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4 TYING ON

In this section we will look at a number of basic yet essential skills which must be mastered before attempting to climb.

 How to tie onto the end of the rope, obviously important for both the leader and second.

 Different ways of tying onto one or more anchors.

 How to use a sling to bring two or three anchors down to one point, often useful in a multi-pitch climbing situation, or when fixing up a system such as a bottom rope (see Chapters 12 and 13).

Tying onto Your Harness

Being able to tie onto your harness effectively and securely is pivotal to being safe whilst climbing. It is amazing how often you see people on the crags with sloppy knots or tied onto the wrong point and so incorrectly connected to what is, in every sense of the word, their safety line.

Usually, you and your partner will need to be tied onto your harnesses. This not only gives a very strong attachment to the rope, it also provides a point from which the belay device can be operated, and a position to which any anchor ropes can be connected. The figure of eight rewoven will be the usual choice (although the bowline can also be used). The only drawback of the latter is that the stopper knot is on the inside radius of the loop created by tying in, and can get in the way of subsequent connections.

Note

Don’t let anyone disturb you for the few seconds it takes to tie onto the end of the rope, whether you are leading, seconding, top- or bottom-roping (see Chapters 9, 10 and 13). Being passed a piece of gear, for example, is distracting; it’s easy to forget to finish the knot properly and to leave it half-tied. If someone calls you or hands you some gear when tying in, tell them to wait for a moment and complete the job properly.

A WORD OF WARNING

Clipping into the abseil loop with a karabiner will work if you are going to be top- or bottom-roping over a short distance, but it should never be used as a method of attachment to the rope when leading. If a fall occurred and the karabiner slipped sideways, the rope could run over the gate at the point of loading, greatly reducing the karabiner’s strength. If you do choose to clip into the rope with a screwgate for top- or bottom-roping, some manufacturers sensibly recommend two screwgate karabiners are used, clipped so that the gates open in opposition to each other. A figure of eight knot on the end of the rope would be the best one to use.

(Left) Clipped onto the rope using two screwgates back to back. Do not use this method of attachment for leading routes.

(Right) Tied on with a figure of eight rewoven and half a double fisherman’s stopper knot

It is important that the correct section of the harness is threaded, normally the same line as taken by the abseil loop. Some harness designs – particularly those made for group use – have a single flat-loop attachment point, and the rope will be tied around this. Check in the instruction booklet that came with your harness to ensure that you are threading the rope around the correct sections.

Once tied, the resulting loop should be no bigger than the abseil loop, or a little smaller than fist size. Any larger and subsequent attachments will be awkward to complete and there may be problems with belaying. Any smaller and there won’t be enough room for any subsequent connections to be tied on or clipped in.

Tying onto Anchors with the Rope

There are a number of methods of securing the belayer to one or more anchors. Not understanding how this process works – and how vital it is – risks putting the climber in real danger. Efficiently tying onto an anchor is relevant whether belaying from the top or the bottom of a cliff, and the process for both is the same.

To get to this point, make sure you know how to tie a clove hitch and a figure of eight on the bight. Remember that a clove hitch is only of use if you can reach the karabiner into which it is clipped. If the anchor karabiner is much more than an arm’s length away it’s better to use a figure of eight on the bight.

One anchor point within reach

As the screwgate karabiner to which you will be attaching yourself is easily within reach, you can clip into this with a clove hitch. The clove hitch is very adjustable, but will lock off under load.

A clove hitch tying-on system

1 The hitch is tied onto the rope coming from the tie-in point on your harness.

2 Clip it in and then adjust it so that the rope between you and the anchor is tight.

3 Make sure that you end up seated not too close to the edge of the cliff but where you can see and communicate with your climbing partner effectively.

One anchor point out of reach

As already mentioned, only use a clove hitch if you can reach the karabiner into which it is to be clipped. As this anchor will be some distance away from you, a figure of eight on the bight will be better for attachment.

1 Clip the rope from your harness through the screwgate on the anchor, then get yourself into a suitable position at the top of the climb.

2 The figure of eight is now tied around the rope loop created by tying onto your harness at the start of the climb.

3 Ensure that you are tight on the anchor once the knot has been completed. This will be tricky to manage the first few times, so a bit of prior practice will pay dividends.

4 Remember that the loop end left after tying the knot should be around 60cm long.

5 Once it has been tied, pull all four bits of rope that comprise the knot to tighten it.

Tying on with a figure of eight on the bight

Tip

The figure of eight on a bight is an excellent knot once it has been mastered. Although the knot is not difficult to tie, you may find getting the tension right between you and the anchor tricky at first. Have a practice at home, in order to save time on the crag. Select a good anchor (something that won’t be destroyed if you pull on it!), such as a stairpost, then sit at a certain point and get the tension right after the knot is tied. Having an anchor at the top of the stairs, and sitting two steps from the bottom, provides a very realistic rehearsal of the anchoring method.

