Knots and Lashes

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ARMY HIGH ALTITUDE / SNOW WARFARE SCHOOL

MOUNTAIN CRAFT
DS SCRIP
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Knots and Lashes

Mountain Warfare Pt-I, Precise
2 Periods (80 Minutes)
Lecture
Class Room
Board, Lecture Stand, Chalk, View Graph, Slides, Rope 45 Meters,
Safety Rope, 2 x D-Rings, Prussic, Stand for Anchor
Remarks Subject
Times
Introduction
3 Min
1.
Much of the climbing in military op maybe free climbing that is
without rope. However, on some steep unbroken cliffs, where exposure is
great, climbing with rope is necessary. Fixed ropes and other aids may be
needed as well.
2.
Before you start climbing and using rope, you must know all the
knots and lashes used. A good knot and a knot improperly tied will mean
the difference between life and death. You can never over insure in this
respect. There are many difficult types of knots, but here we discuss only
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the essential ones. It is better to know a few and know them well.
Aim
3.
The aim of this lecture is to acquaint you with knot and lashes.
Care of Rope
4.
Since the rope is climbers life line, it deserves a great deal of care
and respect:a.
There are several things that should be done to a new rope.
First prepare the rope ends so they wont unravel. Prior to
cutting, wrap the rope with a piece of tape, cut it with a
sharp blade, and finally melt the ends to fuse the fibber
b.
together.
Every rope should be marked to show owner, length,
strength and age. For marking labels or colored pens can
c.
be used.
The rope should not be stipend on or dragged on the
d.
ground.
The rope should not be contracted with sharp corners or
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e.
edges of rock, which will cut it.

Keep the rope dry as much as possible. If it has become
f.
wet, dry as soon as possible to prevent rolling.

Do not leave the rope knotted or tightly stretched longer
g.
than necessary, and do not hang it on sharp edges.

Keep the rope away from aids, vehicles and headlamp
batteries. All ropes shall be separately stored from
chemicals, because damage caused by chemicals cannot
Confirm
from
students
h.
be visually seen.
Examine the fibber bundles (picas) with a 10 x magnifying
glass. If, in these bundles over a majority of the rope, there
are more than 50% of the fibbers broken, it is time to retire
the rope.
Certain Important Information About Rope
14 Min
5.
While working on rope it should not be over loaded. A safe
working load is commonly defined as 1/15 th of the current
6.
7.
breaking strength of the rope.

The care supports 70% of the ropes strength.
If the rope gets wet or its washed it shrinks. Shrinkage is usually
less than 10%.

Show
Terms used in Rope Work
Slide and 8.
A bight of rope is a simple bend of rope in which the rope does
display
not cross itself.
9.
A loop is bend of rope in which the rope does cross itself.
10.
A half hitch is a loop, which runs around an object in such a
11.
manner as to lock itself.

The running end of the rope is the free end of the rope or the end
12.
that is not rigged.

The standing part of the rope is the static part or the part that is
13.
not fastened at the rigging pt.

The working end is the end that is used to rig with or tie off to
something.
Knots
14.
A skillful rigger does not need a vast repertoire of knots. In fact,

some say knowing a bowline and a figure eight knot and all their
variations can accomplish all rope work needs. Knowing a few
knots and knowing them well is far better then being familiar with
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15.
dozens of knots about which one feels only vaguely comfortable.

Following should be taken in to consideration while using different
knots:a.
Knot should be as simple to untie, as they are to tie.
b.
Ropes efficiency is reduced to approx 50% of its original
16.
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c.
working strength at a tight knot.

An undressed knot may reduce strength by as much as
d.
50%.
Finishing a knot involves dressing and setting, knot should
be simple and easy to inspect.

All knots used by the climber fall into following four classes:`
a.
End to end tie-off
20 Min
(1) Reef Knot. The reef knot is used to tie the ends of
two ropes of display equal diameter together and must
be secured by a half hitch of each side on knot.
(2) Single Sheet Bend.
This knot is used to join two
ropes of unequal diameter. Be sure the smaller
diameter rope is the one that takes the turn.
(3) Double Sheet Bend.
As single sheet bend this
knot is also used to join two ropes of unequal diameter.
Be sure the smaller diameter rope is the one that takes
the double turn around the larger diameter rope. This
knot has more strength as compared to single sheet
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bend.
(4) Single Fishermans Knot.Climbers do not commonly
use this knot. If this knot is used for any serious duty
be sure it is dressed, set and baked up several times.
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It has been known to work loose in slippery nylon.

