Greg Westfall

How to Tie a Figure 8 Knot for Rock Climbing

One of the most fundamental skills you must know to start rock climbing is how to tie certain knots like the figure 8. The figure 8 knot is one of the most common knots for connecting the climber to the rope because it is extremely strong and reliable. A strong and reliable knot is necessary because the knot is the only thing preventing you from falling from large heights while climbing. This tutorial will teach you how to tie a figure 8 knot on a flat surface. After repeating this process a few times and getting used to the pattern, you will be able to tie the knot in situations without a flat surface.

What You’ll Need

A climbing rope of around 10mm in diameter
- Warning: Always inspect your rope for bulges, tears, or other abnormalities before climbing. Climbing on a damaged rope could result in death.
A harness newer than 7 years old
- Warning: Using a harness older than 7 years could result in death. The materials that harnesses are made of will degrade after this period.
A large flat surface

Common Terms

Bite: A section of rope in the shape of an upside down U.
Soft Points: The two holes of a climbing harness meant for soft materials (like rope) to pass through.

Tying the Figure 8 Knot

1. Find the tail end of your rope and lay it on a flat surface with the tail to the right.
2. Measure about 3 and ½ feet from the tail end of the rope. Use your fingers to mark where this measurement is. Note: Depending on the diameter of rope, 3 and ½ feet may be too much or too little. Adjust as needed.
3. Create a bite of rope while continuing to hold the marked point at the top of the rope.
4. While continuing to hold the top of the rope, flip the left side of the rope over the right to create a twist in the rope.
5. Repeat step 4 to twist the rope in the same direction again.
6. Continue holding the top of the rope and thread the tail end of the rope through the front of the top hole. This is the hole below your fingers.
7. Position the knot so the tail end is closest to you.
8. Thread the tail end of the rope through the soft points of your climbing harness from bottom to top. Warning: Be sure that you’ve passed the rope through both soft points of the harness. If the rope isn’t through both points then the connection could fail.
9. Thread the knot back into the hole where the tail end came out of. Note: Using the smaller of the two holes will result in a cleaner-looking knot which is easier to unknot when you are done.
10. Follow the path of the rope back through the knot until you’ve passed back through all of the loops and the rope comes out of the other side. Note: The end of the rope that you’re threading through will always stay next to the same piece of rope.
11. Check that the knot was tied correctly by counting the pairs of rope that you can see when looking at the knot. There should be 5 pairs.
12. If you do not see 5 pairs of rope, undo the knot and retie it from step 1. Warning: Do not use a knot that is tied incorrectly. Faults in the knot could result in casualties from the knot failing while being weighted.
13. If necessary, move the top section of the rope from the back to the front as shown in the image below.
14. Check that there are 5 to 10 inches of extra rope at the end of your knot. If not, return to step two and adjust your measurement. If the extra rope is less than 5 inches, measure out a bit more rope. If the extra rope is more than 10 inches, measure out a bit less rope.
15. Assuming your harness is on correctly (not a part of this tutorial) and you have a knowledgeable belay partner, you’re now ready to climb!
Here are a few helpful tips to remember when tying the knot in the future: – Always double-check your knot by counting the number of pairs of rope you see. If you don’t see 5 pairs, retie the knot. Have your belay partner check the knot too! – Following the rope back through the knot (step 10) can be confusing at times, so try to remember to retrace the path that is already in the knot.