Two anchor points within reach

1 Take the rope from your harness, tie a clove hitch and clip it into the first anchor.

2 Leave a little slack rope, and put a clove hitch onto the second anchor.

3 The rope is now brought back to your harness and tied on with a figure of eight on the bight. By doing this you ensure that the load is shared equally between the anchor points.

4 If once the figure of eight has been tied there is a little slack in the system, the clove hitches can be adjusted to get the tension right. There is also some leeway in shifting your belay position slightly, as one or both of the clove hitches can be adjusted in order to compensate for change in load.

Tying on with two clove hitches

Two anchor points out of reach

1 The rope is clipped into both anchor points. This means that it now runs from your harness and up to the first anchor, across to the second anchor and then back down the cliff.

2 Move to your belay position, making sure that you take the rope running between the two anchors with you. This will probably mean that you need to have a hand on the rope coming up and over the edge of the cliff, feeding it towards the anchor as you make your way backwards. This will help to reduce the friction in the system and make moving a little easier.

3 Once at your stance pull the rope coming out of the first anchor tight, and tie this onto yourself using a figure of eight on the bight.

4 Pull the rope from the second anchor tight and repeat the process of tying in with a figure of eight.

5 Once both knots are tied, ensure that the load is equally shared between both anchors. Again, prior practice will pay dividends.

Tying onto two anchors out of reach

Tip

When tying onto the rope that runs over the edge of the cliff, pull up some slack and trap it gently under your foot. This makes it much easier to tie the knot, as you do not have to fight against the weight of the rope.

Note

Once you understand how to use a clove hitch and a figure of eight, you can attach yourself to almost any number and sequence of anchors, in reach, out of reach, and so on. The main limitations will be the availability of sensible anchors, the length of the rope – and the patience of your partner!

One anchor point in reach, the other out of reach

1 From your harness, go to the furthest anchor, clip in and come back to your belay position, tying in with a figure of eight on the bight.

2 Use the rope coming out of the figure of eight and take it up to the nearer anchor, clipping in with a clove hitch and adjusting it as necessary.

Using a system for one anchor in reach and another some distance away

Tying onto one anchor point out of reach – alternative method

1 Clip the rope into the screwgate karabiner and get into your belay position.

2 Have a second screwgate to hand, preferably an HMS, and clip this into the rope tie-in loop on your harness.

3 Tie a clove hitch in the rope and clip it into this karabiner. Even though the anchor is out of reach, you now have the ability to adjust the tension on the belay rope.

I would always plump for the figure of eight method instead, for the following reasons:

Using the clove hitch at the harness method

 Firstly, there is now a screwgate karabiner on your tie-in loop, and it’s good to keep any extra metalwork away from here to avoid it getting cluttered.

 Secondly, one of the main advantages of the figure of eight is that it has some shock-absorbing properties. In the event of a fall – and in particular where there is significant loading on the system such as created in a leader fall – the knot will tighten when loaded. This has the effect of reducing the shock-loading on the anchor system, which is important if the anchors aren’t quite as good as they could be.

Note

If you do choose to use the clove hitch on the harness method, don’t be tempted to place more than one clove hitch in the karabiner. The clove hitches will be extremely difficult to adjust, as they will butt up against each other making feeding the rope through very awkward. Also the load transmitted to the karabiner will then most likely be some distance from the back bar of the karabiner, which is the strongest line. Any significant loading will therefore exert a levering force on the gate section of the karabiner, which is to be avoided if at all possible. Simply tying in with two figure of eights will avoid these problems.

Equalising Anchors using a Sling

Before attaching the rope it might be preferable to link two gear placements – such as a couple of wires – together. This method will often be used on a multi-pitch route, or where dealing with one anchor is more practical and quicker than using two. The situations where linking anchors using a sling are relevant are mentioned in Chapter 12.

There are a number of ways of bringing two anchor points down to one using a sling, but the following two are suitable for almost every situation where joining two anchors together is needed. The first one is the quickest and has the advantage of looking right once it’s been done! The second is also fairly quick and has the advantage of using less sling length, helpful if the anchors are some distance apart.

Method 1

1 Make sure that each wire has a screwgate attached.

2 Clip the sling into each of these, and do the gates up.

3 Pulling the sling down from between the wires, tie an overhand or figure of eight knot around it.

4 This then has another screwgate karabiner clipped into it and will be the attachment point for your rope.

(Left) Equalising anchors by using an overhand knot around the sling