Perhaps ideal boost after climbing mountain (8)
I believe the answer is:
platonic
'perhaps ideal' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'boost after climbing mountain' is the wordplay.
'boost' becomes 'tonic' (tonic can mean a stimulant or booster).
'after' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'climbing' is a reversal indicator (in a down clue, letters climb up).
'mountain' becomes 'alp' (the Alps are a mountain range).
'alp' written backwards gives 'pla'.
'tonic' after 'pla' is 'PLATONIC'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for platonic that I've seen before include "Latin cop in kind of non-sexual romance" , "Some friendships are" , "Chastely intimate" , "(Of love) without sexual desire" , "Describes a friendship that's free from physical desire" .)