I finally realized I was setting my climbing line wrong for years

Last month in Eugene, I was rigging a limb over a house and my ground guy said, 'Your line looks really flat on that spar.' I had always set my running bowline with the tail pointing down, thinking it was just a style thing. When we lowered the piece, I saw the knot had rolled and almost capsized. That could have been bad. Has anyone else had a close call with a simple knot setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_ellis15d ago

Honestly that tail direction thing sounds like overthinking it. A running bowline is a running bowline, been using it for decades without issue. Sometimes people just get lucky catching a weird roll and make it into a big deal.

lisaf3815d agoMost Upvoted

Exactly, it's like the whole "right way" to load a dishwasher debate. People get a clean plate once by chance and turn it into a life rule. I've seen guys at the marina tie what they call a running bowline six different ways, and all of them held just fine when we yanked on the line. The obsession with tiny details often comes from someone trying to sell a book or a class, not from real world use. If the knot does its job and doesn't come undone, you're doing it right.

grayc2715d ago

People get lucky with bad technique for years, then blame the one time it fails on bad luck.