Page 112 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

If the answer is no to either of those questions, it
might be prudent to cross-reference the presentation
with other resources. There will probably be
immediate contradictions, conditional circumstances,
or other unexplained phenomena.

Books

Ashley Book of Knots
The encyclopedic nature of this massive tome is at
once attractive and a bit of overkill for a casual rock
climber. Even though the original author passed away
shortly after publication, knot enthusiasts and rope-
craft specialists have persevered to update the text with
information relevant to modern nylon ropes, ongoing
research and knowledge that was not available at the
time of the original publication, and a few modern
applications. It’s a great book to have on the shelf to
sort out trivia, knot history, and lore and learn a few
rope tricks to impress other climbers. However, the
reason every knot in that book is not in this book is
because every knot is not always as valuable as a hand-
ful of universally applicable knots.
On Rope
With a greater emphasis on application and combined
rope systems, On Rope is the best written resource for
rope craft used in vertical environments. The writers set
out to create a definitive resource for these techniques,
and their diligence is apparent. Again, their book is so
vast in its scope, it might not always be the most practi-
cal guide, and every technique therein is not always
necessary for an enjoyable day of toproping. But it is
hard to argue with the authors’ recommendation: “Be

Resources for Practicing Knots and Hitches 99