Could this save your life? 

It's exciting to sell Beal ropes at our new hownot2.store/collections/beal

This video greatly increased the chances of me buying a Beal rope simply because the manufacturer is willing to put out information like this.

If I thought I liked beal ropes before, I’m for sure convinced now. My 8.5 opera has been far more durable than anticipated

I've seen many long used rappel ropes snakeskin out on one end and that is uncomfortable to many folks, maybe not a money factor for many, but good for some. I can see this being a big advantage for some environments, as well as I can see this being a plus for envions where you have a rescue rope which is normally way over sized, but unicore might give just that little extra durability on a specialist rope to make an additional cost worth while, if you can then reduce bulk. Since in many cases the "rescue" rope isn't there to be stronger, just oversized for durability. It really seems that this fits in a niche where all you need is a few more percentage points of overall performance, and it seems to do that well. The big thing for me is "soft failure" if you were in a hauling situation where you generated enough force to sheath a rope, unicore might not give you time to change your shorts, but it may well give you time to get a second rope into the system when a standard rope might have given way, or bound up a pully and made the situation far worse. Not for everyday, but certainly not a gimmick.

most surprising for mea was that you pronounces it [bja:l] I always though that it is [bi:l] , like beal, veal

Love my beal jokers. Run golden dry unicore 70 halfs for trad multipitch mostly at Seneca but also often at more local spots. Love the piece of mind of running 2 systems especially if the route meanders or has thin gear in spots, also that I can rap off anywhere without having to wait for anyone. :D The rocks at Seneca can be pretty rough on ropes so after this past august I wanted to reassess my methods. Pretty happy that I landed on the jokers for halfs instead of something without unicore. Im curious about the chemical qualities and applications of the glue. Say Im using these ropes 1-4 weekends a month climbing anywhere from 3-15pitches a day, plus one or two raps with my partner how long will the glue remain viable? Do whips affect its effectiveness? Would completely encapsulating the core entirely in the glue increase effectiveness/durability/longevity? Im sure it would? If the cost of the glue isnt a limiting factor why not apply more? Wonder if a certain small amount of aramid fibers could be woven into the sheaths and or cores to increase abrasion resistance without compromising a ropes dynamic quality? 🤔

I recently retire a Beal unicore 50 meter rope that was a few years old (let say between 3-5 years old) that almost only used at the gym. The reason I retire it was that the rope had a lots of small bump on the sheat mostly towards the middle of the rope, not the end that usually wear out quicker. We could almost not see the bump but could clearly feel them while belaying and feeding the rope through the belay device. I also noticed that when pinching the rope at a spot with a bump the rope arc was a bit different that a spot without bump. Now I still used the rope about 1 year like this before retiring it, but each time belaying someone I was feeling insecure feeling those weird bumps through my hands, so I decided to retire it. Did you also experience such bumps on rope ? Could it be due to unicore treatment? Is it still safe to use such rope? By the way thanks for the great videos.

13:22 I saw that "incorrect" figure 8! It'll be harder to untie after you put 16kN on it! Lol, just joking btw there's no hope or use in untying that :)

Climbing manufacturers finally understood that working with you is a win win situation

Several years ago while ascending fixed lines up to Mammoth Terrace on El Cap the sheath of the rope I was on was so bleached it essentially turned to powder and I went for a slide for life down the fixed line until the sheath bunched up and I stopped. After changing my underwear I moved over to another fixed line that looked in even worse shape than the one that failed but it got me to the anchor. I stayed off any fixed lines that weren’t ones that I placed after that.

To the Beal team: I am happy with the one Beal rope I have and trusting your product enough to let Ryan beat the shit out of it definitely makes me trust you 😉 Money well spent 👍

When you were ascending on the core, I would note that in reality, you'd hopefully have some prussiks with you and you could transition to ascending with those... Might be be another fun test one day (holding strength of klemheist/prussik on core), but yeah, I'd get the hell off of a toothed device if I were only on core strands 😅

I like Beal, a lot more now they've been so helpful with this video. It's great knowing all the theoretical stuff that their (and other brands) testing criteria meets, but this is a bit more 'real world' testing which helps understand how good the kit is when not in optimal condition. Incredible how much force can be applied with a toothed ascender in a f1.8 fall. I now trust my ropes a bit more, i have Beal half ropes but not 🦄

Awesome! I'd be interested in seeing unicore applied to arborist ropes. The ability to stay round is rather important when running stationary rope techniques on mechanical friction devices.

