Diagram

Icicle Hitch

Icicle

Gripping a spar, post or pole when the pull runs along it in one direction. It grips smooth spars well and is said to hold even on a taper such as a marlinspike.

Hitch · Advanced · Polyester / Nylon rope / Polypropylene / Natural fibre · 4 steps

Applications How to tie it

Diagram in reviewA drawing of the Icicle Hitch itself is being made. Until then, follow the written steps.

Finished structure

No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

Diagram in reviewA drawing of the Icicle Hitch itself is being made. Until then, follow the written steps.
Step 01
Take four or five turns with the working end around the spar itself, laying each new turn further from the spar's end. The load will pull along the spar toward that end.
No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.
You should now see
Four or five snug turns side by side on the spar, with the standing part leaving from the turn nearest the spar's end.
If it goes wrong
Laying the turns toward the direction of pull instead of away from it. You will see the working end finishing nearer the spar's end than the standing part, and the hitch slides when loaded.
Fix: Unwind the turns and start again beside the end the load will pull toward, laying each turn further away from it.
Why: Under load the coil is drawn longer and so grips tighter, much like a finger trap. That happens only when the pull comes from the end where the turns started.
Diagram in reviewA drawing of the Icicle Hitch itself is being made. Until then, follow the written steps.
Step 02
Lead the working end back along the spar and bring it round to the front beside the standing part, leaving a long bight of rope hanging behind the spar.
No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.
You should now see
The working end and the standing part side by side at the front of the spar, with a slack bight hanging behind it.
If it goes wrong
Pulling the working end tight so no bight is left behind the spar. You then have nothing to pass over the end of the spar in the next step.
Fix: Ease the working end back until the bight behind the spar is long enough to reach over both rope parts and past the end of the spar.
Why: The bight is what locks the turns in place. It needs enough length to go over both rope parts and the end of the spar in one move.
Diagram in reviewA drawing of the Icicle Hitch itself is being made. Until then, follow the written steps.
Step 03
Take the bight from behind the spar, bring it over both the standing part and the working end, and pass it off over the end of the spar.
No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.
You should now see
The bight now goes right around the spar next to the turns, holding the standing part and the working end down against the spar.
If it goes wrong
Passing the bight over the two rope parts but not over the end of the spar. It hangs loose instead of encircling the spar, and pulls straight out when you tighten.
Fix: Lift the bight back up and carry it all the way over the end of the spar so it goes around the spar.
Why: If the end of the spar cannot be reached, make the same finish with the working end: pass it behind the standing part and over the spar, then behind the standing part and over the spar again, ending beside the standing part.
Diagram in reviewA drawing of the Icicle Hitch itself is being made. Until then, follow the written steps.
Step 04
Tighten by pulling the standing part and the working end together at right angles to the spar, then let the load come on the standing part along the spar.
No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.
You should now see
Turns packed tight against each other, and a hitch that stays put when the standing part is pulled along the spar toward its end.
If it goes wrong
Loading along the spar before pulling the hitch tight, or tying it with too few turns. The hitch slides along the spar as the load comes on.
Fix: Take the load off, retie with five turns, and pull both ends hard at right angles to the spar before loading again.
Why: The hitch holds a pull along the spar in one direction only, and slides freely when unloaded so it can be moved and reset. It grips smooth spars well enough that it is said to hold on a tapered marlinspike.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Grip-hitch family

Directional bite on a standing part — slide-test before you trust it.

!Turns on the wrong side of the load
!Failed slide-test, still used
!A clove where a rolling or icicle third turn was the job

Fails when

!The turns run toward the pull instead of away from it, so the hitch slides when loaded.
!The bight went over the rope parts but missed the end of the spar, so it pulls straight out when tightened.
!It was loaded along the spar before being pulled tight, or tied with too few turns, and it slides as the load comes on.
!The pull comes from the other direction along the spar, or the load comes off, and the hitch slides.

Geometry

Turns toward the pull
Hitch will not grip and slides off
Turns must work away from the direction of pull · step 01
Bight missed the spar end
Unfinished icicle — dumps under along-spar load
The bight must pass over both ends and over the spar end · step 03
Never set perpendicular, or too few turns
Walks on the first along-spar load
Set perpendicular, then load; add a turn if the slide-test fails · step 04

If you saw this

Hitch slides down the standing part
Check
- ?Turns away from the pull
- ?Bight over both ends and the spar end
Then
- →Add a turn
- →Reset perpendicular, then load
Turns toward the pull
Check
- ?Hitch will not grip and slides off
- ?Inspect step 01
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Bight missed the spar end
Check
- ?Unfinished icicle — dumps under along-spar load
- ?Inspect step 03
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Never set perpendicular, or too few turns
Check
- ?Walks on the first along-spar load
- ?Inspect step 04
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Not ideal for

×A hitch you will adjust every minute (rolling hitch is faster)
×A two-way hold

Icicle Hitch

Not ideal for

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