In reply to Bjorn:
> (In reply to whispering nic)
> Ambrosia: 8A+ highball, bad rest, 7c+
> Blind vision: 8A highball, no hands rest, 7c+
> Ryan's route: 8A highball, ok rest?, 7b?
> If the boulder problem is "just" 8A however, I find it odd that no one has done it before.
The Groove is also 'just' 8A (or even 7C+ according to Kevin J). It is just the nature of Gritstone that the margin between something feeling 'ok' and 'impossible' can be so tiny in terms of conditions, footwork, body position power etc. etc. (compared to other rock types) that until someone has actually done a problem, estimating a grade is often nigh on possible. Add in a highball nature and few people put in the same level of effort as they do on more conventional bouldering venues where repeated attempts are logistically easier.
Continuing the comparisons, there are very few 'routes' or highballs with even close to that level of difficulty:
Careless Torque - Font 8a (interested to here where the font 7c for the upper arete above came from, as I'd read font 7b+ FWIW after Rich S's ascent
http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/Community/Blog/Article61.htm )
The Groove - Font 7c+ and pretty safe according to Kevin Jorgeson, or Font 8a/8a+ according to JP.
Samsom - Font 8a (6b? moves after crux, bouldered ascent by John Welford)
Superbloc - Font 8a (bouldered ground up by Dan Varian)
[High Fidelity Font 8b and a few other hard boulder problems which were never given E-grades may also fall into this category]
There are no doubt a few more that I'm not aware of, but Ryan's new route certainly looks a bit fair bit more highball than Blind Vision, Superbloc or High Fidelity. However, having never seriously studied the routes, that is only from memory of the crags in question and some comparison of photographs this morning.