How to Tie the High Point Hitch
Usage
The High Point Hitch is a quick-release hitch for tying your rope to a post, piling, or branch above your reach. You tie it at your own level with a long tag end, slide the knot up to the anchor by pulling the main line, and later release it from below with a single pull on that tag — then haul the whole rope back. It was designed for tidal boat mooring, where the post may be out of reach by the time you cast off.
Why Learn the High Point Hitch?
Most hitches assume you can walk up and untie them; this one assumes you can't. Ashley ranked it, together with the slipped buntline, among "perhaps the best all-around knots" of the slipped-hitch family.
Common Uses
Boating and Marine
- Tying a boat to a pile where the tide drop is considerable, then casting off and hauling the rope back aboard from a distance.
- Releasing a mooring line from below at low tide, without touching the post.
Camping and Bushcraft
- Throwing a rope over a tree branch and securing it with a long tag for quick release.
- Tying to any high anchor you can't return to, then recovering the line when you break camp.
ABOK Number
(Ashley Book of Knots)
Other Names
Category
Variations |
Notable Features
- Remote Release: Pull the long tag end and the knot falls apart — no reaching the anchor again.
- Full Rope Recovery: After releasing it, pull the standing part and the whole line comes back.
- Slides Into Position: Tie it low, then pull the main line to slide the hitch up the post.
Similar Knots
Slipped Buntline Hitch vs. High Point Hitch
- Advantage: One less half-turn, so it's slightly quicker and simpler to tie.
- Disadvantage: The High Point Hitch's extra half-turn makes it the more secure of the two.
Tumble Hitch vs. High Point Hitch
- Advantage: An exploding-type quick-release hitch that can be untied under load and tied in the bight.
- Disadvantage: Not adjustable the way the High Point Hitch is.
Mooring Hitch vs. High Point Hitch
- Advantage: The adjustable mooring loop is simple, easy to adjust, holds well under tension, and releases instantly with a tug — good for temporary holds like tethering a kayak.
- Disadvantage: It's built for temporary holds, not the out-of-reach, recover-the-whole-rope job the High Point Hitch does.
Security Level
Under steady tension on the standing part the High Point Hitch is very secure. Its two weak spots are a slack line and a smooth post, where it can slip; keep the line loaded and it holds.
Downsides
- Needs Tension: A slack line is its main failure condition.
- Smooth Posts: It can slip on a slick pole, where the turns barely grip.
- Long Tag Required: The remote release only works if the tag end is long enough to reach you — plan the length before you tie.
History
The High Point Hitch is a knot Ashley catalogued twice without quite meaning to. In The Ashley Book of Knots (1944) it first appears unnamed at #398, among the slipped hitches climbers used to descend a rope and pull it down after them — introduced only as "closely related to" the Slipped Buntline Hitch. The name arrives at #1809 in the boating chapter, applied to the tidal-mooring job. Ashley named knots by their usage, which is how one knot ended up living two lives in one book.
How to Tie a High Point Hitch
These steps tie the standard end-tied form. If the wraps are hard to picture from flat text, the Knot IQ app shows the High Point Hitch as a 3D animation you can slow down and turn until each half-turn makes sense. A length of bushcraft paracord and a fence post are all you need to practice.
Step 1
Pass the working end — the end of the rope you're moving — a half turn round the pole.
Step 2
Pass a half turn round the standing part — the side of the rope that runs off to the load.
Step 3
Pass a half turn round both the working end and the standing part, above the first turn, closer to the pole.
Step 4
Push a bight of the working end through the middle of the hitch — between the two half turns, and between the standing part and the working end. This bight is your quick release.
Step 5
Pull on the standing part to tighten, sliding the hitch snugly up against the pole if needed. To release, pull the working end in the direction of the load — the turns pull apart, the draw-loop lets go, and the whole knot falls apart.
Pro Tip: Leave the quick-release tag end long — long enough to reach you at ground or boat level. A short tag end throws away the whole point of the hitch.
Tying the High Point Hitch in the Bight
Ashley also recorded a version tied without a free rope end (#1810) — handy when both ends are occupied.
Step 1
Middle the rope.
Step 2
Pass the bight around the post and lay it around the two standing parts.
Step 3
Tuck a bight from the end part through the hitch. When the end is pulled, the rope draws back — it releases and recovers the same way as the standard form.
FAQ
What is the High Point Hitch used for?
Tying a rope to a post, piling, or branch above your reach. You tie it at your own level with a long quick-release tag, slide the knot up to the anchor by pulling the main line, then release it from below with one pull on the tag and recover the whole rope. Its classic job is tidal boat mooring.
How do you release the High Point Hitch?
Pull the long working end (the quick-release tag) toward the load. The two turns pull apart, the draw-loop releases, and the knot falls apart. Then pull the standing part to haul the rope back.
What is the difference between the High Point Hitch and the Slipped Buntline Hitch?
One extra half-turn. Both are tied the same way until the final turn; the High Point Hitch adds a half-turn before the final slipped tuck, making it more secure at a small cost in speed. Ashley introduced it as "closely related to" the Slipped Buntline Hitch.
Can you tie the High Point Hitch without a free rope end?
Yes — Ashley catalogued a bight-tied version at #1810. Middle the rope, pass the bight around the post, lay it around the two standing parts, and tuck a bight from the end through. It releases the same way as the standard form.
Is the High Point Hitch secure?
Under steady tension, yes. Its two weak spots are a slack line and a smooth post — with no tension, or on a slick pole, it can slip. Keep the line loaded and it holds.
Important Notes on Safety
The High Point Hitch depends on tension to hold — never trust it on a slack line or a smooth, slick post, and don't use it for any load where an unexpected release would put people or gear at risk. It's a quick-release knot by design: anything that snags or pulls the tag end can spill it. If you're mooring to a piling in moving water, keep your fingers clear of the line and the post while you tie — a rocking boat can pinch hard. Check that the hitch is seated snugly against the post and the tag end runs clear before you put your trust in it.
