the.com/prusik
the humble loop of cord that grips when loaded and slides when you ask nicely
means A friction hitch (or the loop of cord used to tie it) that wraps around a climbing rope, gripping tightly under load and loosening when relaxed so it can be slid along by hand.
from Named for Karl Prusik, an Austrian mountaineer who described the knot in the early 20th century — the word is simply his surname, which over time slid from naming the man to naming the hitch, and then the cord loop itself, even as a verb (to 'prusik' up a rope).
- named after
- Austrian musician Karl Prusik, who published it 1931
- friction trick
- thinner cord bites thicker rope harder
- self-rescue
- lets climbers ascend a rope with no gear
- slack secret
- unweighted, it slides free with a finger
- music origin
- first used to mend torn instrument strings
for instance
prusik knot — friction hitch knot invented by karl prusik in 1931, used in climbing and rescue
prusik loop — cordage loop tied with prusik knot, standard equipment on mount everest expeditions