Page 111 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

But the lack of context in each animation, can
be confusing for climbers. The bowline will not be
demonstrated in relation to a tree or other station-
ary object. The clove hitch will not be demonstrated
on a carabiner; the figure 8 follow through will not
pass through the hard points of a harness. Instead, the
climber will need to infer each of these contexts from
the demonstration, and that requires some insight into
the sport, the application of the knot, and imagination.

http://www.netknots.com
Net Knots is another informative site and the ani-
mations there can be easy to follow. However, much
like Animated Knots, the lack of real-world applica-
tions and context means that the climber will need
a bit of forethought and imagination to gain much
value from the site.
Lastly, there are a myriad of videos, blogs, infor-
mational websites, and other open-source sites and
resources for a savvy user of the Internet to discover.
Many of these resources are valuable but many
of them are not. It is important to use your judg-
ment and discretion when perusing these tools. Blog
posts and YouTube videos are often posted by well-
intentioned but witless practitioners, and their absolute
conviction about a certain technique, ropework, knot,
or hitch can be quite persuasive. In the end, a climber’s
own judgment and discretion can be enhanced by ask-
ing a few simple questions:
• Is the video professionally produced?
• Does the presenter have either credentials in
climbing (AMGA certification) or ropework
(textile science, mechanical engineering)?

98 CLIMBING: KNOTS