Page 88 - Rappelling

Friction Hitches a double fisherman’s knot. Buy the softest, most
pliable nylon cord you can find, because a softer
A hitch is a knot that is tied around something. cord will grip best. To tie the prusik, simply make
A friction hitch is a knot tied with a cord or sling a girth-hitch around the rope with your cord, then
around another rope, utilizing friction to make the pass the loop of cord back through the original
knot hold when it is weighted, but releasable and girth-hitch two or three more times. Dress the
movable without untying when it is unweighted. knot to make sure all the strands are even and not

Prusik Knot twisted—a sloppy friction hitch will not grip as
well. Test the knot before using it. A thinner cord
A prusik knot is used for rope ascending and as will grip better, but below 5mm in diameter the
a component in many rescue systems. It can be cord will be too weak for many rescue applica-
loaded in either direction. To tie a prusik, first make tions. To slide the prusik after it has been weighted,
a “prusik cord” out of a 4-foot length of 5mm- or loosen the “tongue,” which is the one strand oppo-
6mm-diameter nylon cord tied into a loop with site all the wraps.

Tying a prusik knot.

Knots 77

Rappelling_i-174_3pp_CS55le.indd 77 7/24/13 10:16 AM