Page 12 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

Lastly, more experienced climbers may also benefit
from a retreatment of their rope practices. Sometimes,
as climbers’ understanding of knots and hitches deepens,
they become archivists of techniques that don’t have
any real merit. Experienced climbers often use obscure
techniques simply because they are novel, which is a
problem when novelty usurps efficiency or the respon-
sibility of being a good mentor to new climbers.
Ultimately, climbers need to remember that the
climbing rope is a tool we use to keep each other
safe, but it is also a piece of folk art. If the rope is used
entirely as a piece of folk art, it can still teach us quite
a bit about the culture of climbing, but it probably
won’t be the most efficient, adaptable, or effective
tool. However, if the rope is regarded entirely as a
tool, then climbers will also lose touch with the craft,
lore, and heritage that has proven to keep all climbers
safe, through generations of trial and error. A climbing
team is more likely to strike an appropriate balance
between artistry and functionality when everyone
understands
• the history of a given knot or rope technique,
• the inherent efficiency of tying it and untying it
after use,
• how the technique affects the rope’s natural
strength, and
• the reliability of a knot or rope technique.
When a climbing team understands these basic
criteria and uses them to evaluate all rope techniques,
certain applications become obvious in certain
contexts.
Each section of this text is designed to prepare
climbers to solve problems when they are most

Introduction xi