CLOUDING THE MOUNTAIN: music & graffiti

City-spill on the trails

Usually I'd not publicly post the graffiti I photograph, no matter how mysterious or creatively worthy. Spray-painted mountain rock, in particular, a form of pollution, call it art, should not get digital air. It should be viewed on site.

But the graffiti on a road barrier that protects the crumbling, restricted section of Tafelberg Road (above pic) only semi-qualifies, it's not rock, and fits the theme of music on the mountain.

Outbursts of spontaneous song, drum, or ritual chant on Table Mountain is all part of going up into the wilds. Organically finding a vibe. Spirit gatherings; north English school hockey and rugby belting it out as they hiked up Plattelkip. And sure, I have hiked along to 70's - 80's funk/disco. It's makes for a far quicker ascent to where, hopefully, you won't come across me having a private boogie on some quiet and remote upper reach. My earbuds muffling the potential crack of rockfall.

On the Platteklip Gorge trail, Table Mountain's most-traveled foot route, music pumps out of some hikers' backpacks and handheld boomboxes. On a busy day the trail is such a multinational mix of comradely toil it could seem that some blaring speakers are a natural part of the thing.

But mountains as a place to go for some kind of solace etc, I guess could soon be a relic part of remote outdoor culture.

It is still against the Park's rules. And while this may seem a bit fuddiduddy, ok, maybe an exception on Platteklip trail should be made.

Without control though (no rangers on any of the mountain's paths, etc) it could be assumed it's ok to blast out everywhere, on any mountain.

Oh such fuddidudiness! Let cultural shift flow the mountain masterblasters way? Bring in drones. Let's live-stream the trails.

TMNP should make the choice, though. It would reduce misunderstandings and save the good vibes. And more crucially, if breaching the no music rule is assumed to be ok, it runs the risk of other more safety-orientated regulations being ignored as well.

16 October 2022

More on the problem of Table Mountain graffiti

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