You might be wondering ….Why should I use an autoblock knot / Machard knot ?? Why not to use a shunt?
The Shunt is a good option for safety when abseiling, and it works on a single or a double rope, but it only works for abseiling, while a thin cord you use on a machard knot can be used for anything else like, for example, to link it to a tree during the route, and more importantly, it weights much less.
To put up the abseil, we will start passing the end of one of the ropes through the anchor rings, or through the ring if there is a chain at the anchor linking the two points, remember that we always have to rappel/abseil from two points.
We will take the end of the other rope and to bring them together we will make the DOUBLE OVERHAND FLAT knot, also known as the “european death knot”, but here we will use it double.
Among all the types of knots that can be used to put a double rope together, this one (made correctly) is without a shadow of a doubt the one that will provide us with more advantages: in addition to its simplicity and its easy checking, its resistance and versatility, it’s the most recommended knot for abseils since it has less chances of getting caught in a fissure or a tree thanks to the flat part that is left on one side of the knot. It is important to allow at least 40cm tail rope next to the knot. Here you can find some reasons, pros and cons about the knot on Climbing Magazine.
Important: We must remember in which side of the anchor the knot remains and what side of the rope we will need to pull down to get the ropes back.
We will take the two rope ends opposite to the knot and we will ALWAYS coil the whole rope, picking it up in one hand or placing it neatly on our feet, checking that no knot is made at the moment we throw the rope down.
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