Any chance you could ask Beal to make some unicore Arborist ropes? I would probably switch to only using those if they existed. Edit: after hitting send, I immediately realized that they have an 11mm static unicore. I will be checking that out asap.

I have always wondered why this isn’t the standard for all ropes being used for abseiling and ascending. Seeing how it reacts in different scenarios was very interesting. Thanks Ryan.

I mean if the rope manufacturer is working with you, go all the way. See what HardIsEasy did with Mammut and how they collaborated. I want to see the impact of rope thickness on a sharp edge IN THE WILD ON ACTUAL ROCK I would also be curious of some tangle science using normal ropes compared to unicore

I haven’t seen one, but have you done one to see the forces on an anchor after a piece blows? Example: multipitch climb p2, leader takes off and clips into the highest piece of anchor in attempt to mitigate factor2, at least until gets first “real” piece in for the pitch. Say they fall on that single anchor piece, with force of idk say 2kn (or insert realistic force here) but it ultimately blows that piece. How much, if any of that 2kn is subtracted(?) from the force that will hit the remaining in tact anchor? I’d think it’d have to lessen the impact on the remaining anchor, right? Thanks!

How about prusik on exposed core strands? Would it grip all the core strands better than the ascender?

Some information about rope / winch/ drill thing you used in this video? Seems interesting...

I had never heard of unicore and seeing as I only sport climb it's probably overkill for my needs, but it's interesting, and seeing brands cooperate on these videos really makes me trust them more

I like that you're able to work with the manufacturer and they were able to work with you; To give us the audience the best value!

Sending it to HowNot2 KNOWING he is going to be brutally analytical- I REALLY respect that

"KERNMANTEL" these germans really have cool words... like "Burrito"

pull test the velcroe by the inch - how many inches/feet for 1kn? i

Seriously, you Sir are a hero. You channel is like a public utility. I hope your store goes well and you stay healthy for a long time.

The Beal 8.1mm Ice Line is a popular with ice climbers. That's what I use. How about some testing of skinny ropes.

Could you test de-sheathing with toothless ascenders like the Petzl rescuescender which uses a cam? I was thinking about getting one but there isn't much info on them and I don't know anyone who uses one. Also, my buddy reslung his cams with 1/2 inch nylon webbing and we were telling him how sketchy that is so he just doubled them up. Can you possibly test that as well?

Interesting little known fun fact for ya! - Kordas the rope manufacturer from Spain invented the sheath core connection and called it 'STABILITY' Beal saw the opportunity and quickly nabbed the idea, calling it Unicorn LOL (Unicore for the serious)

For the record, many manufacturers have Unicore™ style ropes - Tendon, Teufelberger etc.

You should do a golden dry vs dry vs untreated test.

Can we get a pull test on that velco? would love to know if the velcro can hold past the breaking strength of the backing strap.

Love that Beal / a manufacturer is finally working with you. I rarely comment on RU-vid but had to say it. Personally I have Petzl Volta ropes (I like orange in pictures). I’ve heard good things about the joker but now they are definitely on my hit list. As always, thanks Ryan.

Another great video. I never heard of unicor until just now! And I'm super excited enough that your starting a store! I will be buying a unicorn rope from there shortly! I hope one day you have a storefront so we can roll up in there and say hi. Love all your videos especially the canyoneering ones as i am too old for much climbing these days but always up for going down!

Idk about all unicore rope but I work In the rope access industry and we use the 11mm pmi extreme pro with a polyester sheath and unicore and it adds somewhere between 1 or 2 thousand more pounds to the working load ... I can't remember off the top of my head

The rope breakage at @10:12 seems concerning. In other videos you've seen non-unicore ropes desheath at ~6kN but then the core still holds. And your core-only test held until 10. But here the unicore rope snapped entirely at 6.5kN.

Does the unicorn glue job breakdown over time? Does the softening of the rope related to the core and sheath glue bond breaking down?

