Walkers/climbers wandering around all over the bush on their way to a crag causes more damage to the bush environment. Staying on one well thoughtout pad/track minimises our impact.
If we wander everywhere, the ground is disturbed & compacted, our scent is everywhere and animal tracks are criss-crossed. The Ravine Track is well positioned - use it and stay on it!
The vast majority of crags receive enough visitors (especially sport crags) to warrant and justify a single (minimalist) track. One track minimises erosion and limits soil compaction to a small area. A poorly defined track causes climbers to wander all over the place - creating popular 'dead ends' and side tracks in the process. For example, think about the long established track into Gilhams - the section from Harrop Tk to Waterworks track. This receives regular traffic but still the bush trackside manages to grow over the track ..... even in this extended period of drought.
The advice to bushwalkers to spread out to minimise impact only applies to when walking 'cross country' in new or rarely visited areas. That is, the point is to not establish any track. The opposite is true when there is a track. Walkers are encouraged to walk on the track, including any mud sections. We've all seen tracks get wider and wider as walkers walk around muddy sections.
Michael