(5) Double Fishermans Knot.
It is a good knot to
use to form endless loops of rope. It is compact and is
often used when fastening rope to the bottom of
Joommar and particularly when fashioning prussic
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slings.
(6) Figure Eight Knot. It is the preferred knot to use when
it is necessary to join two ropes together. It is compact
and will slide through the larger knot-passing rescue
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pulleys.
(7) Water Knot. It is compact and thus lends itself to
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many of the needs of the climber. Many slings and

endless loops are fastened together with this knot. It is
excellent
for
fastening
webbing
together.
The
drawbacks are that it can be very difficult to online in

webbing as well as rope after heavy loading and it
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b.
cannot be tied while under tension.

Anchor Knots
12 Min
(1) Clove Hitch.
It is used to tie the end of rope to
any object. It may get loose when alternate tension
and stack are put on the rope.
(2) Fig of Eight. It is one of the important end effective
knot. It can be used as a primary and line rigging
around an anchor, such as a tree. Dont forget to dress
and set this knot.
(3) Bow Line. It is multipurpose knot that is an easily
tied as untied. Its loop size is easily adjusted. Its best
to back up this knot with overhand knot. The end of the
rope should be oriented on the inside of the major
loop, on the out side of the loop the end is vulnerable
to snagging and inverting in to slip knot. This knot has
to be dressed and set. If left loses it can distort and
turned into slipknot.
(4) Round turn with two half hitches.
This knot is
used to tie the end of rope to heavy objects. It may get

loose when alternate tension and slack are put on the
c.
rope it is mainly used to anchor ships.

Middle Rope Knots
(1) Clove Hitch. This knot is tied in the middle of the rope
without using ends. It is mainly used in construction of
rope leader and improvised stretcher.
(2) Butterfly.
The butterfly is a compact, somewhat
complicated mid lien rigging. Its important feature is
that it provides for multi directional pull. It is easy to
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inspect and seems to work best with softer ropes.
(3) Figure Eight on a Bight. By forming a bight with
running end of the rope an easy reliable loop can be
formed for hauling or lifting gear. It has terrific
applications to karabiner cli-ins, trolley line hook ups
and primary riggings from the middle of the rope and
re anchor. It supplies a loop at the end of the rope that
could assist a climber during an attempt to changed.
over from rappel to a prussic system.

Special Knots
(1) Prussic Knot.
The prussic knot is tied with a
small rope around a large rope, e.g., a sling rope
round a climbing rope in such a manner that the
smaller rope will slide on the big rope if there is no
tension applied on the small rope. When tied with an
end of rope the knot is finished off with a bowline the
prussic knot is used to anchor a fixed rope to various
anchors and in crevice rescue methods.
(2) Draw Hitch. This knot is used as an anchor knot.
While rappelling by the last individual so that the rope
can be recovered after descent.
(3) Three Loop Bow Line.
The three loop bowline will
provide three bights, two of which can be adjusted
against the other one. It is used mainly for anchor and
in evacuation procedures as harness.
(4) SEA Knot. Self-equalizing anchor knot is used for
the attachment of two anchors where equal tension is
required and the direction of pull may change. If one of
the anchors fails the knot has enough internet friction
to slowly readjust to the one anchor without a sudden
jolt to the climber or the remaining anchors.
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RESTIRICTED

ARMY HIGH ALTITUDE / SNOW WARFARE SCHOOL

Knots and Lashes

edges of rock, which will cut it.

wet, dry as soon as possible to prevent rolling.

than necessary, and do not hang it on sharp edges.

breaking strength of the rope.

less than 10%.

manner as to lock itself.

that is not rigged.

not fastened at the rigging pt.

A skillful rigger does not need a vast repertoire of knots. In fact,

dozens of knots about which one feels only vaguely comfortable.

working strength at a tight knot.

be simple and easy to inspect.

It has been known to work loose in slippery nylon.

many of the needs of the climber. Many slings and

drawbacks are that it can be very difficult to online in

cannot be tied while under tension.

used to tie the end of rope to heavy objects. It may get

rope it is mainly used to anchor ships.

over from rappel to a prussic system.

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