Tunes at the crag?

[moose]

At what point does it become tolarable?
For me i think its about effort, if a string quartet rocked up in full collar and tie sat down on their fold out wooden chairs and started playing i would not only approve but stop and listen.

Slightly 'off topic' but I'm reminded of a rainy day at Malham with Jacob Cook. It was during a period when he was living in Headingley (with his Maths PhD seeming to take a backseat), and I was his willing belayer and taxi service (lots of days off and happyish to drive him to/from the crag). We went to Malham on a day of torrential rain; there was a festival in the village that appeared very soggy, but the crag and walk-in were deserted other than us two. I worked Chiselling the Dragon (nasty 7c, I think my first of the grade) and I later set off on red-point in what I thought was a deserted bowl, a sheet of rain pouring behind me from the top of the crag. Then suddenly there was this throbbing sound of bongo drums and other instruments. I looked behind to see the rain had stopped, and there was a group of musicians around the pool at the foot of the crag. They kept playing, with the rhythm becoming more rapid and intense, and hit a crescendo almost simultaneously with when I clipped the chains. It might sound a bit "and everyone on the bus clapped" but that's my recollection, and it's one of the oddest feeling experiences of my climbing life.

 

[highrepute]

At what point does it become tolarable?
For me i think its about effort, if a string quartet rocked up in full collar and tie sat down on their fold out wooden chairs and started playing i would not only approve but stop and listen.

Slightly 'off topic' but I'm reminded of a rainy day at Malham with Jacob Cook. It was during a period when he was living in Headingley (with his Maths PhD seeming to take a backseat), and I was his willing belayer and taxi service (lots of days off and happyish to drive him to/from the crag). We went to Malham on a day of torrential rain; there was a festival in the village that appeared very soggy, but the crag and walk-in were deserted other than us two. I worked Chiselling the Dragon (nasty 7c, I think my first of the grade) and I later set off on red-point in what I thought was a deserted bowl, a sheet of rain pouring behind me from the top of the crag. Then suddenly there was this throbbing sound of bongo drums and other instruments. I looked behind to see the rain had stopped, and there was a group of musicians around the pool at the foot of the crag. They kept playing, with the rhythm becoming more rapid and intense, and hit a crescendo almost simultaneously with when I clipped the chains. It might sound a bit "and everyone on the bus clapped" but that's my recollection, and it's one of the oddest feeling experiences of my climbing life.

Good story

 

[duncan]

The thread was initially heading for the logpile but you’ve redeemed yourselves!

The acceptability of music depends on social hierarchy and, to a lesser degree, taste. Cédric Lachat has the status to exercise editorial control, I would probably mutter something something passive-aggressive whilst fantasising about accidentally dropping a rock on the offending speaker as I landscaped the landing. The Siegfried Idyll arranged for string quartet would be wonderful, Boujee American Football Rap (thank you, Spotify 2024 wrapped) not so much.

[Goretex on, he’s about to spray] Honnold's recent attempt on his free variation to The Nose (a 7C/+ bypassing Changing Corners) was reportedly accompanied by modern beat combo Tool. Obviously I tut-tutted to myself about this. Then I remembered my first time on the route when dinner was accompanied by John Bachar attempting to channel late period John Coltrane in the meadows. A couple of days later, as we stirred ourselves after a wet bivi, a dude unloaded the speakers from the back of his VW bus and encouraged us on our way with Jimi Hendrix floating up through the clouds. At the time it all felt incredibly cool.

 

[SA Chris]

Slightly 'off topic'

You just remined me of something I've not thought about for 17 years. We went to Cairngorm car park to walk in and do Savage Slit. Weather was not as good as forecast, but not too bad as to not bother. We walking in to the Corrie and as w got higher the weather got worse, until we were just about in the cloud by the time we got to the base of the route. We looked up and it looked damp but climbable, so we set off By the time we had both done pitch 2 it was drizzling lightly. I dashed up the last bit (I think I ran some pitches together) and got to the top which was fully in cloud and piss wet. As i was setting up the belay I could swear I hear drums faintly through the mist, and mentioned it to R when she got to the top, and we could definitely hear something. Anyway, we found the ab point, and quickly got to the bottom and the noise faded again and packed up and set off. As we left the corrie in the mist and cloud we could now definitely hear drums, and as we got closer to the ski centre it got louder and louder, to be greeted by a drum band about a dozen strong greeting arrivals to a wedding that was going on at the top of the funicular restaurant.

