I'm a tad confused and I'm hoping someone out there can clarify things for me.
I recently did a climb that starts off a big flake with fractured rock, a few metres right of Shoadee on John's Pinnacle (Arapiles). There was no chalk on it, and there was a bit of loose rock that soon cleaned up. After a challenging start I reached a little ledge, and from there it headed up a little left, following the nice corner that is in the middle of Shalimar. It felt to be around grade 20, and I reckon it's pretty darn good! Certainly more deserving of a mention that Shalimar, IMO.
I was keen to find out what it was, and looking at TheCrag, the only route in that area is Let Me Cry, however that is given the grade "25X". The route I did wasn't a 25X (considering I struggled a bit on the neighbouring Shanghai at grade 18 I think we can be confident I'm not suddenly awesome), but it did match the description of Let Me Cry. In fact, if I wasn't on Let Me Cry, I'm darned to see where you could squeeze a 25X route in, you'd have to be extremely diligent in not using any of the holds or ample gear placements in the vicinity.
I placed one rather crucial smallish cam (yellow C3), so maybe that wouldn't have been possible when John Muir did it in 1985 that may have given it the "X" rating. Although I understand he may have soloed it so I don't know if that adds further complication.
So has anyone done this route "Let Me Cry", and what did you think of the grade? Unless I hear otherwise, I'm inclined to change the grade from "25X" to "20".
I wouldn't change the grade on thecrag for Let Me Cry - from Louise's guide:
"Very serious. Surmount small roof down R of Shoadee. From stance above, go L and up on grey streak R of Shoadee. Jon Muir, solo, 1985"
Neither Louise nor John would have got that wrong by 5-7 grades, nor underestimated the gear. And she doesn't mention a corner.
Reading your description, Louise's guide and Simey's topo it appears that you may have moved R out of LMC after its start rather than going L and up the grey streak between Shalimar and Shoadee which I think LMC takes.
So to me LMC sounds like quite a contrived thing (a very hard unprotected face squeezed in between Shalimar and Shoadee that is escapable) and you've done a variant of it (or Shalimar, whatever takes your fancy) Shalimar Direct Start ... new route !!
There are also a couple of routes/variants credited to Patrick Alseby with almost incomprehensible descriptions. I've never been able to work them out.