Skill drill

How to Tie a Figure 8 Follow-Through

The knot that ties you to the rope: a figure 8 in the rope, the end through your harness, then followed back through the 8, strand beside strand.

5 steps, about 3 minutes

Tie it in 3D one decision at a time. Choose wrong and you will see why it matters.

When to use it

Every time you tie in to climb on a rope. Petzl's harness instructions tie in to the two tie-in points, and the BMC's beginners' guide ties in with a figure of eight threaded through both the waist and leg loops.

The steps

A loose figure 8
Through the harness
Follow it back
Dress it and set it
Check it, twice

A drill is practice, not instruction. Learn these knots from a qualified instructor, and have every knot checked before you climb.

The written guide

Step by step

1
A loose figure 8
Tie a loose figure 8 in the rope, about an arm's length from the end.^{[10, 11]}
Scouting's Climbing pamphlet starts with a loose figure eight, and the Army's mountaineering manual leaves enough running end to go through the harness and back through the knot, and leaves it loose so the end can follow it back easily.
2
Through the harness
Thread the end through both tie-in points, the same path the belay loop takes, waist and leg loops.^{[2, 3, 4, 5]}
Petzl's instructions tie in to the two tie-in points, and Edelrid's handbook says to make sure the rope passes through both. A gear loop is for gear: Edelrid says it is not made to hold more than 5 kg and could fail in a serious fall.
3
Follow it back
No. Follow the end back through the figure 8 the way it came, strand beside strand, all the way to the standing part.^{[1, 10, 11]}
That is the follow-through. The UIAA Safety Commission says most accidents involving a figure eight come from not completing the knot, not from how it was tied.
4
Dress it and set it
Take out any crossed strands so the two lie side by side, then pull each strand tight, leaving a generous tail.^{[1, 5, 6]}
The Alpine Club of Canada says to avoid unnecessary crosses and pull each strand tight, with at least ten centimetres of tail. The UIAA says what matters most is that it looks like a figure 8, which is what makes it easy for you and your partner to check.
5
Check it, twice
Check the knot yourself, then have your partner check it before you leave the ground.^{[1, 2, 8]}
Petzl's instructions say to always check your knot before starting to climb, and the UIAA recommends a buddy check that the knot is complete before it is loaded.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

An unfinished follow-through
The commonest figure 8 accident: the end goes through the harness but never all the way back through the 8.^{[1, 7, 8]}
The wrong loop
A gear loop or the small keeper loop is not a tie-in point. The knot can be perfect and tied to nothing.^{[4, 9]}
Tying in while distracted
Both incomplete tie-in reports name distraction. Finish the knot before you talk, and check it every time, even with a regular partner.^{[8, 9]}

Watch & learn

Figure 8 follow-through on video

Picked from our video library. These are other creators' videos, so where one differs from the drill, the drill's sourced steps are the ones to follow.