Rhapsody | E11/8c Trad climb at Dumbarton Rock

UKClimbing.com | 8a.nu
See also Requiem and Direquiem.

Rhapsody is a trad route at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland first climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2006. It was one of the hardest trad routes in the world at the time and maintains a substantial reputation, featuring hard, intense climbing with the potential for huge falls.

The climb starts by climbing the majority of Requiem (around 7c+ to here) to a poor rest before an intensely technical sequence up the headwall above.

Around the time he made the second ascent Sonnie Trotter also added a variation called Direquiem which takes the headwall but finishes left rather than going to the highest point of the crag.

References

[1] E11 2006 film by Paul Diffley

Contributors
remus
21 contributions since 27th December 2020.

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

7 recorded ascents.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Dave MacLeod Lead | worked 9th Apr 2006
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn8SaTntzG8
Sonnie Trotter Lead | worked 9th Jun 2008
Second ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTxPnQNWdIw
Steve McClure Lead | worked 15th Jun 2008
Third ascent.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWnE5_Ln5s

[2]https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2008/06/steve_mcclure_climbs_rhapsody_trotter_does_it_again-44777
James Pearson Lead | worked 24th Sep 2014
Fourth ascent.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/tU-_hozN1v/

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2014/09/rhapsody_e11_7a_repeat_for_james_pearson-69194
Jacopo Larcher Lead | worked May 2016
Fifth ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/05/rhapsody_e11_7a_repeated_by_jacopo_larcher-70443
Gérome Pouvreau Lead | worked Sep 2018
Sixth ascent.

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/extreme-trad-climbing-in-scotland-gerome-pouvreau-and-florence-pinet-repeat-rhapsody-and-requiem.html

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2018/10/florence_pinet_and_gerome_pouvreau_in_the_uk-71744
Mathew Wright Lead | worked 26th Apr 2024
Belayed by Sam Ley.

I accepted that I needed to give it my all, as every time I fell from really high up, I knew I was rolling the dice to some extent. I flicked a mental switch on the send day and that was it - I knew that I was going to climb it that go. I exhaled on every move and climbed as well on the route as I ever had - it really was the perfect send go. [4]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg692659.html#msg692659

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZOxSKE3WN8

[3] https://www.instagram.com/p/C6WfA7-NU-E/

[4] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/04/mat_wright_climbs_rhapsody_e11-73664