Prusik Knot

A completed Prusik knot around a three inch diameter vertical gray pole. Four strands of rope circle the pole snugly, held in place by the bight. The whole configuration looks like a lark’s head with an extra pass of rope through the middle of it. The standing part of the rope comes out of the bight and hangs vertically below the knot.

Climbers use the Prusik as a slide and grip knot in much the same way that we use the adjustable grip hitch. It’s generally too fiddly for us to use in that capacity, but it’s great for attaching to dancing poles. The icicle hitch works similarly—we usually prefer the Prusik, but the icicle hitch may hold a little better in some situations.

When to use it

When tying on a slippery surface, carefully set and tighten the Prusik before loading it.

Lazarus Redmayne at The Duchy has come up with some very clever applications of the Prusik.

Step by step

A vertical three inch diameter gray pole divides the frame in half. A doubled blue rope enters from the right and attaches to the pole with a lark’s head. The rope passes over the top of the pole and wraps around it, with the bight of the rope passing over the standing part.

1Make a lark’s head around the pole.

Although a Prusik hitch is traditionally tied around a larger rope, we most often use it around a pole.

The top and bottom halves of the knot have been separated, making room for an additional pass of rope in between them. The standing part of the rope has wrapped around the pole and under the bight, so there are now four strands of rope circling the pole. The two strands of the standing part are in the center of the knot, with the strands of the original lark’s head above and below them.

2Instead of doubling back, wrap the rope around the pole again, inside the two halves of the previous wrap.

A third pass has been added in the same way, so there are now six strands of rope going around the pole.

OPTION3In some cases, adding a third wrap will make the Prusik hold better.

A completed Prusik knot around a three inch diameter vertical gray pole. Four strands of rope circle the pole snugly, held in place by the bight. The whole configuration looks like a lark’s head with an extra pass of rope through the middle of it. The standing part of the rope comes out of the bight and hangs vertically below the knot.

4Carefully snug the knot before loading it.

The Prusik performs best under constant, even loading.

Notes for nerds

References and naming

This knot is ABOK # 1763

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