Beal Opera Review

This rope has an incredibly small diameter for a single rope, which translates to significant weight savings over other options. We also like its smooth handling, durable UniCore construction, and triple-use rating.

Performance Comparison

Handling

The Beal Opera has smooth, easy handling, likely due to its thin diameter. This allows the rope to bend in ways that thicker ropes can't. It's easy to tie knots, clip carabiners, and thread rappel devices with this rope. We have never used a rope that handles as well as this one.

Alpine ropes are handled in a wide variety of ways, from traditional belay and rappel devices to munter hitches, terrain belays, and kiwi coils. This rope bends easily in HMS carabiners, providing plenty of bite in munter and clove hitches. It's easy to coil and flake the rope, and tying off kiwi coils has never been easier. On long descents, it's nice when the rope doesn't resist bending when being threaded through a rappel device. The Opera is the soft, supple rope that we've always been searching for. Be warned though, this rope is thin and slippery in assisted braking devices (like the Petzl Gri Gri).

Durability

Thin ropes are notorious for frayed sheaths that don't inspire confidence when you're climbing high above the clouds. With less overall sheath material, thin ropes distribute a given amount of wear and tear over less material than thicker ropes, which leads to faster sheath wear. The Beal Opera is not impervious to these concerns, but it stands up reasonably well to abuse.

In particular, we have to mention Beal's excellent UniCore technology. Traditionally, the woven sheath is not attached to the core of the rope, and merely acts like a protective sleeve. UniCore bonds the long sheath fibers to the core, which means that torn sheath fibers can't continue to pull out and unwind. Rather, they stay frayed in place, which prevents large soft spots from forming in the sheath. Furthermore, in the case of core damage, the difference in stretch between the core and the sheath means the sheath pulls apart at the location of the partial cut. With UniCore, the sheath stays bonded to the core at the location of the cut, preventing the tear from spreading.

In practice, this technology works wonders. Where other ropes develop soft spots from sheath damage that spread throughout the sheath fibers, the Opera simply frays in place. We don't have to worry about sheath damage spreading over time or presenting a weak spot in the rope, since the rest of the sheath nearby the damaged area is anchored to the core. Although sheath damage still occurs, this rope has a surprisingly long lifespan of normal use, considering the small diameter.

Versatility

The Beal Opera is a specialist's rope, designed for alpine climbers venturing into the high peaks. The limited durability and high dynamic elongation (stretch) percentage prevent this rope from being a good choice for top-roping and heavy-duty use. Even sport climbing takes a toll on this rope, so don't plan on using it to belay your friend on their long-term project.

We prefer to use this rope for all alpine climbing objectives, both summer and winter, since it's low weight makes approaches lighter. For multi-pitch rock climbs, we prefer a slightly larger-diameter rope, but we will use the Opera in a pinch. In general, we'll opt for something thicker for single-pitch sport and trad leads, but again, the Opera works if no other rope is available. Again, this rope isn't suitable for most single-pitch climbing.

Features

The Beal Opera is laden with useful features. First, there are two different dry treatment choices. If you want to use the rope for winter climbing or glaciated approaches to alpine climbs, we recommend selecting the UIAA-certified Golden Dry treatment. If you don't need as much water repellency and just want to keep dirt and grime at bay, the Dry Cover option is cheaper and effective. Second, the rope comes in two color choices and six length options, meaning you can find the exact rope you're looking for.

Finally, we appreciate the UIAA triple-rated feature of this rope. Single rope configuration is the most commonly used system, but there are times when we are glad to be able to use the rope as a half or twin. For example, if climbing with one leader and two followers, the leader can climb on one single rope and tag a second rope along, allowing each follower to climb on a single rope. Many other ropes allow this configuration, but the low weight of the Opera means it's less of a burden on the leader to drag two ropes up a pitch. And since the Opera stretches so much during a leader fall, it's nice to be able to double up the rope for short cruxes while climbing as a team of two, leading on half of twin ropes through the difficult terrain, then switching back to single-rope configuration in the easier terrain.

Weight

At 48 grams per meter, this rope is incredibly light. In general, 0.1 millimeters in reduced diameter translates to 1 gram per meter of reduced weight. Over 60, 70, or 80 meters of rope, these weight savings can translate into a pound or two. We easily noticed the reduced weight of this rope compared to other options on the market, especially while leading long pitches or carrying the rope up steep approaches.

In alpine climbing, light is often 'right.' Moving quickly in vertical terrain presents its own risks, but when faced with afternoon thunderstorms or rockfall and other objective hazards, speed sometimes increases safety in alpine climbing. Lightweight gear that allows you to save a pound or two here and there can add up, leading to game-changing weight savings. For this reason, the low weight of the Beal Opera is a significant factor in our recommending it as the best choice for alpine climbing.

Should You Buy the Beal Opera?

If you spend a lot of time alpine climbing, moving fast in the high peaks any time of year, this rope should be in your quiver. It isn't the best choice for a quiver-of-one rope, since it has limited usefulness for single-pitch climbing. If you're new to climbing and are looking for a more versatile rope, this shouldn't be your rope. But if you want to take your alpine climbing to new heights, the Beal Opera is a worthy investment.

What Other Climbing Ropes Should You Consider?

The Edelrid Canary Pro Dry is another worthy alpine rope that doesn't perform quite as well as the Opera, but it does offer more versatility for similar alpine performance, albeit at a higher price. We love the versatility of the Sterling Aero 9.2 Xeros, which is a bit thicker and heavier, but much more versatile, and it's also triple-rated. If you want a good rope for harder multi-pitch climbing that also has some alpine versatility, the Beal Joker is another of our favorite ropes. If you are looking for a thicker option that can take more of a beating, the Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic is one of the best ropes out there for single- and multi-pitch climbing.