UKH

This got me thinking:

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/rocktalk/whos_your_desert_island_first_as...

How many mediocre routes would you trade for one true classic?

Yea but it's all those mediocre routes that keep me fit and moving well for the classics! I think of it as more of a prymaid, plus without climbing all of those so so routes the truly spectacular ones maybe wouldn't seem all that. 

It's a matter of contrast so in response to your question, not a single one.

I dunno the answer to your question, but unlike many other climbers I much prefer to repeat classics than onsight mediocre routes. I can see the joy in discovering unsung gems, but when such gems are covered in grime and have an approach up dripping wet vegetation after an hour and a half slog uphill, I really can't be arsed climbing 20 shit ones to find the one that was actually good.

Next you'll be complaining about a ten minute walk from the car you convenience climber

And then the only place you'll be able to climb is  Bram Crag Quarry

Maybe I should put it this way:

How many crap bolted routes would you be willing sacrifice to save one classic route (say DoWH)?

I'd be willing to see quarry loads of them go.

This does touch on a serious point, I live in Chesterfield and often drive through Stoney at all times of the day-week and there is often a lot of cars parked in the spots for Horseshoe, horsethief, goddards etc. There are a lot of mediocre bolted routes around, thousands. But, climbing has rocketed in popularity, certainly in the 30 years I've been bothering rocks, and if these thousands of mediocre bolted routes - and I'm thinking all over the UK here, didn't exist then the pressure on established crags would be enormous and damaging. If Portland was still an esoteric trad tot-fest think of the state Swanage would be in. If Horseshoe was a truck yard guarded by psycho hounds think of the extra pressure on Froggatt or Birchen.

I'm a big fan of masses of mediocre routes, they absorb the numbers, slow the degradation of long time classics and spread the impact of our sport, so I won't trade any.