In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: anyone who cant see the climb mag articles agenda should read the article again, and I quote:
"This rather controversial route has recently seen plenty of comments on the climbing website forums regarding the contrived nature of the route and also whether it merits the grade of E11"
controversial? contrived? first Ive heard of it being controversial, Dave Macleod has been entirely honest with the style and route taken coupled with the number of stars he gave it, see his original scottish climbs FA description. As for contrived, the flange and traverse right into the crux follows the most obvious features on that headwall, creative use of words to promote the general air of negativity which continues throghout the article.
"And having been there with three of Britain’s most talented and experienced climbers for a couple of days it was easy to see why the route had lost some of its sparkle"
blatant deliberate stirring, none of these starlets climbed Rhapsody, end of story, the sparkle is still there, just ask Sonnie
"Prior to his ascent of Rhapsody Sonnie also made the first ascent of one of the more obvious variations to the route with a new direct finish to the original Requiem crack which he named Direquiem and graded it 5.14a R or about F8b+."
Trotters variation was a variation finish to the Requiem crack, as is Rhapsody, so Direqueiem is not a variation of Rhapsody, innacurate and very misleading with undertones of knocking Rhaposdy and adding to this eliminate myth and further perpetuating an imaginary controversy
"Maybe a sport grade of around F8c (based on comments from all four climbers at the time I was there) and an old school HXS would be more appropriate? If we go down the E grade route is it E10 or E11, after all F8c is roughly E9 and with a big, but relatively safe, fall potential then perhaps you could add a grade, so E10? Who knows and perhaps further ascents will sort it all out? This is a debate that will rage on...."
there is no debate at present, trotter will give an american grade, there has been no repeat by anyone who understands the E grade system, again, smacks of stirring and continues the theme of the article of knocking Rhapsody and ultimately of Macleod its creator.