorities even con-sider them to be entirely different knots.

When tied with a loop, the Prusik is alsobi-directional—that is, it holds equally wellwhen pulled in either direction and thuscan be used for a two-in-one lanyard and insome rigging situations.

Blake’s HitchBlake’s hitch is tied by making four counter-clockwise turns up the rope above the bridge.

Figure 4.Blake’s hitch.

Although some frictional control is pro-vided by all of the coils, one part of thehitch—called the “hot spot”—receives adisproportionate amount of friction andtherefore burns more easily. The hot spotoccurs on the part of the tail that is tuckedunder the bottom two coils. In a long, fastdescent, this spot can be glazed to the pointof rope failure, so it is important to descendslowly and always check the rope for exces-sive wear before and after climbing on it.

The tautline, the Prusik (when tied as aclimbing hitch with a single length of cord),and Blake’s hitch are all called “open” climb-ing hitches because the tail of each hitch isleft free (Figure 5). Therefore, they may beused in a closed (traditional) or open (split-tail) climbing system and may be tied toeither a locking snap or to a double-lockingcarabiner.

In a closed, or traditional, climbing sys-tem, the climbing line is tied to a connector

Climbers’ Corner (continued)

Prusik with a loop—four coils.


(usually a locking snap), and a long tail isleft in the knot. This tail is then used to tiethe climbing hitch on the fall, or standingpart, of the climbing line (Figure 5). In theopen, or split-tail, system, the climbing lineis attached to the connector using an appro-priate endline knot or an eyesplice. Theclimbing hitch is tied using a short, separatepiece of rope called a split-tail; the split-tailis attached to a second connector, which isthen clipped to the saddle (Figure 6).

Closed HitchesWith closed hitches, the tail of the hitch isincorporated into the climbing hitch. Bothends of the cord are attached to the connec-tor—usually a double-locking carabiner. Thereis no tail coming out of the climbing hitch.

However, closed hitches can form onlyan open (split-tail) climbing system becausethe hitch is always separate from the work-ing end (the lead) of the climbing line (Fig-ure 6). As with the Prusik loop, both legs ofa closed climbing hitch share the weight ofthe climber and all of his or her equipment.

The hitches described in this section areoften referred to as high-performance hitches.When properly adjusted, they hold securely,release with just a slight touch of the handyet grip firmly after descent, break easilywhen advanced, and grip firmly and reliablywhen the climber weights them. Becausethese hitches require less manipulation, theyallow the climber to move faster and morefreely in the tree. Ascents, descents, limbwalks, and swings all become more fluidand graceful.

The hitches described below are highlyresponsive, but they have more variables toconsider than the open hitches. Where thetautline, the Prusik (when tied as a climbinghitch with a single length of cord), andBlake’s hitch are all tied with a split-tail ofthe same construction as or very similar tothe climbing line, the hitches described inthis section use a split-tail different from theclimbing line (note the wide variety of cordsthat are used for the split-tails in the high-performance knots).

The performance of each hitch is highlydependent on the length, type, diameter, andcondition of the cord that is used for the split-tail and on the type, diameter, and conditionof the climbing line. A particular split-tailmay work very well with a particular climb-ing line yet be unpredictably loose or irritat-ingly tight on another climbing line. Itis imperative that the climber be awareof this fact and always test the compat-ibility of the components of the systembefore leaving the ground. Some of thevariables of the split-tail that affect theperformance of the climbing hitch arediscussed at the end of this article.

French PrusikLike the traditional Prusik, describedin the section on open hitches, theFrench Prusik can be tied with either alength of rope or a loop of rope, and it

can be tied in several different configurations.Unlike the traditional Prusik, however, thereare different names to describe different con-figurations of the French Prusik.

When tied with a loop of rope, theFrench Prusik is called a Machard or aMachard tresse, depending on how it isformed. When tied with a single length ofrope or webbing, the French Prusik is calleda Valdôtain or a Valdôtain tresse, again depend-ing on how it is formed. The term “FrenchPrusik” includes all of these variations andis not specific to any particular one.