 

[SamT]

Might be worth a topic split??

So last year, we made the odd choice to go to Stanage Pop on August Bank Holiday Monday (drove past and it didn't actually look that busy and there were spaces in the car park so hey, why not).

Never again! it was the weirdest days cragging I've ever had. Both funny and annoying in equal measures.

We arrived at the crag and dumped sacks below chosen route. As we kitted up we soon became aware that a couple nearby were mid domestic. Proper domestic too, it was turning nasty. They were clearly beyond caring they were in public. The bloke was being a complete dick. It went on and on. All other teams in the vacinity were just stood in hushed silence, exchanging glances. Eventually, he stormed off and we all carried on with our day. I arrived at the top and set up a belay, sat on the edge of the crag, as you do. The top was a motorway of walkers, as you'd expect. A couple of scandinavians stopped, near me, but then sat on a boulder about 1m away from me, put some 'whale' music type shiz on their phone and sat there with their eyes shut, meditating or something. " Climb when your ready" I bellowed slightly louder then need be. They were properly in my personal space.. just so odd. Then got up a fucked off just at my mate toped out. Just bizzare.

So, things couldn't be much weirder, or could they.

Top of the next route, I topped out to be sharing a belay with a girl dressed in a pink rabbit onesie sat on a boulder with a can of lager in her hand..

Wondered if I was tripping..

She was accompanied by 10 or 15 other such bizzarly dressed companians, mainly all dressed in full on Star Wars get ups. Cosplay innit?? They were doing full on lightsabre fight re-enactments worryingly close to the edge.

Just the most bizzare day on the crag I've ever had and as I say, Stanage pop, bank holiday monday.. never again.

 

[northern yob]

This is actually turning into a good off shoot thread…

I hate music at the crag…. If someone is playing it I’m more likely to go somewhere else rather than ask them to stop. I do this for two reason’s one of the few things I hate more than music at the crag is preaching and telling other people what to do… also I’d fully expect to be told to fuck off, or more likely ignored(as I may have done to others on campsites around the world) few things in life are worse than hypocrites.

All this said I spent a large portion of the late 90’s early 00’s in Yosemite with a speaker round my neck or on my harness playing various forms of dance music….. so much so we named a route on el cap after a techno track, not as some might think a book… and whenever I hear kruder and dofmeister i immediately think of lay lady ledge.

My finest musical memory is after retreating from halfway up el corazon after a particularly savage storm (two Japanese died on the nose). We hit the ground around mid morning to swirling cloud enveloping the crag, every now and then pockets of clear sky would allow us to see the carnage on the wall…. Waterfalls where you wouldn’t ever imagine. Both terrifying and beautiful in equal measure,through this we became aware of music! And after heading towards it, it became apparent it was the old spice theme. Extremely surreal in itself this became more surreal when we realised that although the music was a recording, someone with a fairly serious voice was singing the choral accompaniment. Turns out it was pass the pitons Pete! Anyone who has spent any time in the valley is probably aware of him. A true big wall and Yosemite aid climbing legend, who epitomises the amazing freaks El cap draws in. Amazingly he has the voice of an angel and was at some point a serious choir boy in his dark past. We spent a great couple of hours smoking bowls and drinking olde E and hanging out, it was probably the most atmospheric experience of my Yosemite years…

 

[jakaitch]

Not as cool as bongos at Malham but I was at Dumby in the summer whilst there was a piping festival on in the park across the waterd. Pretty good vibe once Id worked out I wasnt just having a stroke.

 

[SA Chris]

fnarr fnarr

 

[SA Chris]

Top of the next route, I topped out to be sharing a belay with a girl dressed in a pink rabbit onesie sat on a boulder with a can of lager in her hand..

Doesn't someone climb some problems in a pink rabbit onesie in an old bouldering vid? Sessions? maybe she'd seen that.

 

[SamT]

Doesn't really explain the Storm Trooper and Jedi Knight accompanying with her though does it.

 

[SA Chris]

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