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How to Tie an Alpine Butterfly Knot
The alpine butterfly creates a fixed mid-rope loop without using the rope ends — used to clip middle climbers into a rope team, isolate damaged rope sections, and create load-bearing mid-point attachments.
How to Tie a Alpine Butterfly Step by Step
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Written Instructions — Alpine Butterfly
- Start mid-rope Hold the rope in both hands away from the ends.
- Wrap around hand twice Drape rope over hand and make two wraps around your palm.
- Pull middle strand over top wrap Move the middle (second) wrap upward over the top wrap.
- Tuck through remaining wrap Pass that middle strand through the remaining wrap on your hand from back to front, then slide off hand.
- Pull both ends simultaneously Pull both rope ends apart to cinch the butterfly into a neat fixed loop.
Tips for Tying a Alpine Butterfly
- The hand method is fastest — learn it rather than trying to tie it step-by-step without the hand.
- The loop can bear load from either direction — or both simultaneously — without distorting the knot.
- Used to isolate a damaged section: clip the section inside the loop, load the outside strands.
- Tie practice butterflies on a climbing rope over and over — this knot requires muscle memory to tie under stress.
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