Big Al found this hard for the grade. Looks it; would you concur?

Pete led it and found it much easier than Yukon Jack which we'd backed off. Conditions were not bad with some useable neve which helped. In the new guide Opening Break gets IV,5 but I don't think it's as hard as say the direct start to Hidden Chimney. The 1st pitch of Terms of Endearment probably felt harder than this.

Yukon Jack does seem to take a few scalps; a good strong line which I'd guess deserves more stars (and a higher grade?)

I climbed it when it was a 3 - see the crack above the red piece of gear, I tried to climb it direct. Almost made it, bit ended up on my back before McCreadie suggested I go left !

The crux of this route was right at the start, it seems like you had good conditions, if the snow in that crack is of any use it would assist alot. When I did it was all powder and felt tough for IV 5 and much harder than the direct start of Hidden Chimney which is only III despite .the new guide grade

I mean go 'right' !!

Led this route as per photo. Found it pretty easy for the new grade IV.5 in latest guide and easier than many other routes of the same grade. There was the odd patch of useable snow/neve but most of it was done by using the underlying rock features. Yukon jack was very hard for the grade in the conditions with no useable snow and abbed from fixed gear where someone else had already retreated. Agree that the first pitch of T.o.E felt harder but its all about conditions on the day.