# Buster Martin Climbs World’s First E11

> Buster Martin completes world’s first E11 route after five months of sport climbing.
- Title: Buster Martin Climbs World’s First E11 · Gripped Magazine
- Summary: Buster Martin completes world’s first E11 route after five months of sport climbing. Buster Martin climbed Rhapsody (E11 7a) at Dumbarton Rock, becoming the…
- Keywords: buster martin, dumbarton rock, rhapsody, e11, 5.15b, trad climbing, sport climbing, margalef, dave macleod, seattle, Buster, Martin
- Source: Gripped Magazine — https://gripped.com/news/buster-martin-climbs-worlds-first-e11-months-after-5-15b
- Author: Brandon Pullan
- Published: 2026-10-09T12:26:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: buster martin, dumbarton rock, rhapsody, e11, 5.15b, trad climbing, sport climbing, margalef, dave macleod, seattle
## Buster Martin’s E11 Ascent
Buster Martin made the ninth ascent of Rhapsody (E11 7a) at Dumbarton Rock near Glasgow, Scotland.
## Rhapsody’s Significance
Rhapsody was first climbed by Dave MacLeod in 2.006 and remains one of British trad climbing’s defining challenges.
## Martin’s Previous Achievement
Martin completed The Journey 5.15b at Margalef five months prior to this ascent.
## First to Achieve Both Grades
Martin became the first climber to send a 5.15b sport route and E11 trad route in the same calendar year.
## Unconventional Approach
Martin’s early trad experience included only a handful of routes up to HVS in 2009, 10 and a single E4 in 2025.
## Learning Process
Martin described learning to place protection and climb cracks as integral parts of the ascent, not peripheral technical details.
## Social Dimension
The ascent day featured conversations with climbing partners and international visitors, reducing intimidation.
## Chaos State Experience
Martin described the climb as a chaos state, battling fatigue and fear without panic or complete control.
## Next Steps
Martin prioritizes recovery after a year of balancing full-time work with two major climbing objectives.
## Key takeaway

Buster Martin climbed Rhapsody (E11 7a) at Dumbarton Rock, becoming the first to send both a 5.15b sport route and E11 trad route in one calendar year.