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.
Rolling hitch of several other names, although some sources fail to differentiate by using a separate name. This version is preferred when attaching a rope to pole or rod. It is effectively a clove hitch with an extra initial turn. This version is preferred when attaching rope to another rope. The first two turns create an awning hitch − a temporary hitch used by riggers when adjusting tent lines. These first two turns are merely a subtle rearrangement in the position of the turns of #1734. This is tied exactly as #1734, but with the final hitch in the opposite direction. It