BURSTGerman climber Lara Neumeier has made the historic first female ascent of Rhapsody 5.14c R trad (E11 7a) at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland. First climbed by Scottish climber Dave MacLeod in 2006, Rhapsody was the world’s first E11 and remains one of the most iconic and demanding trad climbing routes in the world.
Neumeier completed the ascent on Oct. 7, exactly 20 years after MacLeod established the route. Her achievement marks another significant milestone in the progression of women’s trad climbing.
The ascent followed 16 days of working the route across two trips to Scotland. Combining highly technical climbing, small and often insecure holds, and the psychological demands of climbing above trad protection, Rhapsody has attracted some of the world’s leading trad climbers over the past two decades. Previous ascensionists include Sonnie Trotter, Steve McClure, James Pearson and Jacopo Larcher.
For Neumeier, the achievement represents the culmination of a journey that began with her ascent of Psychogramm 5.14a, a demanding trad route at Bürser Platte in Austria, in spring 2025 – read about her send here.
Neumeier’s experience on Psychogramm sparked an interest in pursuing more challenging trad routes that demand both technical precision and confidence in gear placements.
“After climbing Psychogramm at Bürser Platte in spring 2025, a route protected by micro-gear, I became really psyched to explore more climbs in this style,” said Neumeier. “I loved the mental challenge and the process of figuring out the moves and gear placements on toprope, building confidence and finally preparing for a lead attempt despite the consequences of a fall.
“I wanted to find a harder route that would challenge me in a similar way. Rhapsody had been on my mind since Jacopo Larcher climbed it in 2016, and I felt like this could potentially be a cool project.”
A First Encounter with Rhapsody
Neumeier first travelled to Dumbarton Rock with fellow climber Nemuel Fuerle in April 2026. With just seven days available, the trip was primarily an opportunity to assess whether Rhapsody was a realistic objective.
The route’s reputation for intimidating climbing and long reaches presented particular challenges. Scotland’s notoriously unpredictable weather added another layer of difficulty, limiting the time available to work through the route’s sequences and protection.
“I first visited Dumbarton Rock with Nemuel Fuerle in spring 2026,” said Neumeier. “It was a short trip, and I mainly wanted to find out whether the route was possible for me, especially given its reputation for being scary and having some very reachy moves.
“The weather wasn’t on our side when we arrived. The first days were extremely rainy and most of the route was wet. Eventually we figured out how to dry it with towels, which allowed us to work the whole line.
“After five toprope days, I had figured out all the moves and gear placements, which gave me confidence and the feeling that I could climb it one day. It was a question of time, preparation and the right conditions.
“Towards the end of the trip, we gave it very few lead attempts, which felt surprisingly good, and after that I was completely hooked.”
Returning Stronger
After spending the summer completing the Alpine Trilogy and climbing multipitch and trad routes in Norway, Neumeier returned to Scotland at the end of September. Despite her progress on other demanding climbs, Rhapsody remained firmly in her thoughts.
Following four to five weeks of focused preparation, she began her second trip with renewed determination. Over nine days, she refined her sequences, improved her efficiency and developed the confidence needed to commit to the route on lead.
“During the summer, I finished the Alpine Trilogy and spent time in Norway doing multipitch and trad climbing, but I kept thinking about Rhapsody,” said Neumeier. “After four to five weeks of getting back into shape, I returned to Scotland at the end of September.
“This time things started really well. I spent the first two days on toprope working on links, then focused on lead attempts, one to four a day, with occasional toprope laps to become more efficient on all sections.
“I made progress almost every day, even if it sometimes felt like baby steps. I realised that this was the hardest route I had ever tried. Technical climbing and some very reachy moves, but I found a beta that worked for me even though the crux felt very insecure because of tiny footholds.”
As her attempts accumulated, the physical demands of hard climbing, combined with long days in cold, windy conditions, began to take their toll. Recognizing the importance of recovery, Neumeier and her climbing partner took two rest days before returning to the route.
“After a few days of lead attempts, we realised our bodies were tired from trying hard on Rhapsody and having long days in Scottish cold and windy conditions, so we decided to take two rest days to fully recover.
“On the first day back, I linked the entire headwall from the rest to the top on lead, which gave me a huge confidence boost.”
The Historic Ascent
On Oct. 7, with favourable conditions and renewed confidence, Neumeier returned to the foot of Rhapsody. After warming up on toprope, she committed to another lead attempt.
An unexpectedly wet section of the lower crack nearly caused a slip, but she held on and continued upwards. With months of preparation and days of focused attempts behind her, she climbed through the difficult upper wall to complete the historic first female ascent.
“The next day, conditions were great,” said Neumeier. “After warming up on toprope, I went for it. I almost slipped off the lower crack, which was unexpectedly wet, but managed to hold on. From there everything clicked and it felt quite smooth.
“Grabbing the top hold and mantling over the lip was a crazy feeling. Standing on top of Rhapsody I felt incredibly happy and proud.
“I had put more energy, work and determination into Rhapsody than into any route before. I had been so nervous and excited because I wanted to climb it so badly, and finally doing it felt amazing.
“Rhapsody reminded me how important it is to trust yourself, and that trying hard things shows you how far you can go and where there is still room for more.”
A Shared Experience at Dumbarton Rock
Neumeier’s ascent formed part of a remarkable period of climbing at Dumbarton Rock. British climber Buster Martin completed Rhapsody just days before her, while Fuerle followed with his own successful ascent only hours after Neumeier reached the top.
For Neumeier, the camaraderie and support surrounding the project were as memorable as the achievement itself. “I had an incredible time at Dumbarton Rock,” Neumeier said. “Working on the route together with Buster and Nemo was so much fun. Seeing Buster send it a few days before and Nemo climb it just a few hours after my ascent was incredible! All the locals were so welcoming and supportive, and I’m incredibly grateful for the whole experience.”
Read about other Rhapsody sends here.
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