In reply to anonymouse:
I think you can go years without climbing and still be a climber. I was off it for four years when my wife was disabled but have now got back into it a bit.
HM Kelly stopped climbing in his 70s and then tried to sever his links with climbing but a friend of mine used to visit him when he felt down and got him to remenisce to cheer him up.
I think Al Parker gave up for several years but went back to it