Having just finished a leisurely repeat of this classic test-piece, I thought potential ascensionists might be interested in my pitch-by-pitch breakdown of its difficulties. Trad grades, since this is adventure reading in a remote setting needing good survival skills. For context, trade routes like Jane Eyre and Great Expectations are graded VS. In terms of preparation, it's useful to have completed a SPA qualification (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle). Also helpful would be familiarity with the route of Ireland's Struggle for Freedom (project).
P1: Telemachus: E2. Hard-to-read face climbing straight off the ground - but a bold approach will pay dividends.
P2: Nestor: E3. The climbing becomes more sustained. A photogenic pitch, with some of the route's best-known features.
P3: Proteus: E5. The stopper pitch: extremely precarious steep slab climbing on blind holds and smears. Marginal protection with groundfall potential. Normally headpointed after pre-practice with as much beta as possible.
P4: Calypso: HVS. The climbing eases dramatically. Big jugs.
P5: Lotus Eaters: HVS. Superb views on this pitch - but don't get distracted. Keep moving.
P6: Hades: HVS. The climbing takes on a more speleological aspect, but the good holds keep coming.
P7: Aeolus: E1. The climbing on this pitch is broken up by many quartz-like intrusions: positive, but steep.
P8: Laestrygonians: HVS. The angle relents: good ledges for a lunch stop.
P9: Scylla and Charybdis: E4. Witheringly steep chimneying.
P10: Wandering Rocks: HVS. A series of boulder problems.
P11: Sirens: E1. A route-finding puzzle: easy to get misled into blind alleys and cul-de sacs.
P12: Cyclops: HVS. Quite a stamina-fest: big holds, but pumpy.
P13: Nausicaa: HVS. Mostly easy, then a couple of quick pulls for the climax.
P14: Oxen of the Sun: E3. Gets overgrown with the passage of time, so usually requires cleaning: mostly solid, but finishes on tottering choss.
P15: Circe: E2. Weaves a long but surprisingly steady path through fantastic rock architecture: E2 climbing in E5 situations.
P16: Eumaeus: HVS. Highly polished through over-use, but relatively straightforward climbing.
P17: Ithaca: E1. A lot of questionable rock. Finish via the Pat Littlejohn variant, "Darkinbad."
P18: Penelope: HVS. A flowing pitch: long dynamic moves that end on very positive holds.