BURSTIn 2024, Mat Wright made the seventh ascent of Rhapsody, an E11 7a/8c+ (5.14+) at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland. He just dropped a video featuring the send, along with his third ascent of Gutbuster V14.
Rhapsody was first climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2006 as the first route in the world to be given the grade of E11 – which means the climb faces big falls that could lead to injury. Over the past 18 years, several climbers have repeated it, including Sonnie Trotter in 2008, Steve McClure in 2008, James Pearson in 2014, Jacopo Larcher in 2016 and Gérome Pouvreau in 2018. It was climbed again this spring by Billy Ridal.
Rhapsody starts on Requiem Crack E8 6b (5.13c/d) and transitions into a V10/11 boulder problem with big whipper potential near the top. MacLeod spent 70 days projecting it over two years. While projecting the E11, Trotter also established Direquiem 5.14aR, an easier and more direct variation to Rhapsody. Shortly after Direquiem, Trotter repeated Rhapsody. “After four-and-a-half hot and sunny weeks, 14 enduring days, 24 50-foot falls, 47 snickers bars, I finally made the second ascent of Rhapsody,” Trotter said.
Wright has been a leading trad climber for the past few years. He’s made the first ascent of Magical Thinking E10 7a on Pavey Ark’s East Gully Wall in the Lake District.
Rhapsody Repeat
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