The vast majority of tree climbers whouse a French Prusik use a single piece ofrope or cord to tie a climbing hitch, so onlythe Valdôtain and the Valdôtain tresse arediscussed.

The Valdôtain is actually quite easy to tie.The split-tail makes seven turns around theclimbing line (Figure 7). A carabiner is thenattached to the eyes of the split-tail, and thecarabiner is pulled down so that the legs ofthe split-tail cascade into place (Figure 8).This hitch holds the climber securely, releaseswith just a gentle tug on the hitch, and gripsconsistently and reliably when the climberlets go of the hitch. It breaks easily and withlittle effort. But, if the split-tail and the hitchare not properly adjusted, then the Valdôtainmay not consistently and reliably grip theclimbing line after it has been advancedwith a hand or slack tender. It sometimes isnecessary for the climber to hold the hitchagainst the climbing line so there is contactbetween the split-tail and the climbing lineand so the hitch will then grip the line.Ways to compensate for this problem andto adjust, or “fine-tune,” a climbing hitchare discussed at the end of this article.

The Valdôtain tresse (also called the Vt) istied in a similar manner as the Valdôtain butwith one significant difference: Four turnsare made around the climbing line, then the

Figure 5.Open climbinghitch (note the tailfrom the climbnghitch) in a closed(traditional)climbing system.

Figure 6.Closed climbinghitch (no tail) inopen (split-tail)

climbing system.

Figure 7. Forming the Valdôtain.

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legs are braided down the line, below thewraps/turns. “Braided” means that, as thelegs are passed around the climbing line,each leg alternates between being on top of,then under, the other leg. After the first fourturns are taken around the climbing line,the top leg continues around the line butmoves down (rather than up) the line andis first on top of, then under, then on top ofthe other leg. A carabiner is then attachedto the eyes of the split-tail and the knot isset (Figure 9). When completed, the Valdô-tain tresse looks much like the Valdôtain(compare Figures 9 and 8).

The Valdôtain tresse holds the climber inplace, releases easily and grips reliably, andthen advances easily and grips reliably aswell. But, while the Valdôtain may becomeloose after being advanced up the climbingline, the Valdôtain tresse stays together andmore consistently maintains contact withthe climbing line, which means that it gripsmore reliably after it has been moved upthe line.

When first formed, the Valdôtain is simplya series of turns around the climbing line.At this point, the hitch could be formed byattaching a carabiner and moving the legseither up or down the line—that is, theValdôtain is bi-directional (Figure 10). Thisfeature probably would not be used in anyclimbing system, but it may have some usesin certain rigging situations. Knowing thatthe Valdôtain is bi-directional also helps oneunderstand how the knot functions. Whenthe legs of the split-tail are pulled down toform the hitch, the leg that forms the top turn

is the top leg all the way downthe hitch. When the hitch isadvanced and pushed up the linein quick succession (as whenascending to a new work sta-tion), one leg stays at the bottomof the hitch, and the otherloosens all the way to the top ofthe hitch. The coils open, andthere is no overlap to maintainsome contact with the climbingline (Figure 11).

When the Valdôtain tresse isformed, it is a series ofturns and braids.“Tresse” means “braid”in French, and thebraids create a dramaticchange in the way theknot functions. Whenthe Valdôtain tresse ispushed up the line, theshape of the hitch isretained, and, if thehitch is properlyadjusted, both legs areheld close to the climb-ing line and have somecontact with it (Figure12). This arrangementallows the Valdôtaintresse to grip morequickly, reliably, andfirmly than the Valdôtain.It must be emphasized,however, that theclimber might have to experiment withdifferent types, lengths, and diameters ofthe split-tail in order for the Valdôtain tresse

to perform to this degree. If,for example, the split-tail istoo long, then the hitch maybecome loose after a longascent and not grip immedi-ately when it is pulled down.

