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VII Arcano

Rope work, explained and compared

Hitches

A hitch attaches a rope to something else: a post, a rail, a ring, or another rope that is not its own end. Most hitches are meant to be untied again, so the entries below note how each one behaves when the pull comes from an unexpected angle, since that is usually where a hitch fails rather than under a straight, steady load.

The 2 entries in this category

  1. HT-01

    Clove Hitch

    Two identical half hitches around a post or rail. Quick to tie and adjust, but it can work loose under a load that shifts direction.

    Difficulty
    Green
    Best for
    A temporary tie-off
  2. HT-04

    Prusik Knot

    A friction hitch of thin cord wrapped around a thicker rope. It grips under load and slides freely once the weight is off.

    Difficulty
    Black
    Best for
    Ascending a fixed rope
A length of rope tied with a hitch around a metal rail
A hitch holds by friction against the object it is tied to, not by any knot in the rope itself.

What belongs in this category

An entry is filed under Hitches when its whole purpose is to attach a rope to an external object that the rope itself is not part of. A knot that joins two ropes together is filed under Bends instead, even if the tying method looks similar, as with the clove hitch and the constrictor knot.