There aren't a lot of videos on TH-cam showing natural anchor setups. Most all videos are using bolts to demonstrate anchors for top rope systems. Appreciate your content showing what I most frequently encounter - no bolts!
Awesome, thanks, I set up a top rope from a tree at the weekend for checking out the moves on a high-ball boulder and used a re-threaded figure of eight, which ended up being quite hard to untie. I wanted to use a bowline but couldn't quite remember how to tie it off so thanks very much, really useful! I also think of a bowline as 'the rabbit come out of the hole, round the back of the tree and back down the rabbit hole'.
Thank you for the video. Very useful to see also a different way to tie it and how to check it. I personally like to use it as it is much easier to untie than the figure 8 so it comes in handy for tying myself to the rope when projecting a hard sport route where I’m expected to fall a lot but I never knew how to show my belayer how to check it properly 👍
There's a way to tie the 8 so it unties even after taking myriad whips on it. I think HowNotTo or some other big climbing channel covered this, but the gist is that you want: no strand twists as it goes through and *especially* to not have the "top" loop have the climber-side strand on top (which basically pinches the brake side down and makes it super hard to untie). I would always do the yosemite finish, but once I learned how to tie it properly, it has saved me a bunch of time
not like it matters, but we call the working end, the bitter end as well. Also we tow 10,000 pound plus boats with a bowline. it is THEE knot. great vids!!!
Great video! I took my SPI course and am prepping for the exam. For the Middle Bowline, my instructor had us back the knot up with a carabiner, but I cannot remember which strand to clip the bight to. Do you happen to know? Also, is it preferable to back up the Middle Bowline with a carabiner or the overhand on a bight? Thank you SO much for your content. I cannot tell you how much it has helped!
The figure 8 follow through has a couple disadvantages - you have to measure exactly how much rope you need before setting up the initial 8 shape and wrapping around the tree, and it's easy to mess up the amount of slack needed to finish the knot with adequate tail left over on the working end. Also, in my experience the figure 8 follow through is harder to untie than the bowline after being loaded, especially repeatedly, which imo is an important consideration for an anchor that might be used to catch dozens of falls
There aren't a lot of videos on TH-cam showing natural anchor setups. Most all videos are using bolts to demonstrate anchors for top rope systems. Appreciate your content showing what I most frequently encounter - no bolts!
right... good to know all the scenarios.
Thank you for showing the quick method! Oh my gosh, my mind finds that SOOO much easier to remember!!!
Awesome, thanks, I set up a top rope from a tree at the weekend for checking out the moves on a high-ball boulder and used a re-threaded figure of eight, which ended up being quite hard to untie. I wanted to use a bowline but couldn't quite remember how to tie it off so thanks very much, really useful! I also think of a bowline as 'the rabbit come out of the hole, round the back of the tree and back down the rabbit hole'.
Exactly... the rabbit seems to find its way to many knots ;-)
there is probably a good reason the rabbit analogy is used - I learnt it that way in the navy in 1991, and have never forgotten it.....
That wasckawy wabbit!
Helpful refresher. Thanks!
Thank you for the video. Very useful to see also a different way to tie it and how to check it. I personally like to use it as it is much easier to untie than the figure 8 so it comes in handy for tying myself to the rope when projecting a hard sport route where I’m expected to fall a lot but I never knew how to show my belayer how to check it properly 👍
There's a way to tie the 8 so it unties even after taking myriad whips on it. I think HowNotTo or some other big climbing channel covered this, but the gist is that you want: no strand twists as it goes through and *especially* to not have the "top" loop have the climber-side strand on top (which basically pinches the brake side down and makes it super hard to untie). I would always do the yosemite finish, but once I learned how to tie it properly, it has saved me a bunch of time
not like it matters, but we call the working end, the bitter end as well. Also we tow 10,000 pound plus boats with a bowline. it is THEE knot. great vids!!!
Is there a way to use bowline knot when you're on lead? Or is it best to just wrap the natural anchor and then tie a figure 8 on a bight?
I would use a Connecticut tree hitch or walk around the anchors making a loop and finish with a bhk (peep my shorts last week, I showed both methods)
Great video! I took my SPI course and am prepping for the exam. For the Middle Bowline, my instructor had us back the knot up with a carabiner, but I cannot remember which strand to clip the bight to. Do you happen to know? Also, is it preferable to back up the Middle Bowline with a carabiner or the overhand on a bight? Thank you SO much for your content. I cannot tell you how much it has helped!
The same that I tie the overhand around in this video.
Why do you need to add an overhand knot?
A Bowline can become lose under load cycles so you want to always back it up with an overhand which will eliminate that if tied close to the bowline.
Why not do a figure 8 follow thru? People are more familiar with it and it has replaced the bowline for tieing into the rope
Bowline is easier and faster (esp. if you use the snap-bowline method). By no means has it been “replaced” by fig-8 follow-through.
The figure 8 follow through has a couple disadvantages - you have to measure exactly how much rope you need before setting up the initial 8 shape and wrapping around the tree, and it's easy to mess up the amount of slack needed to finish the knot with adequate tail left over on the working end. Also, in my experience the figure 8 follow through is harder to untie than the bowline after being loaded, especially repeatedly, which imo is an important consideration for an anchor that might be used to catch dozens of falls