How to use 8.5mm Opera correctly, precautions, lifetime, care and maintenance with instructional pictures.
8.5mm Opera Unicore 80m 2xDry
Description
Weighing in at only 48 g per meter, the Opera 8.5 is the first sub 50g rope and is the lightest and thinest single rope on the market. The rope is made with technology that combines all of Béal's know-how, resulting in low impact forces, UNICORE technology, DRY COVER protection and the UIAA Water Rellent standard for the GOLDEN DRY version.
This ultra-supple, ultralight rope will please the most demanding sport climbers while remaining versatile for mountaineering.
STRONG POINTS:
• Ultralight.
• Ultra supple.
• Versatile.
• Offers all the advantages
of UNICORE technology.
Weighing in at only 48 g per meter, the Opera 8.5 is the first sub 50g rope and is the lightest and thinest single rope on the market. The rope is made with technology that combines all of Béal's know-how, resulting in low impact forces, UNICORE technology, DRY COVER protection and the UIAA Water Rellent standard for the GOLDEN DRY version.
This ultra-supple, ultralight rope will please the most demanding sport climbers while remaining versatile for mountaineering.
STRONG...
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Weight | 48.0 g/m 8.465 lbs / 3840 g |
Diameter (millimeters) | 8.5 mm |
Length (meters) | 80 m |
Rope Type![]() ![]() | Single/Half/Twin |
UIAA Falls (Single / Half / Twin)![]() ![]() | 5 falls / 18 falls / 25 falls |
Dynamic Elongation (Single / Half / Twin)![]() ![]() | 37.0 % / 32.0 % / 29.0 % |
Static Elongation (Single / Half / Twin)![]() ![]() | 8.4 % / 8.4 % / 5.1 % |
Impact Force (Single / Half / Twin)![]() ![]() | 7.40 kN / 5.50 kN / 8.80 kN |
Dry Treatment![]() ![]() | Sheath & Core UIAA Certified Dry (aka Golden Dry) |
Sheath Proportion (%) | 39.0 % |
Sheath Slippage (mm) | 0 mm |
Type of Middle Mark | None |
Rope End Marker | None |
Certification | CE, EN, UIAA |
RFID / NFC Option![]() ![]() | None |
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After testing the Opera at the crags of Index, Washington, I embarked on a seven-week road trip in the Cascades, the Sawtooths and the Wind River Range. Before I took the rope into the mountains to try some technical and difficult alpine routes, I had my partner yank out the slack from the Grigri to simulate a lead fall, just to make sure the device locked up well enough on the thin rope. It passed the test. With a newfound confidence, we then hiked up to cast away on a sea of alpine granite. The rope was whipped on, rappelled on, and saw action on hundreds of difficult pitches, all the while showing little to no wear.

Touted as the lightest single rope in the world, the Opera 8.5 weighs in at a mind-bending 48 g/m—that’s 7.4 lbs. for the 70-meter version. Rated as a single, half, and twin, its uses are endless, and our testers “took this rope for multi-pitch alpine to ice toproping to redpoints of mixed routes.” We don’t recommend making this your workhorse cord, but it stands out for alpine with its airy weight and incredible UIAA-certified Golden Dry treatment. “After full days in Ouray’s Box Canyon getting clobbered by falling ice and dipping into the river, the Opera was still bone-dry at the end.” Plus, Unicore keeps the core protected if the sheath gets cut.

The Beal Opera is a versatile rope that provides alpine enthusiasts with the ability to simply carry less weight without sacrificing the safety margin provided by a UIAA single rating. It can be carried alone for single use on ice and rock climbs, or as a set of burly double ropes on wandering routes or routes that require 60+ meter rappels. The slinky Opera is not designed to take the abuse of repeated sport whipping or excessive top-roping, but you can use it with confidence on redpoint burns or classic climbs in the mountains, knowing that you are only cutting weight, not safety.
This video explains all the features of 8.5mm Opera.