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The girth-hitch master point used at a double-bolt anchor.

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If you’ve been paying attention at the crag or to social media, you might have seen a girth hitch used as the masterpoint of a belay anchor—like, tied in the cordelette or sling the masterpoint locker is clipped to. Since the humble girth hitch has been both variously loved and shirked by climbers over the years, this might raise some questions: Where did this technique develop? Is the girth hitch safe to use in this manner? Is it redundant? And does it compromise cord or webbing strength? Below you can find answers to all these questions, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of this anchoring technique.

The girth-hitch masterpoint was initially developed in the Dolomites of Italy as a tool to connect numerous anchor components, such as multiple fixed pitons and nuts, plus whatever else the leader had placed. The limestone in the Dolomites is home to numerous well-traveled lines as well as occasionally dubious rock quality. As a result, belay stances accumulate fixed protection. Instead of attempting to sort out which old pin or stopper is best, you just use everything and tie it all off with a girth hitch. In the last several years, this technique has gained traction as a recommended rigging in many European nations, and has since crept into North American climbing. It is simply one of many possible rigging tools, and a useful one to pull out of the bag of tricks from time to time.

There are a number of cases in which this tool shines compared to other rigging options. This rigging is materially efficient, so it’s handy when you’ve led a long pitch and only have a few slings left at the belay. It can also be used to connect a large number of components, which would otherwise require a bulky masterpoint knot and lots of material. This lack of a bulky knot is also advantageous in winter climbing environments—the girth hitch requires less dexterity to tie, say, than a figure-8 on a bight, making it easier to construct and untie while wearing gloves. Unlike a knotted masterpoint, you can adjust a girth hitch after tying it. Since it’s fast and simple, it can also be useful when you’ve got a stack of pitches to get done before sunset.

Rigging with a girth hitch does have some disadvantages. The first is relatively trivial: The technique requires a dedicated masterpoint locker. Fortunately, you can quite literally weigh the value of this technique against that requirement.

Further, while the girth hitch is often regarded as relatively weak, testing has shown it to be plenty strong for the forces in a climbing anchor. More importantly, the girth hitch does not necessarily meet the classic notion of redundancy. If any one leg of the anchor were to be cut by rock or ice fall, or to come unclipped from a carabiner, the remaining material might slip through the masterpoint carabiner under load. Such a slip could hypothetically cause the masterpoint carabiner to slide out from the rigging and cause catastrophic failure, potentially sending you and your partner to the deck, which would be…less than ideal.

However, this is not as serious of a problem as it may initially seem. It helps if you understand how much or how little the girth hitch might slip were one anchor leg to fail. A study I conducted with my colleague Dr. John Sohlconfirms data from prior German and Italian researchers: Slippage in such cases is minimal, often less than one or two inches. Greater slip could occur with a wet or icy sling, but this can be countered by setting the hitch well. Therefore, to minimize slip you must snugly dress the girth hitch, ideally via bodyweight, such as clipping your masterpoint to the anchor and leaning back.

Even if slippage were to occur, there are only a few cases in which it might actually cause a catastrophic failure. Let’s look at three possible scenarios:

As with any new technique, spend time practicing the girth-hitch masterpoint in a safe location before you try it up high, where it matters. Once you’re familiar with the technique, you’ll find great applications for it, whether it’s on your next multi-pitch rock route or ice climb.

Derek DeBruin is an outdoor educator and AMGA Rock Guide based in the Wasatch of northern Utah. Equally pleased to have rock shoes, crampons, or ski boots on his feet, his pursuits in the mountains vary with the season. You can read serial stories about them on Instagram @derekmdebruin.

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