Just saw over on Facebook that Gary Gibson is one 3999 new route. I gave a sarcastic and tongue in cheek reply of its quality not quantity. Whether it was seen as the joke it was meant to over the inter web, I don’t know and probably don’t care.
However it is an amazing achievement, as I know a lot of climbers, probably myself included who hasn’t climb anywhere near 4000 existing routes. So it is a massive achievement in its own right. If for instance we say 50% are sports routes, and on average have 4 bolts and a lower off (These estimates could be very conservative). Thats around £20 a route, so multiply that by 2000, and in bolts alone Gary has forked out probably at least £40000, about twice as much as the BMC has given to the better bolts campaign (I will adjust this if I am wrong but I think the BMC has given two lots of £10000 for bolts).
You of course have to factor in the travel to these new crags, which if you look at Gary’s Great page SportsClimbs.co.uk you realise that they aren’t exactly all on his or anyone else doorstep. So probably add on another £10000+ for fuel. You soon get the idea that he is something of a machine.
If I could ask Gary one question then it would be what is the best of the soon to be 4000 routes he has climbed.