I don't save routes. Most routes are easier onsight, at least that's been the way the numbers have shaken out for me. So saving routes means thwarting your partner's desires in order to selfishly reserve a clean ascent for yourself. Man up and follow what your partner wants to lead.

Sorry Dalguard, I'm too selfish for that.

Onsight is easier? Hmm... only way that I'd buy that is if your onsights were a self-selected pool. Working out the correct sequences, onsight, is often half the difficulty on hard routes.

RG - now that you mention it, I think I may have once thought exactly that: that if you descend to the ground and then go back up, it invalidates your onsight. All I can say in my own defense is that I was at the time even younger and more ignorant than I am today.

GO

On sight trad often involves going up, placing gear and down climbing to rest after assessing the situation. This especially applies to long routes, where it's just you and your partner and a desire to climb, possibly an unknown 1000' extravaganza. Obviously, Gunks routes are relatively low commitment, but I have to say, if you sack up and decide to lead it, never having been on the thing, make it up without falling or hanging on gear, regardless of how many "go up and take a looks" you have, it's an on sight and go eat some more nails.

I generally find online polls a nuisance, but...

POLL
What's the greatest number of "go up, take a look/place gear, come down" laps you've taken on an onsight?

I think I did 6 or 7 on Ant's Line. On about #5 I got my hand sequence crossed up as I reversed the little layback up to the overhang, and had to work extra-extra hard to get back to the rest stance. Man, my abs ached for a couple days after that lead. But I got it!

Climbing was so much better when I didn't know sh!t and just had fun. Onsight, red point, head point, pink point and hang dog had no meaning then. When climbing upper levels people seem to care more on how you climb or yet you get to say "hey i just onsighted this climb". If you didn't onsight or get the climb clean some may even say "well you really didn't climb it then". This may matter to some and if you are having fun then great. For me all that matters is cool looking lines, getting to the top and hopefully the best thing a ski descent.
Now I'm going back to gumby land so overrated climbing terms like onsight and clean don't mean sh!t, while fun still has a meaning.

It's a good point John, and for the most part I do feel that way. As long I get the rope up a cool lookin gline I'm happy. That being said, it would be cool to be able to walk up to a Gunks 5.10 and send.

I'd agree that onsighting can be easier sometimes because often it's the only time I care enough to fire beyond my max because it's a one shot deal, that's what's so fun about onsight climbing, you only get one chance and then it's gone forever. If I send on try 2 (the most frustrating because it means you probably could and should have done it first go) or try 100 there is not as much pressure or drive so you often don't climb with the same gusto. Just my 2

Sorry, I'm in GO's camp on this one. If you think on-sight is easier, then you're either picking routes you're pretty certain you can indeed do on-sight (which would suggest some kind of prior knowledge, thus tainting the on-sight) or you're not climbing at a particularly difficult level.

I agree with Pazreal, motivation is everything, often one has the physical strength to send a route, but maybe not have the right incentive. Earlier this summer, I challenged someone to lead Country Roads (it being a bit beyond my limit)if I led City Streets. I promptly fired the route (not an onsight)after previously backing off the route. The guy walked away (still haven't been on CR)Later at the Brauhaus, I asked him about it, and he said I just needed the proper motivation. I'm not saying onsights are easier, definitely not, but perhaps the incentive to send it first try sometimes elevates your commitment to push your self further than usual. I know it has for me before.