UKC

Looks like Jackdaws nesting half way up Great North Road at Millstone 

Well that saves me from embarrassing myself trying to climb it. It's been on the list for a while and I've yet to pluck up the courage.

Can’t fault their taste

Are you sure they're not just stuck at the crux?

 "I'm not stuck, I'm just nesting"

Once the birds have moved on I say go for it. GNR is the easiest grit HVS I've done by some way, it's also well protected the whole way up from memory. I'm still very wobbly on HVS, I probably fail on as many as I get up cleanly, but I remember GNR just being great fun, friendly climbing.

You must have missed out a load of soft touches then; two (without thinking much) examples Knight's Move (HVS 5a) & Tody's Wall (HVS 5a) - I can sort out a load more for you if you wish.

Nope, I've onsighted both of them - quite some time ago now, but I have and in my memory they were both harder. Or at least the cruxes felt harder. These things are different for different people of course: I found reaching between breaks towards the top of Knights Move hard for example, the bit low down that many call the crux seemed OK, and its on the VS 4c that goes out right anyway, so can't quite see how that would be the 5a bit!

I should try Tody's again actually, but at least when I did it in 2000 I can't remember ever having needed to heel hook on a proper onsight lead of a route before! Well, ok, I tell a lie - I remember heel hooking twice on Scottish winter routes when things were getting a bit extreme for me! So first time - not in crampons - heel hooking on a lead.  

I like jamming though, so maybe there are just lots of really secure jams on Great North Road and that's why it felt friendly - but it definitely felt a lot less physical than say Avalanche Wall (HVS 5a) that lots of folk seem to say is the easiest HVS at Curbar.

edit: just thinking about this more, I found Sorrell's Sorrow (HVS 5a) easier than Avalanche Wall - so what do I know!

I found Tody's Wall much harder than Knights Move. When I did KM it was VS and I felt it was fair enough at that. 

I was wrong about Tody's Wall (HVS 5a), I wasn't thinking about it on-sight; would be considerably harder if you'd not done it before or seen anyone do it (or flounder about on it 😁 - always fun to watch). It's not really a proper heel hook, just that with your foot that high it's not possible to get your toes down onto the rock (no need) until you're rocking over.

I don't think I've led Great North Road (HVS 5a), but I seconded it when I was definitely capable of it, just wasn't my lead - but I remember finding the smooth corner bit in the middle pretty tricky.

Agree that the reach over the bulge on Knight's Move (HVS 5a) is the hardest move, maybe it's more reach dependent than I thought (I'm 6' - well I was, maybe I'm old enough to have started shrinking ☹ ).

I'm not sure about the easiest HVS on grit but it does have really good gear and the actual climbing is neither too pumpy or hard for the grade. For me that puts it fairly low - mid HVS. I'm sure people that prefer bold slabs feel differently though.

Mississippi Variant (honestly VS IMO)

Dovers Wall Route 2 (maybe a tad easier than GNR)

Agony Crack

Robin Hood's Cave Innominate/Harding's Finish  (not the direct start! I found the VS bit on this harder than the HVS bit!)

I think this has always been HVS, of your little list it's the one I found hardest and the only one I'd say is as hard as GNR.

Gear in and go for it - good holds, steep but over soon.

used to be VS - VS(+) IIRC in the green Stanage guide from 1976, VS 4c in the Paul Nunn guide - upgrade to HVS is reasonable

Superdirect (finish) I think same "story" as Agony Crack.

The VS bit - just up to the cave - I soloed on sight when I was a young lad and years later led it and did the usual "wtf were you thinking when you soloed it". IIRC the tricky bit is the first few moves getting to where the crack starts.

Wouldn't it be boring if we all found the same difficulty in climbs, what would we discuss if everybody agreed on the order in graded lists 😁

well at least there's not much chance of jackdaws nesting on Toddy's Wall

I wouldn't even say it's the easiest HVS at Millstone

Bond St and both versions of Lyons Corner House are easier

Tody's Wall is a weird one because it does feel a bit VS 5a but the 5a is pretty hard. 

It's an easier move for people who've grown up climbing at bouldering centres but I reckon a lot of the generation before would find it a tricky move. Same as how old boys cruise up HVS cracks that leave wall-bred climbers in a sweaty mess.  

Interestingly, I've done both of those - Bond Street was ok but the tricky fingery pull at the top of the hand crack wasn't easy. Lyons House Corner I've only seconded but I remember feeling both proper 5a moves and a bit intimidating. 

I'm going to have to do GNR again now and see if it still feels as straightforward as I remember! 😀

Watch out for the jackdaws, I believe they're nesting!