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I am practicing falls with a self belay device indoors and I am tying the rope to the anchors so to fall on a single strand of rope as I would in real life.

I used the figure eight on a bight but I searched for something easier to release after several falls. So I tried the bowline on a bight. Turned out, that knot is also a pain to release.

Is there anything faster to release, while still safe enough to take multiple falls on it?

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  • Do you use a double bowline as shown here: animatedknots.com/imagesprelim/bowline_bight_knot.jpg ? This is knot is very easy to untighten even after several falls and is therefore often used tie into the rope when sport climbing on projects.
    – imsodin
    Aug 15, 2015 at 17:12
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    Alpine butterfly is probably worth a try.
    – BarrySW19
    Aug 26, 2015 at 20:34

2 Answers 2

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I would recommend using a double figure eight I always use this knot when tying off the end of the rope, it's stronger, safer, and it's easier to untie.

enter image description here

If that doesn't work for you, then try a double-nine (double figure nine on a bight), it looks messy, but it comes loose real easy.

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    thanks, I'm gonna try as soon as I'll not be drunk any longer.
    – Dakatine
    Aug 15, 2015 at 16:35
  • It worked nice, thank you very much. I'd only recommend to link to a set of different instructions, or to add one: personally, I found the one you linked quite tricky to follow, while these are much better in my opinion. backcountry.com/explore/…
    – Dakatine
    Aug 16, 2015 at 9:17
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Have you heard about Ampersand Bowline (an enhanced-security bowline) ? Seems this knot is secure enough for such purpose (#1). And I think it may be easier to release than bowline on a bight.

#1 Caveat: need careful experiment with backup first.

Ampersand Bowline

Note: I found no practical data/report of this knot in climbing. It is a fairly new invention (2013/2014). Though there are discussions on how well it locks theoretically, and some tests on YouTube. A few references from the International Guild of Knot Tyers Forum:
https://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=6193.msg41594#msg41594
https://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=6226.msg41866#msg41866

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  • Edit: Added the Note part according to a request for references. (And thanks Jan Doggen)
    – Johnny Wong
    Mar 8, 2019 at 15:32
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    That's cool, and I don't doubt it would hold, but when it comes to safety knots, simpler is always better. The chances of someone tying this knot wrong are too great.
    – ShemSeger
    Mar 10, 2019 at 2:35
  • I somehow agree with ShemSeger. however, I think the Ampersand Bowline is very trustable if you have good knots skill and already familiar and practiced the Bowline well before. (It need only one not much difficult final step, and is easier than learning bowline itself) People afraid of Bowline & Double Bowline mainly because they thought they are trustable in past, but actually they can become lose & undone. From my reading I think missing backup knot is the reason to death instead of the "experienced" tiers tie them wrong. (Those two knots are really proven not trustable)
    – Johnny Wong
    Mar 11, 2019 at 1:56
  • VS Yosemite Bowline: From my testing the final tuck of Ampersand Bowline work more effective than Yosemite Bowline. (tested by under strong loading how hard you try to take the final tuck out) And the Yosemite Bowline is much more risky than Ampersand Bowline. This is because there is an easy way to wrongly tightening it, which make the original Bowline undone. (google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://…)
    – Johnny Wong
    Mar 11, 2019 at 1:57
  • (All we should know) Always use knot which you practice enough first, and trustable ones without such risky failure profile. If one just interested in climbing but not in knots, it's better not to use more complicate knots, unless a knot is much recognized that you may trust and learn well. :-)
    – Johnny Wong
    Mar 11, 2019 at 2:00

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