Wait a minute @ 15:50 the pulley how were you able to buy it I don't get it , did someone send it to you or can you buy it from US??

my unicore rope is so old that the glue formed little balls under the sheath.. i wonder what category that is.. anyway thx for the video!

related to theets on ropes ... i will add the kong kisa as resetable absorber after ascenders ...I havent seen tests on it . have you tried this ?

Awesome video as always Ryan! I'm not a climber but if I ever did I'd go Beal just bc they were open enough to test like this, wish more manufacturers were like this. 👍👍

15:47 can anyone help, please? Does anyone know what this winch is? Thanks

First time I climbed on a Beal Joker, I thought I was tying in with dental floss. Anyone else?

You know me... if you test stuff, I'm gonna watch But, as a climber who once fell a long way onto an ascender, I love the idea of a unicore rope!

Was the glue as effective after putting it in the rub master?

So, I totally misunderstood unicore before this video.This definitely helps me make a more informed choice given what I want to use the rope for and will mean I don't have a false sense of safety on a thin rope just because it has unicore. I really appreciate this.

makes me wonder how something like Courant Ultima or Edelrid Prostatic Synctec would do where they are not glued together but braided together to make the unicore

Please tell me which model of winch is used? 15:45

What is the drill powered ascender used at 15:52?

It strikes me as risky to belay somebody from above on the top and away from the edge, like a typical multipitch situation because it is a dynamic rope that is unprotected and over the edge. Rocks in my area, in any case are sharp with large crystals. And if somebody keeps falling on the same spot it makes me nervous to see and feel the rope grind while holding the belay devic

This has been one of the best videos put together yet. Interesting and informative the whole time.

Do you ship world wide ??? Or not yet !???

You mention it briefly at the end but the reason I love Beal Unicore is because if you ever coreshot your rope, you can bail quickly without having to isolate the coreshot section via alpine butterfly. As you demonstrated you will not put enough force for it to matter while rappelling.

I work and climb with Beal Unicord ropes, for me they are one of the best ropes on the market. I have two ropes that I have been using daily for more than 5 years to hoist equipment and they are top.

Awesome video! Also, what is the name of that drill powered haul device at 15:51 ?

Is there a video about the new tree drop tower? If not, can we get one?

20:33 Rub Master! 🤣 Am a big fan of the Beal Joker, I've used it as part of a pair for trad climbing for years.

So based on this, I would want to know if the adhesive bond of the unicore remains after several factor 2 falls (not on an ascender). Would it start acting like a normal rope after a few falls? Some of your tests seem to show it making the adhesive non-functional after time.

What is that drill powered rope winch you're using? I would like to get my hands on something like that!

I’ve not climbed for years and even I’m tempted to buy a unicore rope. Great vid thanks 👍

Have many, many ropes - but never bought a Beal... that's gonna change

Have you tested or discussed the old hemp ropes like they used on ships? How do these compare? Can they be used in climbing? I have no idea about this stuff but your videos found themselves in my feed. So my stupid questions are totally not my fault. 😂 Blame RU-vid. 😁👍 🤣

👍 for Beal sending a bunch of rope for the video ! Super interesting results

"if I were halfway up El Cap, this would be another level of gnar" Lmao, cracked me up real good

I’m wondering if unicore ropes in _certain other_ situations might more rapidly wear-out/fuzz-up their sheaths, by virtue of the sheath not having some shock-absorbing “give” longitudinally when the rope is very heavily loaded _also_ cross-sectionally against the rock - e.g., over a sharper edge of rock - and not just longitudinally heavily loaded. I mean, if the sheath won’t ‘give’ longitudinally in that combined-vectors situation, then it’s actually rubbing more impactfully in effect against the rock edge.

I use a Beal Joker. Unicore: Not bad to have i think. But I would not buy the Joker again, because it feels even thinner than 9.1 and also makes squiggle (?) more easy than others. Beal is known for soft ropes, i like that. I dont like stiff mammut. Best rope i had was Sterling, but you can not buy those in Germany.

Absolutely love this! I’ve been a fan for a while now, and it’s great to see companies recognizing the value of your work and partnering with you. Keep up the fantastic content!

Got a topgun 2 10.5 m for 6 years ago. Climb once a week outdoors. Still holding strong.

