BURSTNemuel Feurle, 25, has repeated Rhapsody 5.14cR at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland. First climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2006, Rhapsody was the world’s first route graded E11 and remains one of trad climbing’s true test-piece lines. Sonnie Trotter made the second ascent in 2008, followed by the third ascent a few weeks later by Steve McClure.
After a paragliding incident in Kyrgyzstan at the end of July forced a change of plans, Feurle found himself trading his original summer adventure for a climbing project at Dumbarton, joined by Lara Neumeier. Feurle started strongly, linking moves with confidence before fatigue began to take its toll. Despite finding more efficient resting positions, he repeatedly fell at the traverse, a demanding cross-move to the right.
Last Tuesday, he finally stuck the traverse, only to fall from the final hold, just one move from the top. The fall was estimated at 20–25 metres, but the attempt gave him the confidence he needed. “I can do it,” he told himself. Returning the following day, Feurle knew what remained: execute the climb. Months of preparation, physical suffering, poor weather and everything else invested in the project had led to this moment.
Believing the climb was at the very limit of his ability, reaching the top carried even greater significance. He completed the final mantle approximately eight metres above the last piece of pro, a big send for any trad climber. At the top, the feeling was unmistakable. As Feurle put it: “Yes, you did it!” 5.15 climber Buster Martin climbed Rhapsody at the start of this month, read about it here.
Dave MacLeod Talks Rhapsody
In 2006, MacLeod shared insight into his Rhapsody send: “I am well psyched and very relieved. I’ve hardly done anything else except try this route for nearly 2 years.
“Rhapsody is the true finish to Requiem at Dumbarton Rock. It follows the crack of Requiem before continuing up the seam on the headwall all the way to the top. There is no more protection after the crack and this section is about French 8c-ish climbing. I fell from the last few moves 8 times last autumn before pulling off a crucial hold and having to start from scratch with a new crux sequence.
“This year, with stronger fingers I still took one bad fall from the last move, spraining my ankles, cutting up my feet and generally making a mess of myself. The swing in was really bad, I was worried that if I could sprain my ankles going feet first, what would happen if I flipped and went head first, even with a helmet on? I nearly tested it once in October when the rope wrapped around my leg as I fell, crushing my calf. I just managed to pull my head out of the way and messed up my back instead. The other major thing on my mind was that the top RP snapped on one fall and I glanced the belay ledge as I went passed (70 footer). If it had snapped a split second later there is potential to die on the belay ledge? Well, it doesn’t matter now I did it on Sunday.
“Because of the very high technical difficulty and the danger, I thought a tentative E11 7a was warranted.”
Sonnie Trotter’s Second Ascent
Trotter sent Rhapsody on June 9, 2008, saying post-send: “After four-and-a-half hot and sunny weeks, 14 enduring days, 24 fifty foot falls, 47 snickers bars, and 113 emails to Lydia, I finally made the second ascent of Rhapsody, yes the original Rhapsody.”
A week earlier, Trotter made the first ascent of Direquiem (5.14aR), a more direct finish above Requiem, on his first try. He extended his stay to focus on Rhapsody: “I wasn’t here for Direquiem. I wanted a challenge above and beyond, something to make me try harder and climb better, something beyond or at the edge of my current level of fitness.”
The easier “escape line[s]” have fueled debate over Rhapsody’s eliminate nature. Trotter defended the route, saying: “You see, Rhapsody may be an eliminate, but it is still Rhapsody. There is a tremendous amount of logic behind what Dave [MacLeod] did and that deserves a pile of respect I think. He saw the line, and climbed it to the top. The only rule is don’t bail left to the arete (a cop out), stay on the face and the line is very much obvious. And yes, very hard… It deserves three stars in my books.”
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