The leaflet will help those who don't know their prusik from their bowline. Photo: Iwona Erskine-Kellie

Are you one of those people who end up in knots when confronted with a climbing rope?

Help is at hand: a booklet originally drawn up by the British Mountaineering Council’s technical committee in 1997 is now available online. The leaflet has been out of print some time and a new one is due next year, but the guide is invaluable for those just starting out in climbing or perhaps those who want to get back into the cragrat community and have forgotten their knots.

The PDF leaflet details the main knots climbers will find useful, including the figure of eight; bowline, prusik, clove hitch and fisherman’s knot, among others.

The free download is available on the BMC website.