The Machard is tied exactlyas the Valdôtain (a series ofturns), but the turns areformed using a loop ratherthan a single length of line.The Machard tresse is formedexactly as the Valdôtain tresse(a series of turns and braids),but the turns and braids areformed using a loop ratherthan a single length of line.

The word “autoblock”has been used in some

English-language knotbooks to refer specificallyto the French Prusik,but this terminology isincorrect. “Autoblock”is a corruption of theFrench “autobloquant,”which means “self-jamming.” It is used torefer to a group of slide-and-grip knots and isprobably better trans-lated into the Englishterm “friction hitch.”

Schwabisch The Schwabisch isformed by making onecounterclockwise turnbelow the bridge, thenmaking three clockwiseturns down the line

above the bridge. This forms, in essence, anasymmetrical Prusik (Figure 13). Both legs

Figure 8.Valdôtain.

Figure 9.Valdôtaintresse.

Figure 10. With a carabiner attached, thelegs could be pulled either up or down toform the Valdôtain hitch.

When theValdôtain isadvancedquickly, oneleg stays atthe bottomof the hitch(arrow onthe right),while theother legloosens allthe way tothe top ofthe hitch(arrow onthe left).

Figure11.

Figure 12.When theValdôtaintresse isadvanced, thebraid helps

maintain theshape of thehitch and keepboth legs incontact withthe climbingline, asindicatedby thearrows.

Climbers’ Corner (continued)


exit at the bottom of the knot, whereas, inthe conventional Prusik, both legs exit fromthe middle of the knot (Figure 14). Thisone-down, three-up version was the onethat was first shown in the United States foruse in trees. Depending on the split-tail thatis used, however, many climbers are nowtying four turns above the bridge to createmore friction so that the hitch will grip afterit has been broken and advanced up theclimbing line. If the legs of the hitch are toolong, the hitch will become loose and notgrip when the climber stops his or her ascent.

The Schwabisch holds securely. It releasesmuch more easily than the tautline but notquite as smoothly as the French Prusik, andit grips reliably after descent. It can bindenough that it has tobe hit more than onceto break it, but, onceloosened, it advanceseasily. Breaking andadvancing are partlya matter of techniqueand proper placementof the slack tender.Because both legsexit the Schwabischin the same directionand from the sameplace, the hitch iseasily broken bypushing both legsback into the knot toloosen it. Generallyspeaking, the

Schwabisch performs smoothly over a widerange of variables. Its best performance isprobably not as fluid as the French Prusik,but it is not as temperamental and does notrequire as much fine-tuning.

DistelTo form the Distel, one counterclockwiseturn is made below the bridge, then fourcounterclockwise turns are made down theclimbing line above the bridge (Figure 15).The difference between the Distel and theSchwabisch is that to form a Distel, the split-tail continues in the same direction whenthe turns are taken above the bridge; to formthe Schwabisch, the split-tail changes direc-tion when the turns are taken above the bridge.Note that this is the same difference thatdistinguishes the tautline from the Prusik.

Thus, the Distel is very similar to thetautline (Figure 16). For both hitches, aturn or turns are taken below the bridge;the tail moves above the bridge and contin-ues to make turns in the same direction asthe turn(s) below the bridge. The differencebetween the Distel and the tautline is thatthe Distel attaches both ends of the split-tailonto the carabiner, thus forming a closedclimbing knot. The tautline leaves one endof the split-tail off of the connector andtherefore is an open climbing knot.

The Distel holds the climber securelyand reliably in place for working. It releaseseasily and grips reliably when the climberstops his or her descent. In some situations,it may become a little snug and not advancesmoothly. The legs of the Distel exit thehitch in opposite directions, making itnecessary to push them in opposite direc-tions to loosen the hitch. Some split-tails

may not do thiswithout somemanipulation.

