Best Stopper Knots for Team Supplied Knots

[Cothron Theiss]

I wanted to make this thread to collect and disseminate information on the stopper knots that teams use to hold their ropes on the field. Inspection of these ropes will be a tumultuous undertaking, and I want to make sure as few teams as possible show up to competition with faulty stopper knots. I've already seen some poor suggestions made on these fora and in team meetings on which stopper knots to use, so I'd like to show some good knots that can fit a variety of situations.
I'd also like to hear what other people are planning to use!

My first suggestion for a stopper knot would be the Ashley Stopper knot. It's easy to tie, easy to inspect and can handle odd shapes in the rope. Also, when tied correctly, the load-bearing face of this knot is symmetrical which should reduce the chances of shifting or swinging when load is applied.

If for some reason you cannot tie the Ashley Stopper knot, another excellent alternative is the Stevedore knot. This is another knot that's easy to inspect and easy to tie, and it holds very well even during cyclic loading. Astute observers will notice that it is very similar to the figure-eight knot, but the Stevedore knot is superior because the shape of the knot is not affected by loading as much as the figure-eight.

If your team is using flat webbing or very slick material, you may have some issues getting the above knots to hold. If that's the case, you can try a Double Overhand knot. Knots based on the overhand knot are considered to be superior for webbing, but that's a point of contention among knot and climbing experts.

The above are my three suggestions for stopper knots. Below I have my suggestions for loops either at the end of the rope for easy grabbing or loops along the length for some other type of climbing.

The most versatile loop (and my personal favorite knot) is the Alpine Butterfly. It is strong, easy to tie, takes up relatively little rope length, and is symmetrical. It can be loaded from either end or the loop, or any combination of the three. It can also be tied in the bight or on the end of a rope. It's also easier to adjust the placement or size of the loop if you need to change your loops in between matches. However, if you need a loop to go on the very end of your rope, a different loop may be necessary.

A great end-rope knot is the Bowline. It has a relatively small profile and is very secure. However, the knot can become loose over time if it's not under load. Also, the tail of the knot runs inside the loop itself. This might cause problems if a team's climbing mechanism grabs onto the tail instead of the knot itself. A way to make the knot more secure and direct the tail out of the way is to use a Yosemite finish on the Bowline. However, make sure you know how to correctly tie and inspect the knot if you use a Yosemite bowline. It's one of those that can really go wrong if tied incorrectly.

If your team is using extremely slick or thin rope and/or webbing, you might need to use an Angler's loop. This end-rope loop can be very difficult to untie after loading, but it's one of the very few knots that can hold reliably in bungee cord or an elastic material.


Sorry for the huge dump of information! I just think that, while in the team's shop and under close observation, a team might climb perfectly every time. But in the heat of competition, when things are getting hectic and every last point is vital, I'd hate for a team to lose because of a faulty knot. I'm sure many teams already have resident knot experts, but for the teams that are planning to just use overhand knots for everything, here's some more detailed information.

EDIT - The monkey's fist was purposefully omitted from the list of stopper knots.