Franco has graded the route H7 6c as he is a firm believer in the onsight ethic yet resorted to practising the moves on this route on a shunt before his successful headpoint ascent. H stands for headpoint and is a splinter grade from the traditional E grade and has been used occasionally by climbers who wish to differentiate their ascent from that of a true onsight.

Top climber John Arran made a similar statement with one of his hard gritstone routes Doctor Dolittle at Curbar, grading it H9.

Commenting on the grade of his new H7 6c The Hypocrisy of Moose, Franco Cookson said:

"I normally onsight things, so have never done anything anywhere near as hard, but hopefully someone can come and repeat it and offer some more informed opinions on the grade. I reckon it would be about E8 for the onsight, due to how sequency it is and how the RPs popped out of the flexing flake when I tried to jump off on a previous onsight attempt."

Franco estimates the upper crux of the route to be a very balancy V6 boulder problem.

Franco, always enthusiastic about his home area, feels there is much more to come in the North York Moors:

"I'm very excited about the potential in the Moors for new routes and I think it is the first of many routes which people are going to be putting up this year. Only a few months ago we did a new two star E2 at Stoupe Brow - with a 3 minute walk in - where else could you do that in England?!"

• More info on the route can be found in the UKC Logbooks.

VIDEO: Franco Cookson on The Hypocrisy of Moose - H7 6c