Question: Why must I tie in with a figure 8 follow-through? What’s wrong with a bowline, or a figure 9?

Answer: As the questions correctly implies, there is no one “best” knot for every situation in climbing. One of the big advantages to a figure-8 follow through is that it is easy to inspect visually to determine if it is correctly tied. The same cannot be said for a bowline or a figure 9. Hence, in order to protect everyone’s safety, we require a rewoven figure 8 with a double fisherman backup so that you, your climbing partner, and our staff can easily and reliably visually inspect your tie-in knot.

Question: My friend wants to learn how to climb. Can I teach him in your gym?

Answer: Unfortunately, our liability insurance requires that only MetroRock instructors teach in our gym. However, our Basic Safety course is a great bargain.