In general, theSchwabisch and theDistel are easier to tieand untie than theFrench Prusik. Oncetied, the Schwabischand the Distel stayon the climbing line,which makes it easierto attach a carabinerand slack tender.The French Prusikhas to be held on theline while the hard-ware is attached. The

Schwabisch and the Distel are not as finickyin their performance as the French Prusik,but neither are they as smooth and fluid.

KnutThe Knut hitch should not be confused withthe Knute hitch, which attaches a lanyard orhalyard to anything with a small eye. I learnedthe Knut from Knut Foppe in November2001. I have never seen the Knut describedin a publication, but I have seen at leastthree different people teach the Knut, eachof whom showed a knot that was differentfrom what the others showed and that wasdifferent from what Knut had shown to me.

The Knut is formed by making fourcounterclockwise turns up the climbingline. The top leg is dropped in front of thebottom leg. A bight of the bottom leg isheld in place while the end of the leg forms

Figure 13.Schwabisch.

Prusik—two under,

two over.

Figure 15.Distel—oneunder, fourover.

Figure 16.Distel—oneunder, fourover.

Tautline—two under,two over.

Figure 14.Schwabisch—one under,three over.

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a clockwise turn downthe climbing line,around the climbingline and the (nowpendant) top leg.Finally, the bottom legis passed through thebight (Figure 17). Thesplit-tail that is used inthis photograph islonger than normal sothat it can easily showhow to form the Knut.The split-tail in Figure18 is a length thatwould typically beused for climbing.

The Knut holds securely when the climberis working, releases easily, and grips consis-tently after descending. It breaks easily,advances smoothly, and grips reliably whenthe climber pauses to work or rest. An addedfeature is that slack can be tended without amicropulley. The bottom turn through thebight acts as a slack tender and advancesthe hitch along the climbing line. It is not assmooth as a micropulley, but it can be usefulif a micropulley is not available.

The Knut is somewhat more complicatedto tie and untie than any of the previousknots. Like the Schwabisch and the Distel,it stays on the rope after it is tied and, inthis respect, is a little easier to manage thanthe French Prusik.

Fine-Tuning: Variationsand ConsiderationsThere are many variations on these high-performance knots. A climber could add orsubtract wraps, braids, or twists to fine-tuneany of these hitches to fit his or her ownparticular style, body weight, climbingrope, or split-tail. Doing so may in fact bedesirable because each climber can tailor ahitch to fit his or her own personal needs,but it can be dangerous if the climber is notaware of how subtle changes can drasticallyalter a knot’s performance. The followingare some of the variables to consider.

Generally speaking, for a given length ofcord, a split-tail formed with a stiff cordadvances more easily but, once loosened,retains its open form and does not readilygrip the climbing line. A split-tail formed

with a softer, loosercord may not advanceas easily, but it tends tomaintain some contactwith the climbing lineand thus grips morereliably after it is movedup the climbing line.

Using a slightlylonger cord for the split-tail results in a hitchwith longer legs. Longerlegs prevent the hitchfrom breaking as quicklywhen hit with a slacktender or the climber’shand. Once the hitchdoes loosen and open,however, it may not

have enough friction with the climbing lineto instantly grip and tighten when the hitchis pulled down. Using a shorter length ofcord for the split-tail results in a hitch withshorter legs, which helps keep the knottight and compact. The hitch grips the linemore readily after the hitch has been advanced.However, if the legs are too short, the hitchmay bind and be difficult to release and dif-ficult to break. Adding or subtracting wrapsor braids has similar effects by increasing ordecreasing friction and making the hitchtighter or looser on the climbing line. Ifwraps (or twists or braids) are added orsubtracted, the knot’s performance also mayvary depending on whether the changes aremade at the top or bottom of the knot(above or below the bridge).

