Alpine Butterfly Bend
How to tie the Alpine Butterfly Bend Knot. The Butterfly Bend, as it is also known, is a method of joining two ropes that derive from the tying of the Alpine Butterfly Loop, or Lineman's Loop except that it is tied with the ends of two ropes. Indeed, another method of tying this knot (that differs in form from the method described here) is to tape or otherwise temporarily seize the ends of the two ropes and then proceed to tie an Alpine Butterfly loop. When the knot is complete, un-attach the two ends and you have the same exact knot as with this method. It is also quite similar to the Zeppelin Bend. As such it is a knot that does not jam and is performs equally well wet or dry. Both knots can be untied after bearing a load. The Alpine Butterfly Bend is a well respected knot for joining two ropes of approximately the same diameter.
Scroll down to see the animated Alpine Butterfly Bend below the knot tying tutorial.
Alpine Butterfly Bend Knot Tying Instructions
- Form an overhand loop (working end lays on top of standing line) with the rope on your left. Feed the second rope from the right up through the first loop and lay its working end on top of its standing line (another overhand loop).
- You will now complete the tying of an overhand knot with the first rope, being careful to also feed the working end up through the second loop before it exists its own loop, forming the overhand knot.
- Repeat the exact same process with the second rope.
- Tighten each rope's overhand knot down separately until the ropes are fairly well joined.
- Then pull hard in opposite directions with the standing lines of each rope.
