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 that sits well above your reach. You tie it at your own level with a long tag end, pull the main line to slide the knot up to the anchor point, and later release it from below with a single pull on that tag — then haul the whole rope back to you. It was designed for tidal boat mooring, where the post you tied to may be far 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 — and that is exactly what makes it worth knowing. Ashley catalogued it twice: once among the slipped hitches climbers used to descend a rope and recover it from below, and again in his boating chapter as the answer to a falling tide. His own assessment ranked it, together with the Slipped Buntline Hitch, as "perhaps the best all-around knots" of that whole slipped-hitch family.

Structurally, the High Point Hitch is that same Slipped Buntline with one extra half-turn before the final slipped tuck. That one turn makes the hitch more secure — a fair trade when you're trusting the knot from a distance, on a post you can't reach again.

Common Uses

Boating and Marine

• Tying a boat to a pile or post where the drop of the tide is considerable — lead the long end back to the boat, cast off by pulling it, and haul the rope back aboard.
• 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 from the ground.
• Tying to any high anchor point you can't comfortably return to, then recovering the full line when you break camp.

ABOK Number (Ashley Book of Knots) #1809 – Page 305 #398 – Page 63 #1810 (Tied in the Bight) Other Names High Post Hitch Highpoint Hitch Category Quick Release Knots Hitches Variations Exploding High Point Hitch

Notable Features

• Remote Release: Pull the long tag end and the whole knot falls apart — you never have to reach the anchor point again.
• Full Rope Recovery: After releasing it, pull the standing part — the side of the rope under load — and the entire line comes back to you.
• Slides Into Position: Tie it low, then pull the main line to slide the hitch up the post to where it needs to sit.
• Works on Most Ropes: Easy to tie, with no special cord required.

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 — well suited to tarp setups and kayak mooring.
• Disadvantage: Not adjustable the way the High Point Hitch is.

Mooring Hitch vs. High Point Hitch

• Advantage: Simple, easy to adjust, holds well under tension, and releases instantly with a tug — a good pick for temporary holds like tethering a kayak or setting camp lines.
• Disadvantage: It's built for temporary holds, not the out-of-reach, recover-the-whole-rope job the High Point Hitch was designed for.

Security Level

Under steady tension on the standing part, the High Point Hitch is a very secure hitch — that's what the extra half-turn over the Slipped Buntline buys you. Its two known weak spots are a slack line and a smooth post: with no tension on the line, or on a slick pole, it can slip. Keep the line loaded and it holds.

Downsides

• Needs Tension: It doesn't work as well with no tension on the line — a slack line is its main failure condition.
• Smooth Posts: It can slip on a slick or polished pole, where the turns have little to grip.
• Long Tag Required: The remote release only works if you left the tag end 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 — Ashley introduces it only as "closely related to" the Slipped Buntline Hitch. The name arrives at #1809, in the boating chapter, where he lays out the problem it solves: tie your boat to a pile where the tide drop is considerable, lead a long end back aboard, cast off by hauling on that end, and pull the whole rope back by the standing part — you never touch the now-high-and-dry post again. Ashley named knots by their usage, which is how the same 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. The whole point of this hitch is releasing it and recovering your rope from a distance, and a short tag end throws that away.

Tying the High Point Hitch in the Bight

Ashley also recorded a version tied without either rope end (#1810) — handy when both ends are occupied or you're working from the middle of a line.

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 that sits well above your reach. You tie the hitch at your own level with a long quick-release tag, pull the main line to slide the knot up to the anchor point, and later release it from below with one pull on the tag — then recover the whole rope. Its classic job is tidal boat mooring, where the post may be out of reach by the time you cast off.

How do you release the High Point Hitch?

Pull the long working end (the quick-release tag) in the direction of the load. That pulls the two turns apart while releasing the draw-loop, and the whole knot falls apart. Then pull the standing part to haul the rope back to you.

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, which makes the hitch more secure at a small cost in tying speed. Ashley himself 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 part through. It releases and recovers the same way as the standard form.

Is the High Point Hitch secure?

Under steady tension, yes — it's a very secure hitch for this job. Its two named weak spots are a slack line and a smooth post: with no tension on the line, 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.