Vertical caving terminology and methods > Knots > Knot construction and behaviour
Many knots are used to create a loop of rope which can be clipped into a carabiner or tied around a natural. Under normal loading, the rope coming out of the knot is pulled away from whatever the loop is tied around (or in some special cases, the rope is pulled away from the knot). With cross loading, the two sides of the loop are pulled apart, which puts a sideways stress on the mouth of the knot. Cross loading can happen when a cows tail is clipped into the loop of the knot, something that happens frequently, and is intentionally done for safety, since if an anchor fails, the caver will still be attached to a loop of the rope. With some knots, repeated cross loading can cause the knot to deform into a configuration that can accidentally untie the knot. This is a serious failing for the knot, and knots that are prone to this behaviour are often avoided because of this limitation. In some cases, the knots continue to be used, but restricted to situations where cross loading is unlikely to happen. Most of the knots commonly used by cavers perform well enough to not have to worry in the situations they are normally used in, with the bowline being a major exception. Cavers who choose to use a bowline need to be aware of its severe limitations, and how to mitigate them.
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