What do you do when the love is gone?

[olyclimber]

we can rebuild him! for one million dollars. what you need is a motivational speaker. i'm your man....to get ahold of me, knock on the van down by the river.

[Cairns]

I'm absolutely uninspired for climbing. This is the first spring since I started climbing that I don't have a 12page ticklist to guide me through the warm sunny months.

 

I want to like climbing, but right now it has the same appeal as mowing the lawn- just another grind, just another chore.

 

I know I'm not the first to feel this way, so how do you crusty old farts keep the romance alive?

 

Probably just a virus. Wait it out. Or a low in your cycle (females 28 days, males approx 70 days).

 

If it persists, consider your options. If the non-climbing possibilities don't look good either then go out to the crags and look for some youngster running from the last climb to the next one and tie in and surf in the wake until you get your own juice back.

 

The question is not how does one keep the romance alive, but rather how could one possibly lose it?

[Dechristo]

...I employ the mantra "my comfort and Love is suffering". Presto-Change-O! I'm back in love.

 

It works for marriage, too.

[Thinker]

Squid, take it from an old fart....climbing is like womanizing. When you're tired of the same old chicks/routes and the same old places to find them then it's time for a little change of pace.

 

Why don't you wander over to SLC for a long weekend and do some craggin here? You're welcome to our guest room; our place is 20 minutes or less from more climbing than you could do in the next 5 years.

 

Bring your skis, too. Alta and Snowbird are still open.

[DirtyHarry]

Get a really cool hot girlfriend and then do something stupid to make her break up with you and then you will have tons of destructive self-hatred built up inside and nowhere to take it out except for climbing. Sketchy leads will go down like cold beers on a hot afternoon.

[chucK]

Though this is not a particulary colorful anecdote, I think it is apt to your situation.

 

A wise former housemate of mine from Finland was a graduate student in Astronomy and his hobby was bird watching. Since a doctorate in Astronomy did not seem like any great key to future prosperity, I asked him why he didn't instead seek a career in Ornithology.

 

He replied, "because if it was my job, it wouldn't be fun".

 

So there you go. Perhaps in order to bring the romance back into your climbing, you should consider quitting your job at the climbing gym.

[Sol]

go surfing.

[G-spotter]

More like "Because being an ornithologist will doom me to a life of poverty".

[chucK]

Yes, I think he became the official government Astronomy guy for Finland. Probably a pretty sweet position.

 

But your comment also has some bearing on Squidley's situation. I really doubt running a climbing gym will exactly put him on the path to financial security (unless of course, it helps him land a rich wife!).

[cook]

Climb with someone way worse than you. Then feel badass while you tell them all the extreme things you've done. The never climb with anyone good again- so you keep feeling badass.

[JayB]

I think you could say the same thing about owning a climbing gym most of the time.

[dt_3pin]

Once the love is gone, there is no hope. Quit and sell me your rack for cheap.

[foraker]

More like "Because being an ornithologist will doom me to a life of poverty".

 

Reminds me of a Far Side cartoon wherein the scientist says somelike like "My mistake was going into astrophysics for the money"

 

Squid, let's go to the Bugs. If that doesn't get your squidly juices flowing, well, there's no hope for you.

[archenemy]

Though this is not a particulary colorful anecdote, I think it is apt to your situation.

 

A wise former housemate of mine from Finland was a graduate student in Astronomy and his hobby was bird watching. Since a doctorate in Astronomy did not seem like any great key to future prosperity, I asked him why he didn't instead seek a career in Ornithology.

 

He replied, "because if it was my job, it wouldn't be fun".

 

So there you go. Perhaps in order to bring the romance back into your climbing, you should consider quitting your job at the climbing gym.

 

The only people this anecdote doesn't seem to apply to is computer geeks.

[MattStan]

Though this is not a particulary colorful anecdote, I think it is apt to your situation.

 

A wise former housemate of mine from Finland was a graduate student in Astronomy and his hobby was bird watching. Since a doctorate in Astronomy did not seem like any great key to future prosperity, I asked him why he didn't instead seek a career in Ornithology.

 

He replied, "because if it was my job, it wouldn't be fun".

 

So there you go. Perhaps in order to bring the romance back into your climbing, you should consider quitting your job at the climbing gym.

I can so identify with that.

[EWolfe]

Get a really cool hot girlfriend and then do something stupid to make her break up with you and then you will have tons of destructive self-hatred built up inside and nowhere to take it out except for climbing. Sketchy leads will go down like cold beers on a hot afternoon.

 

Dirty and Hairy is a wise one.

[Squid]

Things to do today:

 

1. Find cool & hot chick

2. Make her dig me

3. Piss her off

4. Hate myself

 

 

Good plan; I'm on it.

[EWolfe]

Bouldering, trad and, dammit! Any climbing love will do the same thing

 

just stay away from the wide stuff!

[fgw]

Surf climbing websites for inspiration.

[fgw]

Also, having a lameass job like mine don't hurt either.

[G-spotter]

When love goes stale, you take a new lover.

 

To really spice things up, try a threesome. Like you, boulders, alpine.

[cj001f]

Surf climbing websites for inspiration.

 

Also, having a lameass job like mine don't hurt either.

 

Those just bring on the pain more

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I suggest you start drinking heavily.

[RideT61]

Squid,

You Bigwall and I shoud do another trip together. Or... maybe we could paddle some whitewater. Variety is always good. By the way, did you ever make a clean run through Boulder Drop?

[ken4ord]

Dude it is not about love, it's about addiction. If it is and it is gone you might your f-ed, you might as well take up the extreme ironing, I think there is a link some place in CC commie land.