I hadn't really considered Beal Unicore before this video, but now I am aware of it, have a good idea of its pros and cons, and have a good vibe about the manufacturer. I think I used to have a Beal rope, but I can't really remember, and right now - this video seems more relevant to me than those memories.

need a shirt that says AGS! or Always Go Second! thank you for all you do! from all of us THANK YOU!

Beal ropes have always been awful handling after some use, flatspots making them dreadful to belay with. wouldn't touch one if it was free.

It's super interesting stuff, I like the idea, improves the rope slightly while maintaining a balance of flexibility and wear capability; if they soaked the rope with glue it would be too stiff, thus the reason why they only cover a small section.

I see it this way. They're getting free testing so they can see if they can improve the product. THAT is why they wanted to work with you, because of your background and the reach you have. That says a lot of good about the company that sells the product. It's hard to find companies wanting to do that for their customer base anymore, in profit focused business.

OK, I never thought I needed this, but please show us some Velcro on Velcro slack snap. I need to know how much surface area of Velcro overlap it takes to exceed the material breaking strength.

you don't wanna pull test that velcro connection? looked pretty bomber. just sayin.

Congratulations on the huge success. All the work that you put into each video can be seen with how you present the information clearly. I'm so glad that we can have this content here on RU-vid, it really is invaluable

I think Unicore for some people is an amazing tool to reduce anxiety about abrasion. for others I worry they might think it is indestructible and do things that on a normal rope they might not have. the second group of people aren't a fault of beal it happens in every industry. when cars got lane keep assist and automatic braking many people started falling asleep at the wheel because they thought it would save them in any situation. It is human nature to think that innovation makes you invincible and that is why what you are doing in indispensable.

I suspect the lack of slippage will reduce abrasion. Having a small fold of slack gather above a friction point will cause more wear.

Lesson learned: don't trust your life to a rope. OK, I have rappelled from a dangerous height, but never again.

Where do you get that cordless rope winch? At 15 minutes 52 seconds. I have been looking for that one

I am not a climber but find these videos really interesting. What is that device that looks like an extending dog lead? It looks like an anti-fall system. The reason I am asking is for walking dogs that try to sprint when they see say a rabbit and jolt the extending lead.

So what do you think is the best and safest way to solo lead climb. I don't have anyone to climb with, and I was just wondering how to do it safely. Because every device has teeth.

Can you test what happens if you dip normal rope in a flexible glue and let it dry before use. Does it help with sheat slippage and/or add pull strength?

I am intrigued by unicore, and am glad Beal worked with you on this. I was so glad to hear they use sustainable methods with their unicorns 😂

Does a rope that has been stored well for a few years (5-6y) go bad, so should it be replaced? What I have found out is that a modern synthetic rope that has not been damaged or otherwise badly stored does not need to be replaced.

I’m not sure unicore makes the difference for me to need it in a rope, but I sure do appreciate learning more about it! Thanks for the video and huge thank you to Beal!

I might be thinking of a different brand. But I really thought that some of inner strands would be weaved through the sheath at some interval and that was what was keeping the core and sheath from separating.

Thanks for showing what "unicore" really means

Do you think that beal ropes with unicore are better ropes for sport climbing than other? I would like to buy a new rope and I want to buy the most safe.

If I had to ascend past a core slipped rope like that I would overhand on a bight below the slippage and tie that back to my belay loop with a locker so even if the ascender slipped off I'd still fall on the kern.

I know you had someone theorising that they rub Unicorn horns to make the rope, but looking at that glue, I think that they were thinking of a different "horn" to the one that Beal use in reality 😂😂

Respect to the co!

Can you get different lengths of rope, such as 30 feet of rope with a splced eye for saddle hunting?

I buy Pro Extreme Unicore 😊

Bruh, now you have to break test Velcro so we can know how much Velcro is super good enough to fall on.

Have you ever tested rope that is 23 years old but is still factory wrapped ? i have some ;-)

So, rope soloists use these devices and can get much higher forces on their progress captures than someone simply ascending the rope.

so are the beal unicore slightly safer with the micro-traxions?

Amazing video, so cool that beal worked with you on this

Isn't it pronounced "B-eel" I've never heard it called "Bee-Al"