Cowtails

Although sewn terminations are now widely available, tying knots remains a core skill in rope access. Knots provide a great deal of flexibility when rigging ropes to anchors and can help reduce impact loads, e.g. in a fall. Basic rope handling skills such as coiling and bagging facilitate transporting equipment and can prevent problems such as entanglement. All candidates shall demonstrate the coiling and bagging of ropes. All candidates shall demonstrate tying, dressing and setting the following knots, and have an awareness of their strengths, applications and limitations: a) figure-of-eight on a bight; b) double figure-of-eight on a bight (‘bunny’ knot); c) figure-of-nine on a bight; d) alpine butterfly; e) scaffold or ‘barrel’ knot; f) stopper knot. The demonstration, tying, dressing and setting of these knots are a minimum requirement at Level 1. However, training could include a wider variety of knots. Level 2 and Level 3 candidates shall demonstrate appropriate rope joining knots, choking of ropes and slings, and knowledge of relevant applications, strengths and limitations. Trainees should be able to explain the methods, uses and hazards when bagging ropes.