Alpine Butterfly
Also known as the lineman's loop or butterfly loop.
A strong, symmetrical loop you can tie in the middle of a rope without access to either end. Loads from any direction, never twists, and unties cleanly. Climbers, riggers, and trucker's hitch fans all keep this in their pocket.
- CategoryLoop (mid line)
- StrengthExcellent. Loadable three ways
- Time to learn15 minutes
- Best forMid line loops, trucker's hitch, isolating damaged rope
The loop you can tie anywhere on a rope.
Most loop knots, the bowline included, need access to a rope end. The Alpine Butterfly does not. Make it in the middle of a line to clip a carabiner to, to mark a measured length, to bypass a damaged section of rope, or to act as the pulley loop in a trucker's hitch. It loads safely from either standing line or from the loop itself, which makes it unusually versatile.
The hand wrap method.
There are several ways to tie an Alpine Butterfly. The hand wrap method is the easiest to learn and works without ever needing to think about strands or directions. Lay your dominant hand flat with palm up.
Lay the rope across your palm
Drape the rope across the back of your fingers so the standing lines hang down on either side of your hand. Leave roughly the length of your forearm to play with.
Keep your fingers slightly spread. They guide the wraps.Take the first wrap
Wrap the rope once around your hand, so the rope crosses your palm. Lay it close to your fingertips.
Each wrap should sit closer to your wrist than the last.Take the second wrap
Take a second wrap around your hand, this one sitting between the first wrap and your wrist.
Three wraps in total. Keep them roughly evenly spaced.Take the third wrap
Take a third and final wrap, closer still to your wrist. You should now see three parallel lines of rope across your palm.
If the wraps cross each other, slide them straight before going further.Lift the middle wrap over the others
Pinch the middle wrap and lift it forward over the other two wraps and off the tip of your fingers. Drop it on the far side.
It is the strand closest to your fingertips that you grab. Lift, do not slide.Lift the same strand back through
Bring that same strand back through the gap between the other two wraps so it ends up on your wrist side again. Pull it through.
You should now see a small loop forming on your palm where that strand has been pulled through.Slide off and dress
Slide the whole knot off your fingertips. Pull both standing lines firmly while holding the loop. The wraps tighten into the recognisable butterfly shape.
If the knot looks twisted or lumpy, undo and retie. Dress matters here.Set evenly
Pull the two standing lines and the loop in turn so each takes a share of the tension. The knot settles into a flat, symmetrical butterfly.
Loadable three ways. The loop alone, either standing line alone, or both standing lines together.
Field check. A correctly tied Alpine Butterfly looks like two facing wings either side of a central twist. If one side is much bigger than the other, it is dressed wrong, retie it.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the wrong wrap. It must be the strand closest to your fingertips, not the middle one.
- Failing to dress evenly. The knot loses strength when twisted.
- Using too short a rope. You need slack in both standing lines.
- Confusing it with a directional figure eight. They look similar but the butterfly takes load from any direction.
How to untie
Push the loop back into the body of the knot to slacken it, then peel the wraps apart. Even after a hard fall arrest in climbing the Alpine Butterfly opens up cleanly.
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