The eyes of the split-tail for the closedclimbing hitches may be formed by tyingdouble fisherman’s loopson each end of the split-tail, or the eyes may bespliced. If the eyes aretied, then the end knotsmay make it a little moredifficult to tie the climb-ing hitch. If the eyes arespliced, however, thetaper of the splice mayaffect the performance ofthe climbing hitch. If thesplices of both eyes aretapered together in themiddle of the split-tail,then the diameter of theentire tail will be slightlyexpanded, which mayaffect the performance of

the hitch. Similarly, a knot’s performance maybe changed simply by changing the diame-ter of the cord that is used for the split-tail.

When properly adjusted, these hitchesperform well and can be used for variousother climbing and rigging applications.Lanyards, false crotches, and mechanicaladvantage systems can be improved andmade more efficient through the proper useof a suitable climbing hitch.

These hitches can be seen on variousWeb sites; at trade shows and training semi-nars; and in videos, books, and magazines.Regardless of where the knots are seen ortaught, it is up to the individual arborist tolearn and use them safely.

ReferencesAmerican National Standards Institute.

2000. American National Standard forTree Care Operations—Pruning, Repairing,Maintaining, and Removing Trees andCutting Brush—Safety Requirements(Z133.1). International Society ofArboriculture, Champaign, IL.

Ashley, Clifford W. 1944. The Ashley Book ofKnots. Doubleday, New York, NY.

Bavaresco, Paolo. 2000. Practical arboricul-ture—Friction hitch fundamentals.Landscaper Magazine, March 3.

Blake, Jason. 1994. The slip—or knot (letterto the editor). Arbor Age 14(5):40–41.

Budworth, Geoffrey. 1999. The UltimateEncyclopedia of Knots and Ropework.Hermes House, London, UK.

Budworth, Geoffrey. 2000. The CompleteBook of Sailing Knots. Lyons Press, NewYork, NY.

Chisholm, Mark. Personal communication.Confection du noeud machard

tressé. www. ffme.fr/technique/corde/noeud/autobloquant/marchardt.htm(accessed 8/24/04).

Donzelli, Peter S., andStanley Longstaff.1999. The FrenchPrusik revisited: Morethan just a climbinghitch. Arborist News8(2):49–50.

Les noueds. membres.lycos.fr/climbrok/Sommaire%20noeuds.htm (accessed8/25/04).

Figure 17.Knut—tied, ready tobe dressed and set.

Figure 18.Knut withtypical-lengthtails.

Climbers’ Corner(continued)


Palmer, Ken, Dwayne Neustaeter, Paul Sis-son, Kay-Olaf Busemann, FrançoisDussenne (with Frederic Mathias), andMark J. Chisholm. 1998. The Machardtresse. Arborist News 7(2):41–45.

Prohaska, Heinz. 1990. Two jamming knotsfor thick cord and webbing. Nylon High-way 30:3.

Prusik, Karl. 1931. Ein neuer knoten undseine anwendung. Osterreichische Alpen-zeitung 1116.

Raleigh, Duane. 1998. Knots and Ropes forClimbers. Stackpole Books, Mechanics-burg, PA.

Sherrill Arborist Supply. Product catalogs2002, 2003, 2004.

Smith, Bruce, and Allen Padgett. 1996. OnRope (new revised edition). NationalSpeleological Society, Huntsville, AL.

Thrun, Robert. 1973. Prusiking. NationalSpeleological Society, Huntsville, AL.

Thrun, Robert. Personal communication.Toss, Brion. 1990. Knots: Chapman’s Nauti-

cal Guides. Hearst Marine Books, NewYork, NY.

Mark Adams is a Certified Arborist withDowney Trees, Inc., based in Atlanta,Georgia. He would like to thank thereviewers for their many helpful com-ments.

Photos by Dorothy Payne and MarkAdams. Illustrations by Bryan Kotwica.

Documents

An Overview of Climbing Hitches - SherrillTreenational.sherrilltree.com/site/Climbing_Hitches.pdfular climbing hitch, practice low and slow. As with all knots, climbing hitches need