Page 75 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

the spine side of a carabiner. However, thousands of
anecdotal incidents, whether intentional or otherwise,
seem to dispute the absolute necessity of this old
maxim.
A more accurate perception of the problem
might sound something like this: Use carabiners that
are appropriate for hitches, when tying and using
hitches. The ideal carabiner for hitches in 5mm to
11mm cords and ropes is an HMS or pear-shaped
carabiner. Locking D-shaped carabiners do not have
a wide basket or basin, and therefore the behavior of
the clove and Munter can be more problematic. The
Munter hitch has a hard time rotating back and forth
through such a small carabiner. The clove can lose
much of its holding power if the load strand of the
hitch is not situated on the spine side of the smaller
carabiner. So the problem with load strands and spine
sides has more to do with carabiner selection than
any inherent weaknesses in the hitches. Keep these
realities in mind if, at some point, there are no HMS
or pear-shaped carabiners left on the planet. We will
have to adhere to those old dogmas more rigidly in
that case.

Going Hands Free on a GriGri or
Other Assisted Braking Device (ABD)

The assisted braking mechanism of a GriGri has
proven itself to be deceptively reliable. So reliable, in
fact, that many climbers trust it absolutely, thought-
lessly relinquishing the brake hand once the braking
cam is firmly engaged. This practice is a misuse of
the GriGri, however. Instead, an overhand on a bight
knot should be tied in close proximity to the device,

62 CLIMBING: KNOTS