Munter hitch Munter hitch The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch or the Crossing Hitch, is a simple knot, commonly used by climbers, cavers, and rescuers as part of a life-lining or belay system. To climbers, this knot is also known as HMS, the abbreviation for the German term "Halbmastwurfsicherung", meaning "half clove hitch belay". This technique can be used with a special "pear-shaped" HMS locking carabiner, or any locking carabiner wide enough to take two turns of the rope. The Munter hitch is named after a Swiss mountain guide, Werner Munter, who popularised its use in mountaineering around 1970.
Lashing (ropework) clove hitch is tied around one leg only and frapping turns are taken between the poles. The round lashing is most frequently used to join two poles together to extend their length. In the simple version, a clove hitch is tied around both poles and there are no frapping turns. The tripod lashing (also known as gyn lashing, of eight lashing, and three-spar shear lashing) is used to join three spars together to form a tripod. Lashing (ropework) A lashing is an arrangement of rope wire or webbing with linking device used to secure and fasten two or more items