Part of Intro to Top-Rope Climbing·Step 4 of 6
knotsbeginner4 min
Figure-8 Follow-Through
The standard knot for tying in to your harness.
The figure-8 follow-through is the most common knot for tying the climbing rope directly into your harness. It’s strong, easy to inspect at a glance, and hard to tie wrong once you’ve done it a few times.
Why this knot
- Holds its strength even when loaded repeatedly.
- The “follow-through” shape makes it easy to visually check: two ropes running parallel all the way through.
- Standard at essentially every gym and crag — if a partner checks your knot, this is the one they expect to see.
Steps
- Tie a figure-8 in the rope about arm’s length from the end.
- Pass the tail through your harness’s tie-in points (waist belt and leg loop belt).
- Follow the original figure-8 back through in reverse, tracing it exactly.
- Dress the knot snug and leave at least a fist-sized tail.
Tie a figure-8 in the rope about arm's length from the end.
Step 1 of 4
Danger
Always get your knot checked by a partner before climbing. An untied or incorrectly dressed figure-8 is one of the most common causes of serious climbing accidents.
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