Side runners on Njinski?!?!!?

They are not side runners, that's top-roping!!

Actually this isn't toproping despite how it might look!! The only pro on the route is from microwires crammed into a very thin crack, far to the left of the arete. This demands a leftwards traverse from the arete mid-route to place the gear, and then a return traverse to gain the arete once again before attempting the crux. A fall on the crux (or indeed at any point therefore) risks a decent pendulum into the tree on only the smallest of microwires!
Although the attempt was a well-rehersed headpoint, the climb was protected exactly as specified in the guide and with gear placed on lead.

OK, I offer an unreserved apology. When I did the route back in the mists ot time, the guidebook of the time made no mention of traversing left to place runners, and I had not twigged that this was the decription in more recent guides (always wondered why the guy on Nijinski on cover of last SMC guide had ropes on)

The route also use to get E3......

There used to be a tree at 2/3rd height though.

The side runners are pointless, they wouldn't hold your weight never mind a fall! Amazing line, quite serious, top end E5 maybe even E6??

check the logbook comments re the fall

Nijinski was described in the previous guidebook as using siderunners, as well as the current one - so that's been the default for at least 16 years.
This move isn't the crux.
The small wires are good enough assuming you have lots of RPs and small offsets.

You have to go off route to place the runners. I don't think you can take the E5 tick if you have the side runners in.

Led this today. Exactly the same comments still apply as from 3 years ago: Guidebook grade and description describes these runners specifically, they are good enough with enough RPs and HBs. And the next move is still the crux.

The side runners, that it was originally lead with by Willie Todd, were the crack of Promentary Direct and the big tree on the left...so more or less a top-rope ascent. Cubby gave Nijinski its first real lead using the gear in thin crack that is seen in this shot.