Munter hitch (Italian hitch)

The Munter hitch is a way of routing rope through a carabiner so that friction brakes it. It belongs to training in climbing, mountaineering and mountain rescue. There it is taught as part of a whole system of rope, carabiner, harness, hand position and partner check – the hitch alone is only one component.

It is in this atlas so that you know the term when you come across it and understand why it should only be learned in training. The only use the entry mentions at all outside training is the controlled lowering of gear such as a pack – never of people.

In the carabiner the rope lies so that it runs around the carabiner and across itself. Friction builds up at these contact points. How strongly it brakes depends on which strand is held and how – which is exactly why the correct position of the brake hand is decisive and has to be practised.

A special feature is that the hitch can 'flip': when the rope changes direction, the hitch turns over to the other side of the carabiner. This is intended, but it has to be understood and is trained in the course. The Munter hitch also twists the rope, creating kinks, and causes abrasion and heat on the rope. How strongly it brakes is deliberately not quantified here.

The Munter hitch is made from two identically twisted loops folded back to back like closing a book. If the two loops are slid one behind the other instead, you get a clove hitch – a completely different knot that grips rather than brakes in the carabiner. This mix-up is one of the classic mistakes.

Whether a Munter hitch is lying correctly, whether the carabiner is suitable and locked, and whether the rope is not running over the gate must be checked by a trained person. A picture or a description is not enough for that. This page explicitly does not replace that check.

A mistied Munter hitch, an unsuitable or unlocked carabiner or a brake hand that lets go can have fatal consequences when belaying people. So without exception: life-safety use only after proper training with certified equipment, guided by qualified instructors and with a check by a second trained person.

Self-study is no substitute for a course – not even with videos or books. Anyone interested in climbing or mountaineering can find beginner courses at alpine clubs, climbing gyms and mountain schools, where the Munter hitch is also practised under supervision. In an emergency in the mountains: get help via the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

The English name goes back to the Swiss mountain guide Werner Munter, who made the hitch widely known in mountaineering. In German-speaking countries it is called Halbmastwurf, and the abbreviation HMS stands for Halbmastwurfsicherung (Munter-hitch belay). The pear-shaped HMS carabiners built for this rope routing are named after it.

That a knot can brake with such simple means – a rope and a carabiner – shows how powerful friction is. But that power also demands respect: knowing how it works is something different from being able to operate it safely.