The Klemheist Knot: A Reliable Friction Hitch for Secure Climbing
The Klemheist Knot finds frequent applications in various adventurous activities such as climbing, mountaineering, search and rescue, and caving.
Its primary purpose is to facilitate ascending and descending on a fixed rope, particularly on steep cliffs.
While the Prusik Knot is a viable option in such scenarios, the Klemheist Knot stands out for its remarkable ease of adjustment and sliding capabilities, without compromising on the strength of the grip.
Tying Guide
Place a loop consisting of rope/cordage no more than 1/2 the diameter of the main line .
Make a wrap around the main line with the loop on the right.
Repeat two more times working from bottom to top; making sure each wrap places the pieces of rope neatly next to each other.
Feed left hand loop through loop on right.
Pull left hand Loop back over to the left side of the main line and pull down hard to set the knot – in the direction of expected load.
Grasp entire knot and slide up the static line. Load and grip the knot to the static line with weight to the loop
This versatile knot is not only proficient in assisting climbers on challenging terrain but also serves well for rappelling purposes and quickly securing oneself to a vertical rope.
