Advantages
- Works correctly whether loaded perpendicular or parallel to the knot
- Can be rethreaded or tied on a bight
- Its asymmetrical shape makes it tend to roll, which limits the risk of jamming during a rope pull
Drawbacks
Once tightened, it can sometimes be hard to untie: depending on the use case, a carabiner can be clipped into the knot to stop it tightening further. It also tends to flip over on itself, so the tails or the loop should be left long enough (about 15 cm) to prevent it from working loose.
Uses
With a single rope (form a loop, then tie the knot with that loop):
- Knot at the end of the rope, with a carabiner clipped into the loop
- Stopper knot: add a carabiner into the knot so it can’t pass through the anchor, and to limit tightening once loaded
With two ropes placed side by side:
- Joining the two ropes together
- Rethreaded figure-eight knot
- Anchor or belay loop tie-in: tie the first figure-eight leaving a good length free, form a loop around the anchor or belay loop, then rethread with the same strand
A good complement to the overhand knot. For putting it into practice, see our articles on the foolproof descender position and on how to stop safely on a figure-eight.
Further resources
Sheets from the Canyon Training Centre (Centre de Formation Canyon):
- Slide sheet
- Video sheet
