GV is sort of neither. It's in the middle of several other trails, so no matter what, you have to do the Connector and part of the North Tower Loop to get there and/or back. From one end of GV, you also have to do part of Aynes.
Here's a map.
Honestly, I didn't think the section of GV that I did was technically difficult, but it required a lot more climbing. I really wanted to continue on the trail, but my legs just weren't cooperating. It's tough work, especially after busting my butt on the Connector to get there.

Yes; having Brian has helped immensely, although in some ways I ride better when he's not in sight. Being a big closer (45 minutes) to BCSP is also a blessing. I've been licking my wounds for over a year for being away from my road cycling haunts. This helps me feel a bit better about that, especially since I'm having more fun on the trails than I've had on the road in a long while.

I've balked at a few sections here and there over the past couple of months. I've encouraged that when I try to make a second pass at them, I almost always succeed It's not always pretty, but given how absolutely terrified I was of MTBing, I'm proud of overcoming my fears more than anything. In that sense, it's way more gratifying that road riding.