How to Make a Climbing Hook

Cut your steel rod into five sections using a hacksaw. One should measure about 20 inches and the other four cut to about 16 inches each.

Curl one end of the 20-inch long rod around the horn of your anvil by holding the opposite end with one hand and tapping the other end around the pointed horn with a 5-pound sledge hammer. The end of the rod should be curled around until the end touches the shaft of the rod. This loop will be used to attach a rope to later.

Bend the four 16-inch rods into U-shaped sections to form the four hooks of your grappling hook. Hammering them around the horn of the anvil to create the necessary bend. Clean all surfaces you plan to weld using some coarse steel wool to make welding easier.

Weld the one U-shaped 16-inch long rod to the 20-inch long rod opposite the end with the loop. Hold one side of a U-shaped rod against the shaft of the straight 20-inch rod end. Weld a bead along all adjoining surfaces with the tip of the arc welding rod. Ensure your arc welder is powered and the rod is firmly placed in the stinger. Weld a bead on either side of the U shaped rod to the shaft of the 20-inch rod.

Attach the other three U-shaped rods to the grappling hook. These should be attached in the same fashion as the first, but spaced evenly around the 20-inch rod end. Each U rod should be offset 90 degrees from the next.

Feed a length of climbing rope through the loop and tie it securely using a bowline knot. Toss the hook over an obstacle before pulling and adding tension to your rope. The theory is to have one of the four barbs catch on to a fixed surface of your obstacle, allowing you to then climb the taught rope.