In reply to Aigen:
I certainly had no complaints about the grade back when I did it a few years ago. As others have said, it's pretty sustained, and in spite of it being a crack is a little tricky to protect at times. The start is particularly blind in that regard, as you've really got to pull in to place the gear.
All that said, I had a relatively easy ride on it compared to what I'd expected, but as another poster has said - it's definitely a route that can go one of two ways!! I think expecting something truly horrifying made the experience a little bit smoother, because it in no way matched up to the ordeal I'd expected