How to Tie a Blake's Hitch Knot for Climbing

A Blake's Hitch knot is an effective knot for ascending and descending on another line. Used by tree experts to get up to and down from the canopy, the knot must be secure to offer safety. Follow these steps to tie a Blake's Hitch knot.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify the two different lines. Blake's Hitch uses a hitch knot to grip the working line around a standing line. Make sure you correctly identify the standing line and hitch line to correctly tie the knot.

2. Wrap around the standing line. Use the hitch line to go over and around the standing line. The result should be an unclosed, horseshoe shaped loop formed by the working line around the standing line.

3. Wrap around the line again so that you form a full circle around the standing line that sits above the first half-loop. Wrap twice more so you end up with three full circles around the standing line above the first wrap.

4. Bring the end down after the last wrap. Cross the end of the line over the beginning of the line that lies before the first wrap. Bring the end under the standing line and the back up through the two bottom turns (which includes the first full circle around the standing line). This creates the gripping hitch of a Blake's Hitch.

5. Tighten and tie it off. Pull the end tight so that the knot dresses properly. Then tie a figure eight knot at the end so the knot doesn't come unraveled.

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on 3/28/2009 First. A "hitch" is a hitch and a "knot" is a knot. You can't have a "hitch knot".By definition a knot has form by itself. A hitch doesn't. I.e if you remove the object a hitch is tied around you get nothing.The Blakes is a hitch.Second. While your wordy description is knot too bad, it does leave one "up in the air". A series of pictures would be much better or a link to Grogonohttp://www.animatedknots.com/blakes/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg