Yosemite tie off

[Pete Bannister]

 

I noticed this problem a few times when I tried locking a bowline with a 'Yosemite tie off' in the dim and distant past.

I put it down to operator error and reverted to a different tie off method. Recently saw this movie...so maybe it wasnt just me!

Edited November 28, 2013 by Pete Bannister
faulty link

[BenR]

Yep its easy to mess them up and not notice if you are rushing. I tend to tie the bowline, cinch it up nicely, then just loosen it a little to rethread the tail, then cinch her back up carefully keeping an eye on your loops

[daltontrees]

I watched that video, will never use a Yosemite tie-off again...

 

A quick look on Google showed up that this is the knot that nearly killed famous american climber Lynn Hill. For rock climbing I always use the figure of 8, it's stronger but seizes if it takes a fall. But if I peel off the first thing I care about is the knot not coming undone, then the rope not breaking, and way way down the list is how easy it will be to untie the knot.

[BenR]

I watched that video, will never use a Yosemite tie-off again...

 

A quick look on Google showed up that this is the knot that nearly killed famous american climber Lynn Hill. For rock climbing I always use the figure of 8, it's stronger but seizes if it takes a fall. But if I peel off the first thing I care about is the knot not coming undone, then the rope not breaking, and way way down the list is how easy it will be to untie the knot.

 

Sorry I have to disagree.. If you don't tie a knot correctly it will not work no matter what the knot..

 

If people can't tie bowlines properly, don't use them. If you can't tie a figure of 8 properly don't use it.

 

It's the person that tied it wrong at fault. Not the knot:001_rolleyes:

[Dan Curtis]

Sorry I have to disagree.. If you don't tie a knot correctly it will not work no matter what the knot..

 

If people can't tie bowlines properly, don't use them. If you can't tie a figure of 8 properly don't use it.

 

It's the person that tied it wrong at fault. Not the knot:001_rolleyes:

 

Good point mate. The yosemite is my favoured loop. If I ever clip into a pre tied yosemite, I'll give the tail a quick tug to check which loop cinches. If the one you're clipped into moves, you've got it wrong!

[daltontrees]

Sorry I have to disagree.. If you don't tie a knot correctly it will not work no matter what the knot..

 

If people can't tie bowlines properly, don't use them. If you can't tie a figure of 8 properly don't use it.

 

It's the person that tied it wrong at fault. Not the knot:001_rolleyes:

 

One of the enduring attractions of the figure of 8 is that if it doesn't look right it isn't right. The same is harder to say of the Bowline and harder still of the Yosemite. And I was talking about rock climbing. If you are stuck in a freezing gully with spindrift everywhere and cold hands in thick mitts, the Yosemite is an unthinkable option but the figure of 8 can be tied and checked by the numbest hands and mind. Surely the same applies perhaps less extremely in tree work? And it IS stronger than the Bowline. The only attraction I can see in the Bowline over the figure of 8 is it's ease of undoing after loading. The Yosemite doesn't make it any easier or harder in my experience. I have never seen any tests on its strength relative to teh Bowline, but I expect it is stronger.

 

Sorry, I am not clear on what you disagree with. That I will never use a Yosemite tie-off again?

[tree_beard]

to back up a bowline, i just overhand knot the tail round the loop. simple pimple to tie, untie and check...

[BenR]

do what you like. i just dont think its an excuse to say a knot is no good because somebody once failed to tie it correctly.

 

fair comment with the rock climbing. can you tie a figure of 8 around a bolt/eye with one hand though? I can tie a snap bowline with one hand and back it off with an overhand as mentioned above.. And I can then untie it with one hand.

 

Figure of 8 is bombproof, agreed. I find they bind too much so I use a figure of 9 if Im going down that route.

 

And yeah I do disagree with you never using it again. Right things for the right applications. Pay a bit of attention and the knot works fine. I can understand why you would use the figure of 8 in an alpine situation though.

[Pete Bannister]

When being taught to rock climb as a teenager in the early 70s we were taught the bowline backed up with a couple of overhands rather than the Yosemite. Figure of eight was taught as preferable because as correctly stated above its harder to 'get it wrong'.

Because every now and again recreational climbers fall off the rope, there remains to this day a (tedious) debate in the rock climbing community as to which is better. However, BenR and Jules have just summarised pretty much all the worthwhile arguments

Its true...whatever the knot , if you tie it right it will be right. Figure of eight is the knot I taught my kids to use when climbing. Oddly though I hardly ever use it a work. When I do use it myself its in the mountains (which is not very often these days!). Habit I guess plus the point Jules made about tying it in extremis

 

thanks for the comments

Pete

[BenR]

For what its worth i use a figure of 8 for rock climbing because everyone else is more comfortable with it... and im too lazy to tie a figure of 9 as a rethread.

 

Good original post for peoples awareness!!