SummitPost.org

Sierra Ledge Rat wrote:Clever but WRONG! Watch out, I'll be pulling your plug

Why do you care what other people do? Unless it's your partner, I fail to see how it's anything but a very minor inconvenience for you to have someone else on the trail listening to music (by headphones; I was a bit put off by a party carrying a small boom-box, although even that wasn't a big deal).

Depending on the mountain it is quite dangerous to listen music here in Brazil.
For instance, at Selado Peak, on teenager died some years ago hit by a lightning!
:/

That's why yes, i'm always with some good classic/ jazz/ blues going on, but just one side of the phone!

Sierra Ledge Rat wrote:
Clever but WRONG! Watch out, I'll be pulling your plug

it would be funny to see you try.

H2SO4 wrote:

Sierra Ledge Rat wrote:Clever but WRONG! Watch out, I'll be pulling your plug

Why do you care what other people do? Unless it's your partner, I fail to see how it's anything but a very minor inconvenience for you to have someone else on the trail listening to music (by headphones; I was a bit put off by a party carrying a small boom-box, although even that wasn't a big deal).

I was only kidding. About pulling the plug, that is. I wasn't kidding about the clever part.

I used to free solo the Great White Book in Tuolomne Meadows. Back in the day before Walkmans, I put a tape cassette player in a fanny pack and ran loops up the Great White Book blasting Jimi Hendrix. I was known to stop and drink a beer and smoke a doobie while waiting at belays for other parties to finish. Rather obnoxious, don't you think?

I love to listen to music when I am climbing. When I roll up to Stoney Point and I'm warming up in the back canyons, and no one is there, the music helps me get in the flow of things sometimes. I also like to listen to music when I hit the trail early for some long solo day in the mountains. For me the hours seem to fly by.

When there is serious rock fall or avalanche potential I don't listen to music. When I am climbing with friends, I don't wear my headphones. I think that would be a little rude to be out with my buddies and block them out with my wall of sound. When approaching others on the trail I usually pause the music and pull an ear bud, to say hi, or at least be able to respond to any communication.

Lately I haven't been taking the Shuffle though, my wife has started climbing again!

Wes

Are you guys talking about climbing or hiking peaks? Hiking peaks solo, hell yeah I listen to music. Yesterday I did a hike/climb up Mt. Morrison just above Red Rocks. I was on the route called "Off Route Beer Bottle". You can make sections of the route go at low 5th class. I do it as a hike/scramble/climb up to the top and I run down via a different route. Yesterday while on a low 5th section, I was listening to some sweet, sweet Reggae. I pounded on a block to ensure it was solid. I guess the music muffled the sound of the hollowness. I grabbed it, it broke. I managed to grab a solid hold and not fall 20'+ to the ledge below. I guess I’ll keep the tunes off while on 3rd class and higher. Except for bouldering. I need loud music to get through some of that mess.

JackJohnson wrote:I don't mean to brag but I like listening to myself.

Well, that is bragging!

I just snorted coffee out of my nose!

JackJohnson wrote:I don't mean to brag but I like listening to myself.

I spend all year in the mountains. I used to feel guilty about technology in the woods, now I love it. We watch movies in the trailer in the fall and winter when the sun goes down oh so early. Sometimes I listen to music when I'm hiking on long trails, because trails tend to be really boring for me. On a couple occasions while working on national forest land, I actually drove into the adjacent national parks just to make a phone call. At first I was embarrassed, as everybody there had traveled for hours just to see that spectacular view and I was busy talking on the phone... then I decided I didn't care what the tourists thought.

Foxy Long Bottoms wrote:Are you guys talking about climbing or hiking peaks? Hiking peaks solo, hell yeah I listen to music.

I'm usually solo and prefer the Zen of whatever sounds the world gives me.

I also appreciate the heightened awareness of not having anything stuck in my ears.

But to each her own.

I like listening to the Doobie Brothers.

Would you recommend that deaf people never venture into the outdoors without an escort who can hear? I hope not. Listening to music while hiking isn't inherently dangerous.

Generally speaking listening to music using your headphones while hiking is no more dangerous in my opinion than wearing headphones while walking down a city street. In both environments there are warning noises that the music might mask. Also in both environments if you maintain decent general awareness while listening to music you should be fine in all but extraordinary situations.

Inattention is a bigger risk factor than reduced hearing whether you are in the wilderness or the city.

I don't listen to music while hiking, climbing, etc... Don't really care if others do or not but perhaps that's because I can't think of any time that I have ever had a problem because of someone with earbuds / headphones on.