Page 33 - D. Raleigh "Knots and ropes for climbers"
P. 33
Prusik Knot.
Prusik
Before a Swiss bird scientist invented mechanical ascenders in the 1960s, climbers used the Prusik
Knot to ascend fixed ropes. This variation on the Girth Hitch grips the rope like a clenched fist when
you weight it. Unweight the knot, and you can easily slide it up the rope. Use two Prusiks and you can
alternate weighting and unweighting and shimmy up a rope. On the first ascent of El Capitan's Nose in
1958, Warren Harding and team fixed 2,000 feet of rope and prusiked all of it.
Today, the Prusik still has its uses, and in certain situations it's the best tool for the job. It's, for
example, the safest way to ape across a horizontally or diagonally strung rope, where mechanical
ascenders can torque and pop off. Also, the Prusik is a common rappel backup and is a godsend in
emergency situations, such as when you fall below an overhang and are unable to get back on the rock.
In such cases, you can fashion Prusiks from most any sling, cord, even shoestring (thinking climbers
carry a couple Prusik loops on their racks to handle such situations) and simply climb up the rope.
