UKC

Check Your Knot

© Pod
Mick Ryan - Senior Editor UKC

This has been read 14,510 times
'Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.'

Edward Whymper

There are no statistics on how many climbers set off up a climb, either indoors or out, and forget to tie their knot properly in to their harness.

Lynn Hill is perhaps the most famous climber to do this when climbing at the Styx Wall at Buoux, France in 1989. On clipping her rope in to the anchors at the end of a route, she lent back to lower, the rope pulled out of her harness and she fell 70ft. She crashed through a tree and landed between two boulders. She was lucky, she suffered only a broken ankle, dislocated arm and a host of bumps, cuts, and bruises.

Other climbers have not been so lucky. Several climbers have died when they have forgotten to tie their knot properly, many others have sustained serious injuries.

Ask any experienced climber and they will no doubt tell you of many near misses, perhaps some of their own.

Personally I can remember a climber at Malham Cove (35ft fall, two broken ankles), one at the Owens River Gorge (65ft fall, multiple breaks) - one fell off then hit the ground, the other clipped the anchors sat back and then hit the ground. This year I saw a memorial to a climber who died at a crag in France, after they forgot to tie in properly and fell off.

In the last few months we have heard of five climbers in the UK who have forgotten to tie their knot properly in to their harness.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR KNOT BEFORE YOU CLIMB AND CHECK YOUR PARTNERS KNOT BEFORE THEY START TO CLIMB.

This post has been read 14,510 times

Return to Latest News

Comments

Hillseeker
28 Dec, 2010
Yep, done this myself at an indoor wall. Only suffered a dislocated shoulder, but could have been worse if I was higher up. It happened at the end of the session when I was tired and my partner too - moral of the story is to be particularly vigilant when you are tired!
Chris Craggs
28 Dec, 2010
Rules: 1) don't distract a climber IN ANY WAY when he is tying his knot. 2) Buddy System Check (taught to me by one Mick Ryan) - check each-others knot/belay plate set-up last thing before leaving the ground. Stay safe, Chris
Puli
28 Dec, 2010
It is good to show the knot to your belay partner before start climbing. Once you get use to do so, it will be like a normal protocol like putting your climbing shoes on. I forgot to do the knot in “The castle” but fortunately the rope was so old that got strangled by the arnes and did not slip off.
smile
28 Dec, 2010
Done the same, I only do it if im talking to some one at the same time as trying to tie the knot, I was half way up an E1 when i clipped in and noticed a dangling bit that should not be dangling... Easy done.
andybirtwistle
29 Dec, 2010
Would the one you remember be Ian Horrocks at Malham Cove Mick? I was up on the right wing when that happened and will never forget the scream.Always checked my knot since He was lucky one roll and he would have gone further 30 feet to the river bed.Look to each step is well to remember!
More Comments
Add Comment
Loading Notifications...
Facebook Twitter Copy Email