Burnt out on peak bagging?

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MTNCLmber64169
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Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by MTNCLmber64169 »

Hello, I created an account specifically to post this question. I did do a quick search before posting and if I missed any similar posts I apologize. Last summer I got hooked on hiking 14ers and did about 20. I even did a few through the fall and winter. Now it's summer again and I have climbing opportunities every single week and yet I find myself not having any desire to go. Early this morning I actually turned off of Yale because I simply didn't have any desire to be there or to summit. I just feel frustrated because at one point I wanted to do every 14er in the state and now all my motivation is gone. I guess I'm just reaching out for the community to see if this is something people go through or if I'm just a yuppy or what. I didn't want to make this first post too long but if anyone is actually interested in this I can post more specifics. Thanks and be gentle, this is my first post.
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huffy13
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by huffy13 »

I am sure that one could find themselves hitting a wall, so to speak, or have their desire to do anything diminish...especially if you may have hit it too hard and heavy too quickly. I think a lot of factors may play into that lack of desire...if you live near the mountains maybe you've reached a point that subconsciously started taking them for granted. Maybe it's possible the crowds on some of your hikes have made them seem less spectacular. I don't know, really...I've gotten burned out before on other things in life and it was usually because I went after goals or tasks for the wrong reasons or I jumped in with both feet and got overwhelmed and it just wasn't enjoyable once I over-committed. You might look into spacing out your hiking trips and see if being away from them for a longer period builds that desire, or you might look into getting into hiking some 13ers along with your 14er goals.
Seems like the times that I need a mountain the most are the times that I can not get to them.
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painless4u2
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by painless4u2 »

I tried golf a few times. Didn't really like it. Now I don't golf.

Nothing to see here. Move along.
Bad decisions often make good stories.

IPAs + Ambien = "14ers" post (Bill M.)

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
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Cruiser
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by Cruiser »

I dunno which peaks you have climbed but checking out the different mtn ranges around the state has helped to keep things interesting for me. The Sangres and San Juans, in particular, have really opened my eyes to some exceptionally beautiful parts of the state that I might have otherwise missed if I wasn't working on the 14ers. I've also really enjoyed the 4 wheeling and camping and fishing too since hiking seems to be a real gateway drug into those other pastimes.
Where ever you are... There you are.
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Phill the Thrill
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by Phill the Thrill »

Personally I think there is too much emphasis on "peak bagging" as you put it. I've enjoyed the outdoors all my life - hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, backpacking, trail running. Completing the Colorado 14ers to me is just something that happened along the way as I enjoyed all that Colorado has to offer. I never really gave a serious thought to completing the Colorado 14ers until there were a dozen or so remaining. Capitol Peak was my final 14er and that was exciting, for sure, but there was no cash prize, and I didn't even get a t-shirt. Just continue to enjoy the outdoors in whatever way you wish, and don't worry too much about checklists etc.
"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it." - Andy Rooney
TomPierce
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by TomPierce »

I've been climbing for several decades and have seen that my interests within the sport change over time. Mountaineering, rock/ice/sport climbing, each occupied my focus at one time or another. I've done several 14ers (30-ish, I think?) but found that sort of peak bagging wasn't enough to hold my interest. I guess I needed a different type of challenge. It's occasionally fun now with an unusual route and good friends, but I have no interest in finishing the 14ers. That's OK, just me.

A lot of the 14ers just aren't that distinct, particularly in the Sawatch. Maybe you soured on hiking the same sorts of peaks? Or maybe hiking is just not all that fulfilling for you, nothing wrong with that.

-Tom
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metalmountain
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by metalmountain »

I deal with this too, which is why I haven't completed the list yet. I got more into rock climbing a few years ago and it has been harder and harder to convince myself to get up at the butt crack of dawn to trudge up a trail for hours, when I could sleep in, eat a good breakfast, drink coffee, drink a few beers and go rock climb all day, and then walk 30 minutes back to camp/car. But now that I have slowly ticked off enough where the finish line doesn't seem so far off, the urge is back a bit more. When I was in the low 20's, it felt like the novelty had worn off and the end goal was still a ways off and I got distracted. That, and rock climbing is pretty fun :iluvbeer:
"I found that nothing truly matters, that you cannot find for free." - The Gaslight Anthem
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Dan_Suitor
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by Dan_Suitor »

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been climbing a 14er and thought, “Why do I keep doing this to myself?”. Then the next day I’m planning my next climb. You say you are around 20 peaks. Maybe you are discouraged because you have realized you are not even ½ way there. But that’s why completing them is such an achievement, because it’s not an easy task. Take some time off if need be. The mountains will still be there if you wait. Have you been to a 14er Happy Hour? Talking with others about the mountains might rejuvenate your interest.
Century Bound, eventually.
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Tory Wells
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by Tory Wells »

It happens. For me it's always the driving I get most tired of, not the peaks themselves.

Maybe limiting your trips will help you from getting burned out and keep the stoke stoking.
"Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earthbound misfit, am I." -David Gilmour, Pink Floyd

"We knocked the bastard off." Hillary, 1953
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mtree
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by mtree »

I've never had a goal of completing all the 14ers. I decided a long time ago that if I make it a goal it no longer becomes a hobby...more of a job. And that didn't sound very fun. If I complete them all, so what? I don't consider it anything special. It just means I've spent a lot of hours hiking. It's just an arbitrary list anyway. So, if it happens it happens.

As someone posted, the driving can also be a real drag on enthusiasm. Plus, there are so many other activities available I just don't have the time to commit to peak bagging.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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benlen
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by benlen »

I experienced a little of this towards the end of traditional ski mountaineering season. Returning to hike 14ers versus hiking in snow with ice axes and skiing down was....a huge bore. Slogging through scree on El Diente the other week I thought "to hell with this."

But then Wilson Peak was much more pleasant to descend, and I was OK with it. I think (now) my favorite means of hiking the 14ers is when skis are involved (but it's early still, so who knows.)

The point is, variety is helpful, exploring new ranges is helpful, and finding new ways to ascend or descend 14ers really makes the difference. I have no desire, for example, to ski all of them––but the ones that can be skied and relieve my knees from descending? Totally an option.

Focus less on the end goal (completing all) and on peaks that really excite you.
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Monster5
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Re: Burnt out on peak bagging?

Post by Monster5 »

Ha I burned out hard on 13ers about 5 years ago and haven't done many since.
Now, it's more about the route and company instead of the summit. I've found it hard to motivate for even 13er scrambles once attuned to the exposure and complexity involved in technical climbing.

My general routine to avoid burn out has been:
Summer = alpine climbing between CO/PNW/Sierra
Spring/fall = ice, canyons, towers, couloirs, Front Range rock climbing
Winter = rock climbing and fun winter peaks
Mix in travel and international trips
"The road to alpine climbing is pocked and poorly marked, ending at an unexpectedly closed gate 5 miles from the trailhead." - MP user Beckerich
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