The Girth Hitch Master Point

Oh my bad, I'm afraid the colors didn't do their job.  It's all good...I better edit my previous answer.

That is not a half-hitch around the standing end. The bite is simply looped around. It does nothing.

Glen Priorwrote: That is not a half-hitch around the standing end. The bite is simply looped around. It does nothing.

I regret to inform you that a half hitch is simply a loop around like that. It is indeed a half hitch, the version in the ropelab picture may be confusing because because it was left loose for illustration's sake. 

Ropelab's version is the same version as seen many other places, including animated knots. If you think the half hitch doesn't secure it, please try tying this knot. 

Oops... I stand corrected. Love Animated Knots.

Regarding the shelf of the girth hitch: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDD6GThDMxy/

From Dale Remsberg (IFMGA Guide) 

Will Mwrote:

Regarding the shelf of the girth hitch: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDD6GThDMxy/

From Dale Remsberg (IFMGA Guide) 

I stand corrected. It's been brilliant not needing my quad length runner or cordallete for 3-point gear belays as a double length gets it done with a girth hitch masterpoint. My followers adore the easy breakdown. Now, I know I can use the shelf too. Look nice and organized in this photo though. 

Will Mwrote:

Regarding the shelf of the girth hitch: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDD6GThDMxy/

From Dale Remsberg (IFMGA Guide) 

This image demonstrates another important point. If you are leading in blocks you cannot clove both climbers into the masterbiner. You won't be able to get the leaders clove out as the follower's clove will next to the gate. Two solutions: 1) the leader attaches a secondary locker to the masterbiner and cloves to that (easiest and best method) 2) backup solution. If the leader forgets and cloves to the masterbiner the follower can attach a secondary biner on the spine side of the masterbiner and clove to that (this requires more thought and the masterbiner must be opened).

Will Mwrote:

Regarding the shelf of the girth hitch: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDD6GThDMxy/

From Dale Remsberg (IFMGA Guide) 

i still have an issue in calling this a "shelf." A traditional shelf is a 100% separate clipping point than the master point, as they are separated by a knot. In the girth hitch anchor, there is no knot. The "shelf" and master point are only separated by a hitch, which is relying solely on friction around the biner to stay in place (if 1 leg were to fail).. 

curt86irocwrote:

i still have an issue in calling this a "shelf." A traditional shelf is a 100% separate clipping point than the master point, as they are separated by a knot. In the girth hitch anchor, there is no knot. The "shelf" and master point are only separated by a hitch, which is relying solely on friction around the biner to stay in place (if 1 leg were to fail).. 

I recommend that you test out your concern somewhere safe.  If you still don't feel safe then there are other knots or hitches that you'll probably feel more comfortable with.  Every method has pros and cons.

More pull tests of girth hitches with only a single attached leg. Even with the dyneema sling and just a tiny nub of a leg, it holds at least 12kN without pulling through.

abandon moderation wrote:

Why is a girth hitch not a knot? 

If something isn’t a knot, that doesn’t mean it’s not strong, as the videos clearly show.

A knot is a rope tied around itself.

A hitch is a rope tied around an object, and I believe that with most of them, if the object vanished into thin air, the hitch would turn into a straight rope with no knots.

A bend is two ropes tied around each other. Figure 8 follow through knot is identical to a Flemish bend expect the bend is two ends of rope rather than one end tied back onto itself. 

abandon moderation wrote:

To be pedantic, all knots solely rely on friction. Why is a girth hitch not a knot? 

because hitches are not knots :) Edit: Drake beat me to it

@Steve - Thanks for the video

Scott Dwrote:

This image demonstrates another important point. If you are leading in blocks you cannot clove both climbers into the masterbiner. You won't be able to get the leaders clove out as the follower's clove will next to the gate. Two solutions: 1) the leader attaches a secondary locker to the masterbiner and cloves to that (easiest and best method) 2) backup solution. If the leader forgets and cloves to the masterbiner the follower can attach a secondary biner on the spine side of the masterbiner and clove to that (this requires more thought and the masterbiner must be opened).

Or use tethers/pas.  Seems to me you should just plan never to open the masterbiner, so you won't clove to it.  This would automatically be true if you use one of those big closed rings.  It is also true of a masterpoint knot.

The recommendation is to clip another locking biner into the master biner and tie your clove on the new biner.

I just messed around with the clove hitch version of this in the garage. Didn't put body weight on it because my pretend bolts aren't that beefy but the clove hitch version seems like it has a pretty solid shelf. 

Will Mwrote: I wrote a little article on my site about the Girth Hitch Master Point. Give it a look if you're keen to learn how to avoid having to untie dynema slings with cold hands...

https://www.enthusiastalpine.com/library-blog/gugdicg1jp8zo0n8k4hikrvq1wrz30

If you tie an anchor  like in the last pic in the last series, I will NEVER climb with you! You are getting forces in three different directions with that setup.

Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwainwrote:

If you tie an anchor  like in the last pic in the last series, I will NEVER climb with you! You are getting forces in three different directions with that setup.

I think that the "overhand" version of the anchor tied in that last pic in the last series is an example of why the "girth hitch" version is better... it's short and creates a >90° angle on the two anchors.

But am I way off in thinking that any two-point anchor has (at least) three directions for forces?

Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwainwrote:

If you tie an anchor  like in the last pic in the last series, I will NEVER climb with you! You are getting forces in three different directions with that setup.

Oh come on. What if the direction of pull was in the horizontal? /s

nm, already been said.

I carry a 8mm x 240cm dyneema sling. I wonder if doubling it up and building the girth hitch anchor as if I'm using a 120cm sling makes it any more or less likely to slip. 

Seems crazy to use the common girth hitched master point given the results in this video. On one pull, the girth hitch slips as 1.2KN. The proposed girth hitched X seems interesting.