Skill drill

How to Tie a Stopper Knot (Barrel Knot)

A bulky knot in the end of the rope, so a rappel or a lower stops at the knot instead of running off the end.

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

Rappelling, and lowering a climber whenever the rope might be short. The Alpine Club of Canada uses the double overhand as a blocking knot in the end of the rope, so it cannot pass through a belay or rappel device; Scouting's Climbing pamphlet calls it the barrel knot, half a double fisherman's.

The steps

Back up alongside
Two wraps
Up through the middle
Tight, with a long tail
Both ends

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
Back up alongside
Take the end of the rope back up alongside the rope, using a good length of it.^{[7, 8]}
The American Alpine Club ties the stopper using a three-foot section at the end of the rope, with plenty of tail. Scouting's barrel knot starts with the end laid alongside the rope.
2
Two wraps
Wrap the end twice round both strands.^{[2, 8, 9]}
Two wraps, as in each half of a double fisherman's: the Army manual ties two wraps round the standing part, and Scouting loops the end twice round the other rope.
3
Up through the middle
Pass the end back up through the inside of both wraps.^{[8, 9]}
The tuck is what makes the wraps a knot: the Army manual inserts the working end back through the two wraps, and Scouting threads the end through the loops.
4
Tight, with a long tail
Pull it tight so the wraps sit snug, with a long tail below: fingers to elbow is a good measure.^{[2, 4, 7]}
The Alpine Club of Canada's check: an X pattern, tight on itself, and at least ten centimetres of tail. The American Alpine Club measures a generous tail as fingers to elbow.
5
Both ends
Both. One knot in each strand, and check them before you start down.^{[1, 3, 5, 7]}
The American Alpine Club ties a knot in each strand separately so kinks can work out, and its 2025 case study was a rappeller with a stopper on one end and not the other: a stopper on both would have stopped his fall.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

No knot at all
In one report, rangers carried out a climber who had rappelled off the end of a rope with no knots in it. Close the system on every rappel, and on any lower that might be short.^{[3, 6]}
A knot on one end only
Two strands, two knots. The unknotted strand is the one that runs out.^[7]
Loose, with a short tail
A stopper that is not snug, or has too little tail, can roll and untie. Dress it tight and leave fingers to elbow of tail.^[4]

Watch & learn

Stopper knot 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.

YouTube
Basic & Intermediate Outdoor Climbing: 11. Stopper Knots for Belay & Rappel | Climbing Tech Tips
Climbing Tech Tips
0
YouTube
Rock Climbing: How to Tie a Barrel Knot
REI
0
YouTube
Rappel Knots
Climbing Magazine
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