Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Trust your clove hitch? Well, no.

Another gym victim. Two unnecessary points of failure and an unstable clove hitch. A bowline is every bit as adjustable, and safer.

3 comments:

  1. Clove hitches are not a proble. In fact, they're more stable and probably stronger too. (See http://www.guidetricksforclimbers.com/index.php/appendix/78-gtc-articles/78-use-and-abuse-of-the-clove-hitch and http://www.geir.com/mythbuster.html). And remain stable while adjusting unlike bowlines, but that's more use in soloing systems and suchlike than topropes.

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  2. The DoD study didn't come out of thin air. In a top rope situation, the anchor is weighted and unweighted constantly, making slippage likely.

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  3. I dont see the problem with this anchor setup. Overbuilt if anything. Standard wrap three-pull two on a great tree. That rigging rope is rated to well over 20kn. The clove limits fall forces due to its tendency to slip at a certain load, although you would never achieve those forces in a TR setup. Additionally, there is a stopper knot behind the clove that appears to be clipped in to the lockers. Only concern here is a sharp edge out of frame that the static line might be going over.

    What DoD study are you referring to? Please share a link if you have one.

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