Dawn,

As best I recall, the start I took to TLR involved tackling the crack right from the beginning, that is to say, treating the route as much as a crack climb, versus a face climb, as I could. If you came in from the right side, you probably did a couple of the initial moves differently than I did. Hey, in the congested Trapps, not only does that qualify as a variation, it's practically a new line!

Seriously, I don't mean to disparage your recommendation. I had to work hard to get started on the route and probably others will, too. Maybe it's as much a test of reading a route as it is making moves.

I didn't feel like you were disparaging my recommendation. I just wanted to talk about Trapped Like a Rat. I think I'm the only one who ever climbs it and if anyone else actually did climb it and got my nut back, hey it's mine! But I'm assuming it will still be there waiting for me in the spring.

And of course I clip the manky pins! I clip everything. There was a great quote on r.c once about slinging sunbathing lizards. I've only led Thin Slabs Direct once and my memory isn't good enough to say how many, if any, of the pins I backed up. IIRC there were three and one of them looked better than the others and I'm really not sure I backed up any of them but I'd recommend that others do so.

Both routes are challenging for 5.7 but to me it seems that there are few 5.7s at the Gunks that aren't challenging. It's a tough grade at the Gunks. Best to skip through to 5.8.

I definetly had a tougher time with the 7's at the gunks than the 8's. Fewer truly G 7's make breaking into the grade harder. Maybe some of it was my attitude I expected the 8's to be challanging and the 7's to be a bit more casual, but never found it that way....go figure. The 7's only get easier once you feel solid at 8. As for 9 that a whole 'nother thing.....

Here's my $0.02 (from sunny Palm Harbor, FL!!!! )

Ants is way easier to potentially onsight than the Spring. Pumpy vs. technical, and gear every 3", not every 3' (that's only above the crux when it gets "runout" like that). There's no chance of getting suckered off line, and every piece of gear is as good as can be gotten w/ trad gear.

Boldville is fun, but awkward, I wouldn't wanna do that to break into 8's. That's what Snooky's and Arrow and Hyjecks are for.
(but NOT Annie Oh)
My first 8 was p1 of SoEO, so that's another contender for every category from Breaking In to Must Do to Classic.

Agreed big-time w/ Nerdom that Casablanca is the 5.8 testpiece (assuming we're calling Modern Times a 9, otherwise MT gets the nod, a no-brainer).
Hard to protect the crux (well), and reachy and pumpy, I had to use a heel-hook, just like on all the other 8's. NOT.

I think Roseland is pretty straighforward for breaking into 9's, it was one of my early 9 onsights, you can TR yerself up the corner until the very top.

Strangely enuff, I had an easier time (mentally - go figger) w/ the moves on WASP vs Sente, and they are 9 and 9- respectively. And PG vs SPORT.
Julie was kind enuff to share my WASP stupidity of climbing thru the crux, only to pro the sh!t out of the 5.4 roof that followed it (since I was thinking: damn, if this is hard and balancy now, and it ain't the even crux yet, then I'm really in for it when I get there! Silly boy. )

As for sometimes having an easier time leading something (even onsighting it) vs. following, I've had that happen numerous times.
I often find myself saying "I can't believe I led this" when I go back to stuff I'd led prior.

A course, other times ya hike 'em too.

Apoplexy was a tough onsite for me, and I was climbing well and had done a bunch of other 9's, so I hafta disagree with whomever says it is one for breaking into 9's. At least for me.
It'd be pretty easy to f' up around the flexy flake and become a member of Team AHHHH Ker-Splat, so I'd save that for more of a 'getting comfy at 9' or perhaps even kinda a testpiece.

I'm with the contingent that likes to break into a grade by onsighting something. (or at least attempting to).
NOT that there's anything wrong with any other way of doing so.

Whatever works for you, and gets you up the rock, and keeps yer ass offa the deck, it's all good.

I took a quick browse thru, and I didn’t see anyone even mention Millbrook.

Has that gone the way of Skytop also?

Westward Ha! 5.7 unt Again and Again 5.7

Phil (or anyone else) - tell me more about Again & Again?

Trivia question: Anyone know where the name Westward Ha! came from?

It's the title of a satirical travelogue by SJ Perelman, who also wrote The Road to Miltown (which could be another route name) and screenplay for variious Marx Brothers movies.